HUMAN TOUCH
Grocery store with 94 US locations bucking self-checkout trend – founder set out rules in speech years earlier
Customers rave over how much they love Market Basket even without self-checkouts
A GROCERY store has stayed true to having no self-checkouts for years as a dedication to customer service has been a main goal since 1950.
Market Basket has 95 locations nationwide with not one self-checkout at any location and it plans to keep it that way.
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The grocer has stores across New England in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island.
It is highly recognized as a store that encourages a hands-on experience and human connection.
The founders Athanasios and Efrosine Demoulas kicked off this reputation in 1950 when they started selling fresh lamb to people on credit, Herald News reported in 2017.
The Market Basket chain was passed down to two of their sons, George and Telemachus, who is known as Mike.
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The current company president Arthur T. Demoulas is the son of Mike and is now committed to ensuring this tradition stays alive.
Arthur said a good grocery store includes “a human being waiting on a human being.”
Market Basket has several staffed checkout lanes open at a time to assist customers.
No self-checkout lanes have not affected business at Market Basket either, local radio station WCYY reported.
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Shoppers are willing to wait in line to shop at Market Basket because the customer service outweighs the wait.
Market Basket lives up to its slogan of "more for your dollar," as highlighted by a 2022 analysis conducted by the consumer nonprofit, Boston Consumers' Checkbook.
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According to the data, Market Basket's prices were approximately 18% lower than its competitors in the Boston area.
This significant price difference translates to substantial savings for families.
For instance, a family spending $250 per week on groceries could save $2,300 annually by choosing to shop at Market Basket over other stores.
Market Basket has a dedicated fan base that raves about how great the shopping experience is across multiple review platforms, NPR affiliate WBUR reported.
LOVED BY SHOPPERS
One customer wrote on Reddit that Market Place has impressively low prices and great service.
“It was fun when market basket opened in my neck of the woods and it felt like I was stepping into a 90s time capsule,” the user said.
“Multiple registers v staffed with cashiers, suspiciously low prices, tile floor reminiscent of 90s grocery stores, etc.”
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
Another customer reviewed the grocer on Yelp and said, “My friends have always described Market Basket as ‘an experience’ and I've always thought they were being dramatic.
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“Turns out, for once, they were not joking and this place is totally chaotic, but worth it if you can endure feeling like you're constantly dodging traffic and simultaneously like a fish swimming upstream.”
One shopper described Market Basket in a Google review as: “A DEMOLITION DERBY CROSSED BY GROCERY SHOPPING.”