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Breaking: Market Basket gets in jalapenos
By adamg on Wed, 07/30/2014 - 10:04am
Chris Rich scanned the produce aisles at one of the three Market Baskets in Billerica today.
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Comments
w00t
Now if only they had any two other ingredients, I could start making lunch.
Make it 3 other ingredients
And we'd have "Chopped: Market Basket Edition".
Let's see...jalapenos from produce, chicken in a can from aisle 5, Fig Newtons from aisle 10, and Cheese Whiz from aisle 8...you have 20 minutes to create a stunning appetizer, and GO!
That sounds like
a Top Gear - Caravan Holiday challenge to me.
How much cheese is left in the store?
They won't be lonely for long
A friend of mine noted something on twitter this morning - looks like Arthur T. may successfully buy out enough of the Arthur S faction to take control of the company.
https://twitter.com/980wcap/statuses/494430739958472704
I heard that too
I heard that too from sources. Waiting for something official to come out before I begin to celebrate.
I sure hope so..
(this will make a great TV movie if he is able to gain control.. would even a BETTER story if he then turns around and makes it an employee owned company (i.e. Publix or HyVee)
I was wondering the same
I was wondering the same thing last night. If Arthur T successfully gets control back, they will he work to make the company employee owned?
I'll be the first to say that I don't quite understand how employee owned companies are formed, or managed (like, how do new employees "buy in" and how do departing employees get compensated?) but I think the concept is terrific.
Why?
I thought the equation was pretty straightforward. Arthur T pays his employees very well. Arthur T also uses his control over the main MB corporation to direct tons of money into secondary companies controlled by his wife and family. Why is he going to disrupt his popular and lucrative two tier system just to give his employees even more money? Altruism?
He's not Robin Hood or a collectivist. He is just a business guy who is trying to both make himself and his employees money.
That's a good explanation-
That's a good explanation--thanks.
A few reasons
1. He and the Demoulas family have plenty of cash. More so than any of us will ever see in our lifetime.
2. To prevent something like this to NEVER happen again. It would stop any speculation that the company would sold to the likes of Kroger or Cerberus because it would require a large vote among the employees to approve such a deal. It would be the ultimate cockblocker for ASD. (and possibly the final "fuck you" from ATD to ASD)
3. It would take a nice place to work with great benefits and make it BETTER. Why? Now, not only are the employees working for a company they love., they now will be working toward their own prosperity and not 'crumbs' that ATD and the BOD decide to give these folks. It would no longer be up to management to make things better, it would up to both management and the employees to make it better TOGETHER.
Don't believe me? Read up on Publix.. seriously. Happy Customers. Happy Employees. Happy Management. Win, Win, and Win.
Clarification
I understand why people who aren't Arthur T would want this. I don't see his motivation.
1) Irrelevant
2) If ATD regains power, he'll have already defeated ASD so that's a non-issue.
3) People are protesting to get back to the previous management even though not one material thing changed about their jobs under the new management. Not one thing. Sure there were valid concerns about moving forward with ASD, but ATD will be given a free ride for a long time if/when he gets back in power. He doesn't need to woo his workers to do better at this point or to believe in him.
Harpoon moved to employee ownership and that worked out well, but I think that was also motivated by the founder(s) wanting to cash out. Artie T doesn't have that motivation.
Opinion
3) -> 100% your opinion, not mine. But thanks for sharing
And
"Harpoon moved to employee ownership and that worked out well, but I think that was also motivated by the founder(s) wanting to cash out. Artie T doesn't have that motivation."
Unless you know ATD personally, you don't know this. How do you know he doesn't want to totally get out of this and stop decades of family feuding. I could be right and so could you.
But once again, thanks for expressing your opinion. Keeps the topic going.
Also
I specifically meant that Artie T, who has a lot, lot of money by all reports is probably less FINANCIALLY motivated by cashing out that the owners of Harpoon who had less money, relatively speaking.
After thought...
After thought...
1) I think #1 is very important. Look at Warren Buffett. The man prints his own money and even he says "I have enough" and now has given a ton of it away. Same could be said about the Demoulas family. We don't know this. Its clear ATD is for the employees and not his pockets. And even if he is out for himself, he certainly doesn't act like it (unlike his cousin)
3.) And to elaborate.. again you're making a broad assumption about this. You're like "oh that wont happen because.." how about turning it around and saying it WILL happen. You, yourself, stated that Harpoon did this and it worked out well. So why not Market Basket too? And yes I believe it would make people work HARDER, regardless of your opinion about ATD, Market Basket runs deep with their associates that extends beyond the loyalty to ATD, it just logically says it would only make it better. Nothing to woo about it.
