For some shoppers, Market Basket’s ‘Market Buckets’ are all the rage

Paper, plastic, or... buckets? Fans of Market Basket are in a tizzy this season

Paper, plastic, or... buckets?

Fans of Market Basket are in a tizzy this season about the New England grocery store chain's recent announcement that an unusual — yet apparently very popular — product is back on its shelves: official Market Basket-branded buckets.

According to a spokesperson, the five-gallon plastic tubs, which feature an old-school "DeMoulas" logo, emerge irregularly depending on supply, and stay on display for about a month and a half — before they eventually sell out.

The items, which fans have lovingly dubbed "Market Buckets," cost less than a rotisserie chicken, and as advertised on the items themselves, come "with FREE cover."

The chain announced the latest batch with an excited Instagram post in October, which featured a photo of someone toting a bucket while walking down the bottled water aisle.

"You won't want to miss out on this," the store wrote.

Customers were clearly thrilled at this sudden development.

"Classic…… look forward to once again seeing these grace the top of the freezers," one person wrote beneath the photo.

Another suggested they’d use the products to build an "MB shrine on top of a pyramid of Market Buckets."

"They have buckets back!!!" someone else exclaimed, making sure to tag a friend's social media handle so they wouldn't miss the announcement. "You’ve been telling me for years how much you need this collectors item for your bucket shed!!!"

A post shared by Market Basket (@marketbasket)

At a Market Basket location in Woburn, a handful of buckets were stacked prominently atop the aisles, displayed next to rows of boxed gingerbread house kits.

So what might visitors who spy them on their autumn shopping trips do with these atypical offerings, exactly?

A spokesperson for the company acknowledged the product, which might ordinarily be more common in a home improvement store, "is not an item that customers normally have on their shopping list."

Still, many have found uses for the food-grade plastic containers. The writing on the buckets themselves promote a number of possible uses, ranging from storage of dry goods like pet food and rice, to ice melt, compost, and potting soil.

Lots of customers, the spokesperson said, use the buckets to brine their Thanksgiving turkeys.

Not everyone needs a wholly practical reason to put one in their grocery cart. Some view the buckets — which feature an old-school black, red, blue, and yellow design that includes a vintage "DeMoulas" script — as collector's items.

The from-another-time design is part of the appeal.

"Years ago we tried a bucket with our current Market Basket logo," the spokesperson said, "but heard demands from the customers to bring back the retro logo."

Market Basket fans are nothing short of loyal to the brand. When one commenter questioned why "anyone would want a bucket with MB on it," another chimed in with a quick rebuke: "bro," they wrote, "this is bucket slander."

If the comments on the company's Instagram post are any indication, many super-fans might not be satisfied to simply take home a plastic keepsake.

The bucket fervor has sparked calls for another option that the store does not currently offer: Market Basket merchandise.

"Supreme has nothing on Market Basket!!" one person wrote, referring to the popular fashion brand whose logo is highly valued by streetwear aficionados.

In response to several messages requesting MB-branded T-shirts and hoodies, the account's manager wrote that they would "share your feedback with our team!"

Move aside, Dunkin’ onesies.

Spencer Buell can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerBuell.

Comparing Shopping at New Bedford's Market Basket and Price Rite

How late are Big Y, Costco, Market Basket and Aldi open on New Year’s Eve?

News

For some shoppers, Market Basket’s ‘Market Buckets’ are all the rage