Market Basket - Lowell, MA (The Acre)

Market Basket

Opened: 1997

Owner: DeMoulas family

Previous Tenants: none

Cooperative: none

Location: 331 Fletcher St, Lowell, MA

Photographed: August 23, 2025

It wouldn't be accurate to say that this is the original Market Basket. It's not: this 43,000 square foot store was only constructed in the late 1990s, taking up a full city block in The Acre, a neighborhood near downtown Lowell with a historically large Greek population. But the Demoulas' original grocery store was located in a since-demolished building on Dummer Street, just four blocks away from here.

The original Demoulas store was a "grocerette" at 93 Dummer Street, a building that no longer exists. In 1950, the business became the Demoulas Superette at 80 Dummer Street, across the street. That 80 Dummer location stayed in business all the way through 1997, per Groceteria and Market Basket, though it was renovated and expanded many times. In 1997, this store was constructed, replacing Store #1 for good. The Dummer Street buildings were subsequently demolished. And although this isn't the original building, this location is still Market Basket Store #1.

Inside, it's a very typical Market Basket, and although it doesn't have the expanded Market's Kitchen and Market's Cafe departments, there's still a prepared foods selection here. Dairy is on the right in the first aisle, with deli and seafood at the back of the first aisle and meats on the back wall. Frozen and produce are on the left side, with bakery and prepared foods in the front-left corner. This store is very similar to Chelmsford, just a couple miles away (store #4).

It feels older but in excellent shape, and once again we see this place is absolutely spotless.

We're keeping up with the extremely high sales volume I was talking about at the Pawtucketville store: at just over 40,000 square feet, this store is seeing nearly 85,000 visits a month. Once again, that's quite high.

Meats on the back wall.

Market Basket's newer fixtures tend to look older than they are, but I believe the refrigeration in this store is probably original to its 1997 opening. It's been kept up quite well, but is showing its age.

And the grocery aisles are extremely well-stocked as well.

Bread in the last grocery aisle. In some newer stores, it faces produce.

Another giveaway that this is an older store: the frozen foods are open to the produce department, with a row of low  coffin cases between them. In newer stores, there's another row of upright cases between frozen and produce.

A very well-kept produce department here, too...

...and they keep it looking nice with good produce, too. The produce here looked quite good, and I'm sure there are a lot of eyes on the condition of these stores so close to the headquarters.

More frozen foods and ice cream are on the outside of the last aisle.

Bakery and prepared foods. You can see that there are some of the standard prepared foods offerings here, but a much smaller setup generally than the newer and larger stores.

And some views of the front-end...

It's not a large store, but there's plenty here and it's kept up quite well.

So that's it for Market Basket Store #1! I'm glad I got to return to Lowell to visit this one and learn a little more about the chain's history. Tomorrow, we're rounding out the week with a trip to the Lowell suburb of Dracut!