Posted on 05/29/2025 8:46:36 AM PDT by billorites
The CEO and public figurehead of Market Basket, one of the region’s most popular grocery store chains, has been put on administrative leave, rekindling memories of a different intra-family squabble in 2014 that shook the company to its core.
Arthur T. Demoulas, as well as several other top employees, are being investigated for what the executive committee of the grocery chain’s board of directors is calling “credible allegations” that he was planning “a disruption of the business and operations of Market Basket with a work stoppage.”
The company’s board alleges that “Demoulas has also resisted an appropriate succession plan for Market Basket, asserting that he has the unilateral right to appoint his children to succeed him without any consideration of the view of the board or the majority owners of Market Basket.”
A spokesperson for Arthur T. Demoulas didn’t immediately respond to NHPR’s request for comment but told the Boston Globe that the board’s actions were a “farcical cover for a hostile takeover.” Market Basket operates 90 locations across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, promising shoppers "more for your dollar." Dan Tuohy/NHPR Market Basket operates 90 locations across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, promising shoppers "more for your dollar."
Operations at the company’s 90 stores will not be immediately affected by the actions, the board said, including wages and benefits for employees, as well as the company’s profit-sharing plan.
The board warned that any employee work stoppage would significantly harm the company’s operations and the lives of both employees and customers who rely on the low-cost grocer.
In 2014, a long-simmering fight between Arthur T. Demoulas and Arthur S. Demoulas, his cousin, devolved into a company-wide boycott and employee walkouts. Employees, delivery drivers and customers largely sided with Arthur T., who had a reputation as friendly to workers. Shelves in many Market Basket stores went empty as trucks wouldn’t unload and customers shopped elsewhere.
After negotiations that included the governors of both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Arthur T. eventually retained a minority ownership stake, ending the power struggle. The company remains privately owned.
It isn’t clear if this latest family drama will again spill outside of the board room. On Thursday morning, customers appeared to still be getting more for their dollar as a parking lot in Portsmouth remained busy. Online, though, some fans of Arthur T. were already warning of the need to take action.
“I'm boycotting, starting now,” said a commenter on Reddit who uses the name Buddaycousin. “I can get everything I need at Costco and Aldi. It's an inconvenience, but its the right thing to do.”
I’m going to make a guess that they aren’t a union store.
Hannaford is better anyway.
LOL...the opening line of one of my favorite novels.
There’s a big MB a mile fom my house, and many of my neighbors work there. I hope this doesn’t affect their jobs.
Correct. They are NOT a union store. And most people love them!
If you’re not familiar with what happened at Market Basket in the Summer of 2014, check out some videos about it on YT to how the customers, workers, truck drivers, etc., reacted and came through to support and save MB by standing with “Artie T.”
It was quite amazing!
I had no idea Market Basket still existed. They were the only store in my “one horse town” when I was growing up in the ‘40’s - then it became IGA, I think...No grocery store in that town today!
I'm going to keep an eye on this to see what the employees (and customers) do.
Market Basket is the best store in the world. Around for over 60 years. Awesome food at great prices. Arthur T is my hero. Got to meet him when he was in a store being updated adding “Market Kitchen” with on-premises homemade pizzas, subs, sandwiches, suchi, and an awesome bakery! Mark down produce, homemade goods, meats, etc. when get to sell-by date, very helpful for those on a tight budget. They offer deli meat & cheese ends at low prices, good for so many uses. Reduce hot food just before closing so each day’s hot food/rotisserie chickens freshly made each day. Many high-quality MB products as good as brand names but much lower prices. Even with inflation, you leave MB with more groceries than any other store.
Always someone in the aisle to help you while stocking shelves all day. Many young people working there, dressed professionally, name tags touting how long they worked there, and receiving good benefits. Also people working there 35+ years. I wish everyone had such a wonderful store to shop at. Customers are a large part of Market Basket appeal. We mean something and are treated like (good) family and friends when we shop there. No place like MB in the world.
Check out https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/news/market-basket-case-study-ages to read about the one-of-a-kind employee led, customer-supported strike to bring Arthur T. back to Market Basket in 2015.
Oops, summer of 2014. Not knowing what would happen, driving by MB felt like going past the home of a good friend who passed. Customers and workers alike all supported Arthur T. Demoulas.
I agree that it’s a wonderful store with terrific variety and great prices but if you need help you’re on your own. At the store nearest me in Hanover, MA , good luck finding someone that speaks English.
Market Basket is the best store in the world. Around for over 60 years. Awesome food at great prices. Arthur T is my hero. Got to meet him when he was in a store being updated adding “Market Kitchen” with on-premises homemade pizzas, subs, sandwiches, suchi, and an awesome bakery! Mark down produce, homemade goods, meats, etc. when get to sell-by date, very helpful for those on a tight budget. They offer deli meat & cheese ends at low prices, good for so many uses. Reduce hot food just before closing so each day’s hot food/rotisserie chickens freshly made each day. Many high-quality MB products as good as brand names but much lower prices. Even with inflation, you leave MB with more groceries than any other store.
Always someone in the aisle to help you while stocking shelves all day. Many young people working there, dressed professionally, name tags touting how long they worked there, and receiving good benefits. Also people working there 35+ years. I wish everyone had such a wonderful store to shop at. Customers are a large part of Market Basket appeal. We mean something and are treated like (good) family and friends when we shop there. No place like MB in the world.
Check out https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/news/market-basket-case-study-ages to read about the one-of-a-kind employee led, customer-supported strike to bring Arthur T. back to Market Basket in 2015.
And....their take out food is delicious and very reasonably priced - quality is unbelievably great! They have breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. We always stop when we’re traveling to pick up something there.
Market Basket and Fidelity Investments are the two largest family owned businesses in New England.
my nearest MB (and many others in the area) is now 80%+ staffed with spanish-speaking workers. management clearly doesn’t care about the language barrier between the customers and these workers.
That’s unfortunate.
Our local MB employees all speak English as far as I know.
Personally, I find the store a bit overwhelming. I prefer a smaller store, but it is VERY popular around here.
My large orange spokescat, Darrow has announced that as long as his servant (me) keeps the treats coming, he could care less.
My MB has one or two spanish speaking workers, but, they also speak English. My Walmart is nothing but Spanish speaking associates, they jibber jabber amongst themselves, however, if an English speaking customer asks a question, they will answer in English. It's annoying walking around the store and hearing nothing but Spanish and giggling, makes you wonder exactly what WHO they're talking about.
I am in Nashua. There is one MB across street from my office. Another down the road a few miles toward Milford.
All the employees speak English.
Now, IF I go to Walmart I will hear a lot of Spanish and get to see the People of Walmart.
I was in the Bedford, NH MB on Sunday. It is a great store with good employees that all speak English.
My wife and I do most of our shopping at Market Basket. Although, occasionally she will go to Hannaford or Shaws which are both more expensive.
Me, too!
Market Basket ping
They are talking about you.
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