Market Basket — Local services in Portsmouth

First I'll list the good stuff, to be fair.

Their bread selection in the bakery is fantastic. This has changed for the positive only in the last year or so. It's the one thing that will bring me into this store. Nice crusty French loaves, often still warm, and a large variety over any other grocery store in the area.

The rest of the store... Totally lacking. The organization of the store is strange and hodgepodge. Where you expect things to be, based on other grocery chains, they are not. That coupled with this store does not carry many items that one assumes any grocery would have. Those 2 problems don't work well together at all ("do they have cocoa powder? It's not here in the baking section... But I guess knowing this store, I need to look in the condiment aisle next to chocolate milk syrup... " annoying to say the least).

Another bothersome problem with this store is they really push their own Market Basket generic brand for items to the extreme. As in, many staple products only available in their brand (like shredded cheeses.... Milk.... Half & half....). They do now seem to have alternatives, but very minuscule (until very recently, the only option for organic milk was Market Basket brand. That's it. And the supplies were allllllways low, since it was the only option!)

At this store, it's also imperative you check expiration dates. Even for near non-perishable items like spices and canned goods.

Nit picky items that I'm sure do save the store $ and that possibly is passed on to consumer, but I'd rather pay a tad more and not be annoyed: ancient rusty bad carts. I'm convinced there's not a good one at the store. Ancient and archaic credit card checkout machines that are the inverse of any other swipe machines you love experienced. You can't swipe or pay until every item is scanned and your purchase is totaled, and then the checkout person has to manually asked you if you are using credit or debit, then ask if you want cash out or exact amount. Only THEN can you swipe your card and go through the process of paying. As opposed to every other store where you can swipe and go through the process yourself as soon as items are starting to be scanned. This extra time factor really does add up. Especially multiplied by each customer every day, every aisle. And yea, forget about Apple Pay, Android Pay or Google Wallet. No go. Even my Samsung Pay doesn't work on their ridiculous machines (Samsung Pay works on virtually any machine that can swipe).

So that's it! My stars are really for the bakery bread. And it's too bad, because I really love the Market Basket story from a few years back (strike). I want to like this store, but they make it...

First off let me say that I appreciate my shopping experiences at both of the locations in the Portsmouth area. Market Baskets have a wide variety of goods and at good prices, that being said I had a rather bad experience with the butchery dept and a butcher at the Lafayette store location. Normally I shop at the Newington store , but as I go to the gym nearby I came to the Lafayette branch to shop. At the other store I can get liver, beef heart, chicken gizzards and kidneys for my dog as a treat in her meals and to maintain her health and a good coat. I did not find any at this location and thought maybe I just couldn’t see the trees for the forest. I rang for a butcher and a man with short grey hair, about 5’8” tall with a square frame came out. Unfortunately I did not get his name off his tag. I asked him if he had heart, and he clipped “Nope” , then I asked about gizzards, “ Nope “, then I guess I made the pho paw of asking as the other store had these if he was just out at the moment. He gave me a smirk and said we never carry those. I joked that my dog was out of luck then, to which he replied testily, “ Aisle 11” I wasn’t sure what he meant and I said excuse me? “ You want dog food, that’s where it is. “ he said in a Im done with you tone of voice. After lifting his hand and pointing me away. I was dismissed. And he turned around and went back to his kitchen. If I wanted kibble I know where it is, I certainly DID NOT NEED THE ATTITUDE! I will not come back to this store again because of this. I doubt these reviews are ever read, but if they are Market Basket needs this man to take a class in servicing a customer politely. I’ll be going to the Newington store only now. Guess it’s still a win win for Market...

I have been a Market Basket loyal customer for the most part ever since they opened the Seabrook store. Then they opened the Portsmouth stores and always shopped these stores very regularly. I have since moved to Florida and can now compare grocery stores down here with Market Basket of Portsmouth. Unless you have experienced the differences yourself you wouldn't know how lucky you really are to have this grocer and the positive culture they bring, thanks to Arthur T. Prices down here are very much higher for all the same products. The grocers, including Walmart raise prices just before the snowbirds get here, that's how greedy they are. I have been back up to Portsmouth and filled my vehicle with as much Market Basket non perishables as I could. Really didn't want to leave the area but winters and Portsmouth taxes drove me away. So be happy you have Market Basket and the low prices which I do miss. Don't fret over the small stuff and use the opportunity to bring an unsatisfactory product back for a refund and see how nicely they will...