How will the Market Basket family feud affect the brand in the long run?

Crisis communications expert Richard Niccolazzo joined NECN to discuss how both sides have handled the disagreement that is causing employee protests and customer boycotts.

Arthur T. Demoulas has offered to buy the company back from his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas, as employees refuse to return to work until Arthur T. is reinstated as CEO of the company.

"This feud has been going on for decades and it's almost like warfare," Niccolazzo said. "Where they were vulnerable, in my view, was right at that distribution point. So if your vendors can't deliver product for redistribution to markets, you have no product to sell. So it was a brilliant strategy on the part of Arthur T."

Niccolazzo said that this fight is about revenge, so it's likely Arthur S. and the company may take a worse offer; however, Niccolazzo thinks the employees have out-strategized the company's board of directors.

"As much as you can attribute their allegiance to Arthur T., art of it is allegiance to their own job security because we know now that the business isn't played to be sold," Niccolazzo added.

In addition, Niccolazzo discussed the company's public relations response.