The future may look a bit different at Market Basket following this week’s contentious ouster of longtime CEO Arthur T. DeMoulas.
DeMoulas, known to workers as Artie T., was shown the door by the board of directors, controlled by his sisters, only about a decade after grocery shoppers and employees staged boycotts and walkouts to save his job.
The change is dramatic, but potentially not unexpected. The retail industry looked different in 2014 when Artie T. survived a boardroom brawl with his brother’s family, retaining control of the nearly 100-store chain thanks to loyal customers and workers.
Last time around, fears were high that ousting Artie T. would lead to the family-run chain’s sale, significantly changing its culture, which is perhaps best described as a throwback to simpler times, with clean utilitarian stores, well-paid employees in white shirts and ties in every aisle, and baggers at every checkout.
The stores still look and feel the same, but this time, shoppers and workers have been content to let the family drama play out without them.
Market Basket quick facts:
- Founded in 1917 by Greek immigrants Athanasios and Efrosini Demoulas in Lowell, Massachusetts.
- Store count: 95 stores
- Locations: Primarily Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine
- Revenue: Approximately $7.6 billion in 2024
- Employees: 32,000 as of June 2025
Market Basket grocery stores are embroiled in a contentious family feud, and it’s not the first time.
Image source: MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
Market Basket boasts a loyal following
Supermarket chains often benefit from fiercely loyal customers. The industry is notoriously cutthroat, with rivals operating on razor-thin margins. They usually compete head-to-head in the same communities, and sometimes on the same street.
As a result, many have a relationship with their grocery store akin to Coca-Cola versus Pepsi or the Yankees versus the Red Sox. Shoppers have their favorites and are not afraid to tell others about them.
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For instance, shoppers rave about rotisserie chickens at Publix in Florida and in the Northeast. Costco Wholesale, a popular destination for grocery shoppers, gets accolades for its “treasure hunt” shopping experience.
At Market Basket, customer loyalty is built on its “More for your dollar” low-price motto and its commitment to well-staffed, simple, no-nonsense store design.
The company’s yet to widely adopt things like self-checkout, preferring friendly cashiers and baggers at every station. Employees wear badges displaying years of service, and it’s common to see workers with over a decade of experience walking the aisles.
Most store managers have worked their way up from the bottom, and unlike rivals that lock them away in fancy offices out of sight, they’re located in an open-air bullpen overlooking the checkout and aisles.
Family feud erupts (again) over popular CEO
Market Basket was founded 108 years ago and is one of the few remaining large, family-controlled supermarket chains in the U.S., alongside powerhouses Wegmans and Meijer.
Keeping a business in the family this long often means drama, and Market Basket is no exception. While there have been dustups in the past, the biggest by far until now happened in 2014, when family members of Artie T.’s brother staged a coup to remove Artie T., potentially clearing the way to a sale.
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The risk to its culture sparked widespread outcry, leading to boycotts and strikes supporting Artie T., who vowed to maintain the grocery store’s culture and independence.
The actions risked Market Basket losing customers to rivals like Hannaford and Stop & Shop, and at their peak, Market Basket was losing $70 million per day, according to BBC reporting.
Ultimately, Artie T. retained his role, acquiring the relative’s ownership stake in a $1.5 billion deal.
The support and outcome were so unique that they inspired multiple documentaries, including Food Fight: The Battle For Market Basket, cementing Artie T. as a local hero.
The company has since continued to grow, but the sisters who rallied to support Artie T. in 2014 no longer believe he’s the best person for the job, removing board members loyal to him in March and placing him on paid administrative leave in May 2025, and firing key executives Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon for insubordination in July.
The aftermath has been contentious, with Artie T. fighting to regain footing, and Schmidt and Gordon continuing to visit stores, eventually resulting in a restraining order against them.
Boycott, strikes don’t appear on the table at Market Basket
Many workers who supported Artie T. in 2014 have moved on, and younger workers appear less willing to risk their jobs to help him maintain his position.
The company’s board agreed to mediation with Artie T. However, this week, the board decided to part ways with him in a late-night meeting on Tuesday Sept. 9 after mediation officially failed.
While employees and customers rushed to picket lines a decade ago, there’s barely a murmur this time around.
In a statement shared with The Boston Globe, Artie T. expressed his “deep disappointment that mediation failed” and said that “this was not a good faith effort by the board or his sisters to reach an agreement.”
The statement says, “It is now crystal clear that they had no intention of reinstating Mr. Demoulas,” and “the Board’s actions are a farcical cover up for a coup.”
“They took a company that was operating at peak performance and recklessly threw it into turmoil and did so in a needlessly public manner and on baseless grounds fabricated from the start,” said the statement.
Artie T. says he’s committed to returning to Market Basket. However, workers and shoppers don’t seem equally supportive of him at this point.