DeMoulas Market Basket protest (Brockton, Salem: rent, home, wage)

[495neighbor]

My local grocery chain Donelans is getting aggressively competitive on prices, so I have been going there instead.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by 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.

Where I live there are no Hannafords or Wegmans. My closest grocery shopping is in Newburyport where there is a plaza with a Market Basket and a Shaws. I mostly use MB and I supplement it with Shaw's if I want some specialty foods. MB will carry the basics and I think sticking to the basics is one of their ways of keeping the prices low. I won't buy food at Walmart--it's probably just me but I want a store that specializes in FOOD.

There is a principle at risk here too--the practice of taking good care of your employees, giving them pensions, showing concern for their families, creating loyal. experienced employees, who, in turn, treat the customers well.

[Know Nonsense]

The walmart of grocery stores, not necessarily a bad thing in itself. But poor attitudes and greed seem to usually get in the way of integrity and quality.

[tribechamy]

Originally Posted by Cloudship

But what other markets have even half-way decent bread?

Off-topic a bit but Stop & Shop does. Not the store brand on the shelves, the bread they sell in the bakery section that they bake in house. Good quality and competitive with other brands ($2.79 for a loaf of sandwich bread, $1.50 if you're lucky enough to find some in the day-old section).

Actually I'm with the poster who mentioned going to Stop & Shop because they're union. People can make a decent career working there, shopping there is one of the small actions I can take to try and support regular American workers. Plus I like them anyway - decent mix of cheap and high end specialty foods and the quality of meat & produce is pretty good.

Have never lived close enough to a Market Basket to make it worth the trip but definitely sympathize with the striking employees, very sorry to hear of the firings and hope the ship is righted soon.

[Valerie C]

I'm not able to make it to today's rally in Tewksbury, but there is an estimated 3000+ people there--customers, associates, etc. Lots of video on the Save Artie T. & Save Market Basket Facebook page--just incredible.

Most who grew up in the Merrimack Valley (like me) have a sense of loyalty to MB (though all of the stores were Demoula's back then). Employees were well-treated, with bonus programs given on a regular basis. Their practice of promoting from within was instrumental in building the loyalty that is evident in these demonstrations, and it's sad that this local success story may be ending due to greed of family members who seem to have more money than sense...

Thousands of employees are being affected and managers with 10, 20, 30+ years of service to Market Basket are getting termination letters. This is unprecedented and who knows what the fallout will be.....

We Are Market Basket

https://www.facebook.com/groups/575637839146416/

Shelves empty as leaders call for Market Basket boycott | Local News - WCVB Home

Also---do keep in mind that this is NOT a union-style strike. The associates that are calling out of work, are not doing so by instruction, and those who choose to work (out of necessity, or disagree with the cause) will not be fined. These people are working (or not) of their own free will. THAT makes all the difference...

[elhelmete]

Grew up shopping at Demoulas and MB. Several of my HS friends worked there.

The family will continue to burn $$ battling each other, the stores and employees and customers will suffer, and another oasis of a decent local company will probably fade away.

One of the new/current executives did a stint at Radio Shack...that's all I personally need to know about how qualified current leadership is.

[Cloudship]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

There is a principle at risk here too--the practice of taking good care of your employees, giving them pensions, showing concern for their families, creating loyal. experienced employees, who, in turn, treat the customers well.

At risk, yes, but I think this might very well turn into a example of how valuable that really is. We are already seeing that Market Basket has a loyal following that would be the envy of any other company. And watching the outcome of this dispute and change in management style may very likely show that good care of your employees, recognizing long term investment in their well being, and treating your customers well may be the key to keeping your company go down the tubes.

Originally Posted by tribechamy

Off-topic a bit but Stop & Shop does. Not the store brand on the shelves, the bread they sell in the bakery section that they bake in house. Good quality and competitive with other brands ($2.79 for a loaf of sandwich bread, $1.50 if you're lucky enough to find some in the day-old section).

Actually I'm with the poster who mentioned going to Stop & Shop because they're union. People can make a decent career working there, shopping there is one of the small actions I can take to try and support regular American workers. Plus I like them anyway - decent mix of cheap and high end specialty foods and the quality of meat & produce is pretty good.

Have never lived close enough to a Market Basket to make it worth the trip but definitely sympathize with the striking employees, very sorry to hear of the firings and hope the ship is righted soon.

Unfortunately that is not the case with the ones around here. They tried several months ago to focus on cheaper prices to compete with Market Basket. But that only resulted in even worse product, service, and stock, and made a bad situation worse. One thing I think Market Basket really showed was that consistent product was vital.

[Beachcomber4]

Originally Posted by Cloudship

At risk, yes, but I think this might very well turn into a example of how valuable that really is. We are already seeing that Market Basket has a loyal following that would be the envy of any other company. And watching the outcome of this dispute and change in management style may very likely show that good care of your employees, recognizing long term investment in their well being, and treating your customers well may be the key to keeping your company go down the tubes.



Unfortunately that is not the case with the ones around here. They tried several months ago to focus on cheaper prices to compete with Market Basket. But that only resulted in even worse product, service, and stock, and made a bad situation worse. One thing I think Market Basket really showed was that consistent product was vital.

Only some of the Stop and Shop rolled out what was called Project Thunder which was aimed at lowering prices. Unfortunately, that did not include the stores in my area. The Cape was always their cash cow with a very captive audience. Market Basket is killing them.

Layoffs are coming at Stop and Shop. Every since the international company based in the Netherlands took them over they have been losing market share.

I am sure the new brass at MB know all this and are preparing for that.

[LLCNYC]

Thought I'd just give the direct link to the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/889/0...et-basket-ceo/

[CaseyB]

Is there some difference between Demoulas and Market Basket? I remember my mother used to shop at the Demoulas in Londonderry, NH. She didn't think it was gross and she was REALLY picky.

I looked at their website to see if there was another of their stores within a reasonable distance from me but there was not. If so, I'd be willing to give them another shot.