Market Basket Turmoil: 44-Year Veteran Supervisor Paul Quigley Suspended—What Happened?

Paul Quigley, a district supervisor who has spent 44 years climbing the ranks at New England grocery chain Market Basket, says he has been placed on paid leave after questioning the company’s direction following the controversial sidelining of beloved CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. The suspension arrived before dawn on July 4, when Quigley reported to the Haverhill, Massachusetts warehouse he oversees at 5:30 a.m. and was handed a letter stating he was relieved of duties through September 30 for “disruptive behavior,” according to internal documents cited by regional media. Quigley’s removal follows the July 1 decision by Market Basket’s executive board to place Arthur T.—the figurehead credited with the chain’s low-price, high-service culture—on administrative leave while an internal review unfolds. Employees across the 88-store chain have begun rallying behind both men, echoing the 2014 walkouts that emptied shelves and cost the company an estimated $10 million a day. “It feels like déjà vu,” said one front-end manager in Tewksbury who asked not to be named for fear of discipline. “When Arthur T. goes, the culture everyone loves goes with him—and now Paul’s suspension confirms it.” Market Basket has not publicly detailed the reasons for Quigley’s leave, stating only that it is “an internal personnel matter.” But several store-level managers told The Sun of Lowell that Quigley had repeatedly pressed executives during recent conference calls about whether Arthur T. would be reinstated and whether cost-cutting measures will jeopardize the chain’s everyday-low-price strategy. Quigley’s career began in 1981 as a teenage bagger at the original Demoulas Market in Lowell. He later supervised 22 stores across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, becoming a fixture known for visiting locations unannounced, jumping on registers during rushes, and memorizing employees’ birthdays. “Paul represents everything customers associate with Market Basket: family values, hard work, and taking care of people,” said longtime shopper Maria Lopez of Lawrence. Industry analysts warn that even the perception of renewed infighting within the Demoulas family could erode customer loyalty at a moment when Walmart and Aldi are aggressively courting price-sensitive New England shoppers. “Consumers have options now; they won’t wait weeks for shelves to refill like they did in 2014,” noted supermarket consultant Burt Flickinger III. For now, Quigley remains on payroll but off the schedule. Supporters have launched the hashtag #BringBackPaul and are circulating petitions at store entrances. Employee sources say a larger job action is being discussed if Arthur T. is not restored by the end of the month. What’s next: • The board is expected to give an update on the CEO investigation during the week of July 21. • Worker representatives are organizing a rally outside company headquarters in Tewksbury on July 18. • State lawmakers from the Merrimack Valley have requested a briefing from Market Basket executives, citing potential economic fallout should another mass walkout occur. Bottom line: Paul Quigley’s suspension turns up the temperature in a simmering leadership crisis that could again test the loyalty of Market Basket’s workforce—and the patience of shoppers who have long viewed the chain as a uniquely local, value-driven alternative to national grocers.