Market Basket marks 10 years since unprecedented summer of employee protests, customer boycotts
TEWKSBURY - A decade ago, the future of Market Basket was up in the air.
A family feud at the New England supermarket chain resulted in empty store shelves and major protests from employees who backed ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. Loyal customers showed their support for "Artie T" by boycotting Market Basket and shopping elsewhere.
Now, the Tewksbury-based company with the slogan "More For Your Dollar" is reflecting on that tumultuous summer of 2014 and a movement that it says "grew so big that it encompassed an entire region and brought so many different people together."
"It's been 10 years since the Market Basket family of customers and associates came together in such a remarkable way," Market Basket said in a video posted to social media on Tuesday.
What happened at Market Basket in 2014?
A decades-long family dispute boiled over in 2014 when CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was fired by the Market Basket board controlled by his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas.
Thousands of workers rallied in support of Arthur T, and a handful of employees were fired by Market Basket, which said "their actions continued to harm the company." Some workers refused to make deliveries or stores refused to accept them, leaving supermarket shelves bare. Meanwhile, employees called on shoppers to stay away from Market Basket in an effort to get the new regime to step down.
The public pressure campaign worked. On Aug. 27, 2014, a deal was reached to sell the Market Basket chain to Arthur T. for nearly $1.6 billion, bringing the saga to an end.
Market Basket thanks customers for support
Market Basket posted a series of videos on Tuesday of longtime employees reflecting on that summer. Tom Trainor, a grocery supervisor who was fired amid the protests before Arthur T. took over, said he remembers customers posting their receipts from competitors on Market Basket windows.
"Customers played probably the most important role," he said. "Without the customers, the calvary coming over the hill, we wouldn't be here today."
According to The Boston Globe, Market Basket is due to pay off its remaining debt from the $1.6 billion deal in the next few months. The company just opened its newest store in Topsham, Maine.
"Thank you to our valued customers," a message on Market Basket's website reads. "Your support and sacrifice throughout the summer of 2014 and your continued loyalty today will forever be appreciated by all Market Basket Associates."