And BTW who pissed in your cherrios this morning? Seriously. Such a debbie downer.
This is a just speculation
Isn't it? You started by posting this:
"If Arthur T successfully gets control back, they will he work to make the company employee owned?"
Other than wishful thinking, I just didn't see any reason why that would happen and laid out why I thought that. You disagreed with my opinion and seemingly took offense to that.
Just because there's a rainbow, does there have to be a pot of gold too? I'd never heard or read anything in all the various articles about Artie T wanting to make the company employee owned so it seems like the more likely outcome is that he continues like he did before.
As for 1), his side of the family has apparently set itself up to make heaps of money off of the real estate side of the business so he is 'for his pockets' The kick off to the whole ouster was that his cousin thought Artie T was ripping off the Artie S contingent, so I just don't see him as some altruistic angel. I don't deny he's a better owner for the employees and if he gets back in charge, good for him.
Bottom line
You don't know. And neither do I. Its just speculation. And lets leave it at that.
He could surprise everyone... Every day is a different twist to this story, as things are still developing. Only time will tell.
In all seriously and snark aside... (and I mean this genuinely). Thanks for the debate. Always good to be kept on my toes.
This guy is a one note samba.
Arthur T baaaad Reel estate deals..baaad baaaad. Real estate!!! Real Estate!!!! Baaaad Baad,
If he ever finds another topic again I swear the shock'll floor me.
He doesn't seem to get that rehashing the same friggin point over and over again like some crusader for the truth about this grocer just kills what message he has.
Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me.
I thought it was relevant to the topic. The basics of the MB saga don't change just because you have a short attention span or are possibly unable to grasp the basic points being discussed.
I hope your coffee is still sufficiently cheap.
Hey look, I can also put random spaces in my posts.
Even though there isn't always any real reason to do so.
Oh Vaughn.
Forget it, it's Chris Rich. By far the best part of this Demoulas feud is the level of rabid support for multimillionaire (billionaire?) Arthur t demoulas among the penniless socialist crowd. The guy wipes his behind with $100 bills and tried to screw his own family members out of hundreds of millions of dollars. I don't think its fair to assume he is looking to give the corporation back to the employees!
It's about ease of reading.
You do realize how stupid you look when you just copy and paste the same basic spiel over and over again... right?
And simple minded faith that pounding the comment section of a blog thread with nearly identical assertions will somehow move anything, anywhere is a thing to wonder at.
That has to be the most interesting feature of this place, the naivete of local PR Flacks, attorneys and other axe grinders who assume this is really going to be where your case is made.
There is always a moment in some micro controversy over a luxury condo project, a supermarket conflict or what have you when local hicks who have an unmistakable appearance of shilling come out of whatever woodwork to try some public opinion infliuencin.
But it usually ham handed and betrayed by the absence of same shills in unrelated matters where the regulars go.
I mentioned to Adam in private that's it's kind of a shame he can't be making more ad revenue from this shill parade.
Their child like faith is a thing to wonder at alongside their poor understanding of how the intertoobz work.
If you think everyone on this
If you think everyone on this site is so awful, then why do you bother still commenting here?
I like a lot of the regulars.
There is a lot of great lore sharing and rapport once you've sorted through the shills and shrills.
And my main aim is to share what I learn about how to enjoy life here in it's many free nature amenities.
And then, like everyone, I have opinions.
So there.
I've always relied on the kindness of...
...CEOs?
No reason for ATD to do anything but get control of his company back and return to making money for himself and treating his employees decently. In a few years he may decide to chuck it and sell it off for the most money he can get (assuming none of his family wants to continue on). Just because someone is making "enough" money is no reason to assume they're going to be overly generous.
Of course now that this has gotten so much attention there is a strong appeal to the ego to really go out and show yourself to be "One Helluva Guy" and do something like you describe upon his exit -- turning the company over to employees or whatever. (Which would be very cool.) Usually the only appeal greater than more obscene profits is a vigorous ego-waxing. Sometimes the later can overtake and destroy the former (see Christy Mihos). But usually people are just content to be obscenely wealthy and detested (see the Waltons).
