After a trip downtown to the Pollard Memorial Library to drop-off then refill my book-bag and another quick stop – this time at a box store where my array of bumper sticker raises eyebrows, I went to the Hannaford store on Rogers Street/Rte. 38. While a decades-long, Market Basket regular, I’m no stranger to Hannaford as I stop occasionally for fruit, veggies, bakery when I’m in a hurry and don’t want to face the crowds at MB. How I miss those crowds now! The parking lot was near capacity… like never before. Shopping cart traffic was crazy, without rhyme or reason. There was an actual buzz in the store! Lots of help, stocking, answering questions… they were actually calling out numbers at the nearby deli! I got bananas, grapes, pears, celery, potatoes, etc… a bit of bakery, ground beef  and some patties ($$$), chicken tenders (not too pricey), and of course, milk, ice cream (Hood as only MB sells Brigham’s), rolls, bread – you know what I mean.

People wanted to talk… “are you a Market Basket shopper?” one woman asked – obviously needing to share her frustration but her support too… another, a former LHS colleague shared that she heard that Arthur T’s was the only offer still on the table…the knot of people around the ground beef was abuzz about MB, the prices at Hannaford and so on… With only necessities in my cart, I was ready to leave. I had an assortment of reusable bags for checking out… my usual “don’t make the bags too heavy” was received with a smile and “okay”… The front area was full of polite young people ready to help. One young man was a checking a list of who was working and where. I thanked the cashier and the bagger. As I was pushing the cart back to the “fruit/veggie” door, my usual way to exit –  a busy, smiling manager said “thanks for shopping with us!” I smiled back and answered – “you know,  I do – sometimes!”

Enough now… clear thinking is called for ASAP… Market Basket stores need the boss back, the mangers in place, the back and front line workers on the job and the customers back in the aisles. I wonder what my straight-talking mother – a Demoulas customer from 1954 forward – would have to say about this situation… whatever, it would be wise and priceless. Listen to your customers!