DeMoulas Market Basket protest (Tewksbury, Newburyport: layoffs, live, prices)

[brienzi]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Some kind of family feud that goes back years. I know lots of people like them and maybe they are cheaper, but I don't care for their stores. The closest one to me is maybe 10-15 miles. It's not worth my time to travel that far for something I consider mediocre to save 5 or 10 bucks.

I do care for their stores and enjoy the savings i get there and i respect the people that have worked there
for years and the fact they higher many younger people for employment..

Some many years ago my mom and older brother where at the opening of a local store in my area and Bobby Orr was on sight and have the picture of that day.

The family has been battling for years, any local knows that but they provide good products at a cheaper
price than places like Whole Foods..Where when any "organic E coli " thing happens it's linked to places like that..not DeMoulas..

Monday we should see the outcome of all this, but I'll take Market Basket over any other local supermarket..
5 -10 bucks may not be a big deal to some..but for many it is!!!!

And anyone with a brain can do the math and know your not saving a DIME at places like Costco etc...

[in_newengland]

Market Basket is all over the place where I live. What I like besides the kindly way they treat their employees is that they seem to cater to the local community in what they carry in their stores. For instance, the Newburyport store has more natural foods and the types of items that I can't find if I go to their Seabrook NH store. I call the Seabrook store the beer and frozen pizza store--but if that's what the people want, that's what they get.

I used to shop at the Rowley Market Basket and that's another good store for those who live in the Rowley-Ipswich area. No matter where I've been the workers are always friendly and helpful. They will drop whatever they're doing and help you find something, they will go into the back and try to see if they have extra, they'll order it for next time. Another thing: most of their store brands are really good and you save money. I hope we don't lose this chain of stores.

[brienzi]

I couldn't agree more in_newengland... I don't see the chain falling or closing, but you nailed it with the employees being
helpful..and it's refreshing to see the same help over the course of many years and these folks are putting their
employment on the line over this mess; my mom signed the paperwork in a store today that in itself is refreshing too!

The employees have his back..long term employees. I hope it plays out well as in the end it's all about greed and another
buck!

[cb2008]

We shop only at MB. Love the prices and they have everything i need. Hope it all works out.

[Mordi]

i think the fear is that if arthur S gets control, the true markey basket that we know will no longer exist. he will either run up the prices, or sell of the franchise. i think i speak for most market basket fans when i say that we like market basket the way it is right now.

[timberline742]

So because there was no produce at MB I had to go to the next closest place for spinich for my salads. Same brand, same size, same everything. $4.99 at MB. $6.99 at Shaws. This will kill me financially if they change. I swear, I'll be spending 35-40% more for groceries a week.

[massnative71]

The only place that comes close to MB in pricing is Hannaford (I have a few around me). Or Walmart, but their selection/quality can be lacking. Wegman's isn't too shabby either, they just need to build more in the area.

[magicshark]

Wegman's is incredible! It seems very expensive until you move beyond the specialty area then the prices are nice and low. Since there are none close to me I always shop at Hannaford. It seems to run the same as MB or cheaper on some things I buy regularly and the variety of items is much better.

I am not a fan of MB. Maybe it is just a hold over prejudice from growing up in Lowell. It was always a "ghetto" store for "welfare victims". It always had a smell of old seafood,meat and decaying vegetables. I know some of the new ones are nice but the closest one to me, Fitchburg, still has that whole yucky vibe going on.

[johngolf]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

johngolf, thanks for explaining the situation with Market Basket. Sounds like the ousted Arthur T. really is the good guy. I don't quite understand the previous ruling against him for fraud. Apparently he didn't pay the rest of them enough money. He based it upon what the business was worth when they left, not what it was worth after he built it up. Who knows what is fair. As was explained, he DID use the warehouses and other resources that they others had helped put in place though. But those relatives were stockholders and must have received money all along the way. It sounds like they resented him being generous to the employees and giving money away that they thought should have gone to them. All of this pain and upset over money.

It was Arthur T's father Mike/Telemachus that was found guilty as a result of his nephew Arthur S suing him (Mike). Arthur T was never charged with anything.

It was like DeMoulas stock was worth $1,000.00 per share and all members of the family had shares. Many also had well paid positions in the company or in allied companies. All was well until Evan (Mike's nephew, Arthur T's cousin, Arthur S's brother) died and his widow wanted to sell her stock. When asked about Market Basket stock Mike said well that was his and members of his immediate family only not the rest of the families like his nieces and nephews who owned DeMoulas stock.

Remember the stock is all privately held and what was done is easily doable when privately held.

[Cloudship]

Well, things are not looking good. Employees held a protest to support the original CEO. The new CEO has decide to fire several of them. Demoulas had an almost cult like following, which was based in huge part not on its prices (though that helped) but on the fact that their lines moved, the help may have been young but they actually did their job and knew where everything was, and shelves were stocked. This is becoming a much bigger news item than it normally would. I hate to see them go, especially considering what our other options are around here.

The only reason Wegmans can be called cheap is because they have good special, and most of their product is their own brand. I find I can't shop just there alone as they carry their brand and only one or two others, often lower quality ones. Having said that, I do like their bakery and especially their cheese selection. Their Meat is OK, I don't like their produce, and their general groceries are a bit sparse. But what other markets have even half-way decent bread?