We Are Market Basket

Starred review from June 29, 2015
Korschun, an assistant professor of marketing at Drexel University, and Welker, a reporter for the Lowell Sun, present the 2014 struggle for control of the Market Basket supermarket chain as an uplifting chronicle of company loyalty. As they show, the conflict not only spurred employees to action, but involved customers and suppliers as well. It centered on a clash of vision between two cousins, Arthur T. Demoulas and Arthur S. Demoulas, grandson and grandnephew, respectively, of Market Basket’s founder, Athanasios “Arthur” Demoulas. The former, despite a successful tenure as CEO, was abruptly ousted by the latter, who planned to sell out to a competitor’s holding company. The ensuing battle included rallies on Arthur T.’s behalf, led to barren store shelves, and eventually warranted the involvement of the governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Alongside an in-depth account of these events, the authors paint a fascinating portrait of the company’s history from its 1917 inception and share thoughts on the lessons to be learned about reciprocated loyalty, communal purpose, and shareholder value. Inspiring and drama-filled, this rendition of the Market Basket story will captivate readers and reaffirm the belief that corporate success can be achieved by treating people fairly.