Market Basket in Hudson, New Hampshire... Another State & Another Supermarket to Explore

Eric and I have been "on the road" since September, 2012.  We have visited 39 states and 5 Canadian provinces.  During our travels, I've developed a fascination with supermarkets and have written blog posts on 42 supermarkets in the United States and Canada.

After Eric and I returned our grandson, Sean, to Mommy, we went to a Market Basket.  Eric always has a few items on his shopping list,  I love walking around supermarkets, taking pictures and writing about what I see during my visits.

Retail sales of food, clothing, auto parts, etc. is based on information gathered from psychology, studies, observation and experiences of the owners, employees and shoppers.

Retailing relies on regimentation.  The aisles in many stores are straight,  The ends have specials displayed on them,  One thing I've seen in many grocery stores is individual creativity used in many displays.  What will I learn at Market Basket?

Marilyn, my daughter Diane's mother-in-law, is a loyal

Market Basket shopper.  She relies on the company's
 great prices & weekly sales.

I like the hand written sign with the latest specials

listed next to the store's doors.

I was approached by a Market Basket manager who told me I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the store.  That made me sad.  Market Basket was full of customers bustling around the store with lists in hand.  Employees were busy stocking shelves.  This store sells a lot of groceries, household products, cards and other merchandise.

The displays in some of the aisles were clever.  The Baby Aisle had a great display of plastic dishes and sippy cups.  

Market Basket may be camera shy because they had a tough year.  The company was at the epicenter corporate and worker tensions from June, 2014 through August, 2014.  Beloved CEO, Arthur T. Demoulas, was ousted on June 23, 2014.  Employees went out on strike and continued their demands for Arthur T.'s return.  Eight of the strike organizers were fired. More employees walked out on their jobs.  Suppliers refused to deliver much needed stock. Shoppers boycotted Market Basket stores.  The company lost an estimated 70 million dollars a day during the strike.

New employees were brought in and part-time employees had their hours cut.  Next came allegations that Market Basket was a hostile workplace.    Owners of rival supermarket chain, Hannaford, put in a bid to buy Market Basket.  After much negotiations, Arthur T. bought a majority stake in the company and the striking employees returned.  Nearly a year later, Market Basket management may be feeling leery of shoppers with cameras.

Market Basket, like Price Chopper and Dollar General Market may not allow pictures inside their stores because the supermarket business is a tough one.  Profit margins typically run from one to two percent for supermarkets.  After paying for leases, utility bills, suppliers and employees, there isn't much to return to the stockholders.  Whatever competitive edge a supermarket chain has created it doesn't want to share with its rivals.  

My unscientific study of supermarkets is of an industry with many levels of services.  Some have the basics - produce, meats and fish, frozen foods, dairy, canned goods, a few household cleaners, diapers and pet foods.  Some, like Hy-Vee, are a shopping experience with Sushi Chefs, a Dietitian, a lovely buffet and my favorite, the cold case with milk, eggs and juice adjacent to Check Outs.