The Obituary
A&P began in 1859 as a New York tea seller and became America’s first national grocery chain, operating nearly 16,000 stores by the 1930s and ranking as the largest retailer in the world. It pioneered the modern supermarket and private-label goods. After World War II it failed to keep pace with newer chains, suburban shopping patterns, and discount competitors like Walmart. Decades of decline followed, marked by store closures and ownership changes. After an earlier bankruptcy in 2010, A&P filed again in 2015, selling or shuttering its remaining stores and ending more than 150 years in business.
Worth remembering
- By the 1930s it operated nearly 16,000 stores, the largest retailer in the world at the time.
- It pioneered the supermarket concept and private-label brands like Eight O'Clock Coffee.
Sources
- A&P filed for its final bankruptcy in 2015 and sold or closed its remaining stores Wikipedia
- A&P was once the largest retailer in the United States and a grocery pioneer The New York Times
A graveyard tradition: leave a stone to show you came, and remembered.