Employee buyouts...
Employee owned companies are formed by creating an employee stock option plan. Companies often use these as a way to distribute stock to employees as part of their compensation but the same plans can be used to buy out the company. It would work by assigning shares to employees based on some scheme, such as paid in capital, seniority, and position. Usually employees wouldn't have enough money to buy out the firm so the ESOP borrows money to cover the difference. In the case of Market Basket, this would probably mean a fairly substantial debt overhang - lots of principal and interest payments which could impact company operations and cut into their current compensation packages.
that's more
Than the chelsea store had. I went in there to take a look a few days ago (and not to shop)
The hard part about that store is it's so big so a lot of shelf and floor space to fill up. You can only face the aisles so many times before you just don't have enough product. The non-perish areas are starting to take a hit. (Dairy, Meat, Seafood, and Produce sections are next to nothing)
As much as I want to support the associates, I hope they have a resolution soon. I went to Stop & Shop on Furlong Drive in Revere on Sunday and spend far more than I would have at the basket. I can afford to do so, but many people cannot. I figure my bill was about 20% more than it was at Market Basket. I can't imagine what its like for folks on a fixed income (or Snap Benefits).
Biggest price difference was cheese & dairy.
Grated, Market Basket Cheddar (4 cups) is 3.19 at the basket. S&S Brand was 4.79
1% store brand Milk, $2.79 @ MB, $4.49 @ S&S.
Store Brand Sour Cream.. $1.19 (79 cents when on sale) @ MB; $1.99 @ S&S
*faint*
Everything was about 50 cents to a 1.50 more expensive at S&S. I seriously wonder how they stay in business at those prices.
Wow, that is a HUGE
Wow, that is a HUGE difference! You're far from the first person to report that they went elsewhere, willingly, and spent more money than they would have at MB. It seems like the majority of MB customers are shopping elsewhere, even though it seems to be a rather large financial hit for them (a 20 percent increase in the grocery budget seems like a big hit to me--and like you, I could afford it if I needed to.)
I think this is a testament to how much support the employees have.
Also a testament to how empty the shelves are
Even if there was no line at the GUM store, it wasn't worth the comrades' time to go there when there was nothing to buy.
No, I am not calling anyone a commie. I haven't been inside a MB since the employees started their action. My wife went, and told me how bare things were. (She's not a commie, either.)
Are you okay?
Are you okay?
I"m not sure that you are responding to the Market Basket post as it is written.
The post? No.
I was responding to the comment from Hyde_Parker, about how people spending grocery dollars at places other than MB shows support for the workers. In part, it does show that, but if you need produce, you have to buy elsewhere.
Am I OK? Opinions vary.
That's what bugs me the most
..about all the affluent swells here who go all Marie Antoinette on the hapless hosed peasants.
It really is a great benchmark for empathy fail.
Yo rich assholes. Here's how it works.
The 'little people' who make your latte's, put up with your shit in retail, endure your rent gouging and wealth confiscation are severely impacted by price spikes like that to the point of borderline panic.
I know it's your world and we just live in it but you do look really uncouth when you fail to show any empathy at all for people sweating the cost of baloney.
The least profitable competitors.. lookin at you Shaws.. gambled on marketing and manipulations with tedious stupid shit like 'courtesy cards' rather than just shutting up and aiming for everyday low pricing.
There are other food retailers who get this and show evidence of understanding a model that is a huge threat to the idea that the poor are here for the fleecing.
ShopRite / PriceRite Is A Good Alternative For Some Items
There's a ShopRite (a.k.a. PriceRite) on The Lynnway, and also right in front of the never-opened Market Basket on Squire Road.
They don't have the biggest selection, so you may still need to go to a higher-priced store for particular items. Be aware; the stores have no pretense of style or "elegance", so if that's important to you, shop elsewhere. Otherwise, staple grocery items are generally less expensive, and produce is much less expensive at PriceRite.
Adam.. it's Chris Ross, apparently.
I was in Sherborn all day looking at the very ancient rim remnants of a volcano.
It's subtly stunning like many things in this American Cotswold we call New England.
Photos will ensue.
Wegmans is expanding in the
Wegmans is expanding in the new england , what timing.,