Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. No non-grocery posts.
User avatar
retailfanmitchell019
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 891
Joined: November 10th, 2019, 11:17 am
Location: 760 area code
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

Market Basket's first Rhode Island store (Warwick) opens tomorrow:
https://warwickonline.com/stories/marke ... ore,161814
In a way, Market Basket reminds me of Stater Bros. Both are chains with plain, old-school stores.

If I lived in New England, I'd do a lot of my grocery shopping at MB.
BatteryMill
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 411
Joined: May 1st, 2016, 12:25 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 18 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by BatteryMill »

Love how Market Basket uses drop ceilings and tile floors a la the average pre-2000s supermarket; a vast difference from the grayscale and wood accents common for today.
TW-Upstate NY
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 421
Joined: May 11th, 2009, 6:09 pm
Been thanked: 4 times
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

They're one thing and one thing only-a grocery store pure and simple. Have never pretended to be anything but and along the way have become very successful. They're doing something right and here's hope they never change that formula.
BatteryMill
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 411
Joined: May 1st, 2016, 12:25 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 18 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by BatteryMill »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 10:07 am They're one thing and one thing only-a grocery store pure and simple. Have never pretended to be anything but and along the way have become very successful. They're doing something right and here's hope they never change that formula.
What such features has Market Basket not attempted versus competing grocers, that makes them closer to tradition?
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by storewanderer »

BatteryMill wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 5:43 pm
What such features has Market Basket not attempted versus competing grocers, that makes them closer to tradition?
Things they have not attempted:

Loyalty cards, a store decor that is from the modern era, employee uniforms from the modern area, SKU rationalization that cuts out local/regional brands in favor of too many private labels or a small number of big CPG national brands, a hostile mentality toward labor...

The list goes on and on...
User avatar
retailfanmitchell019
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 891
Joined: November 10th, 2019, 11:17 am
Location: 760 area code
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 6:01 pm Things they have not attempted:

Loyalty cards, a store decor that is from the modern era, employee uniforms from the modern area, SKU rationalization that cuts out local/regional brands in favor of too many private labels or a small number of big CPG national brands, a hostile mentality toward labor...

The list goes on and on...
I'll name a few more things they haven't attempted...
Self-checkout, warehouse ceilings, acquisition of other stores. Very rarely does Market Basket close stores, if they ever do. I don't think they've done TV advertising.

MB didn't have an official website until 2017.
MB is also still family-owned. Arthur T. Demoulas is an excellent CEO, one the very few who puts people over profit. He is my favorite CEO.

Storewanderer, would you shop at Market Basket if you lived in that part of the country?

I would certainly do my weekly grocery shopping there. I'd probably go to Shaw's or Stop & Shop as a convenience store on the way home from work.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 9:13 pm
I'll name a few more things they haven't attempted...
Self-checkout, warehouse ceilings, acquisition of other stores. Very rarely does Market Basket close stores, if they ever do. I don't think they've done TV advertising.

MB didn't have an official website until 2017.
MB is also still family-owned. Arthur T. Demoulas is an excellent CEO, one the very few who puts people over profit. He is my favorite CEO.

Storewanderer, would you shop at Market Basket if you lived in that part of the country?

I would certainly do my weekly grocery shopping there. I'd probably go to Shaw's or Stop & Shop as a convenience store on the way home from work.
I'm not 100% on Market Basket's bakery/deli program (also not sure who does it better in those markets though), but I expect I'd do a big chunk of grocery center store and probably produce shopping there. I don't remember what Market Basket's meat or drug programs were like.
User avatar
retailfanmitchell019
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 891
Joined: November 10th, 2019, 11:17 am
Location: 760 area code
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 9:18 pm I'm not 100% on Market Basket's bakery/deli program (also not sure who does it better in those markets though), but I expect I'd do a big chunk of grocery center store and probably produce shopping there. I don't remember what Market Basket's meat or drug programs were like.
MB does not have pharmacies in their stores.
veteran+
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2233
Joined: January 3rd, 2015, 7:53 am
Has thanked: 1202 times
Been thanked: 71 times
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by veteran+ »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 9:13 pm
storewanderer wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 6:01 pm Things they have not attempted:

Loyalty cards, a store decor that is from the modern era, employee uniforms from the modern area, SKU rationalization that cuts out local/regional brands in favor of too many private labels or a small number of big CPG national brands, a hostile mentality toward labor...

The list goes on and on...
I'll name a few more things they haven't attempted...
Self-checkout, warehouse ceilings, acquisition of other stores. Very rarely does Market Basket close stores, if they ever do. I don't think they've done TV advertising.

MB didn't have an official website until 2017.
MB is also still family-owned. Arthur T. Demoulas is an excellent CEO, one the very few who puts people over profit. He is my favorite CEO.

Storewanderer, would you shop at Market Basket if you lived in that part of the country?

I would certainly do my weekly grocery shopping there. I'd probably go to Shaw's or Stop & Shop as a convenience store on the way home from work.
He seems to be very authentic!
BatteryMill
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 411
Joined: May 1st, 2016, 12:25 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 18 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Market Basket arrives in Rhode Island

Post by BatteryMill »

storewanderer wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 6:01 pm Things they have not attempted:

Loyalty cards, a store decor that is from the modern era, employee uniforms from the modern area, SKU rationalization that cuts out local/regional brands in favor of too many private labels or a small number of big CPG national brands, a hostile mentality toward labor...

The list goes on and on...
retailfanmitchell019 wrote: May 22nd, 2021, 9:13 pm I'll name a few more things they haven't attempted...
Self-checkout, warehouse ceilings, acquisition of other stores. Very rarely does Market Basket close stores, if they ever do. I don't think they've done TV advertising.

MB didn't have an official website until 2017.
MB is also still family-owned. Arthur T. Demoulas is an excellent CEO, one the very few who puts people over profit. He is my favorite CEO.
While they don't serve all needs, that is all incredible and I hope they are able to wonderfully carry on like this. I do hope there can be more chains across the country that could follow suit in some ways.
Post Reply