What REALLY Happened to A&P? (A&P History)

Failed to mention, labor problems.

I as a child used to go there in the 1970s

I liked their Spanish Bar cake.

I recall going t A &P with my mom in early 50 buy groceries, the one thing that stood out was buy coffee she had it ground it smell so good. It was a nice store in our small town. For years n years.

Everyone knows! It closed!

It wasn’t the Egyptians who created these objects but rather people of advanced civilizations thousands of years before the Egyptians existed that created these things.

i don't like the noises between photos so i bail

Seems A&P failed for the same reasons that Sears and Kmarts did, simply outdated itself into bankruptcy .

Our A&P GROCERY STORE was in NORWOOD, Massachusetts ❤

It became a supplier to other chains.

Market Basket / Demoulas of the north east will be next Corporate greed will ensure that. Board of directors can’t tolerate the CEO Arthur T Demoulas is more geared toward the customer and workers than he is to the stockholders. It was nice while it lasted.

My mom always shopped at A & P

Amazing that A&P could go bankrupt. Today there are small grocery stores just like A&P; Martins in Pennsylvania, Publix and Winn Dixie in Florida, and Safeway, Frys, Albertsons, and Food City in Arizona. I would like to see German grocers like Dennigers in Canada spread across the USA. German food has a taste that is a cut above the rest. I would never go to Trader Joes or Whole Foods after going to them once and not seeing anything special or different.

My dear friend told me there's one still operating somewhere in New Jersey

Forgot what day you got DBL / Stamps… loved shopping with books filled, A&P still have the best apple sauce. Besides an orchard. 😅

Best coffee ever sold!

You bring back beautiful memories thank you so much for everything you are doing. 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

I have many fond memories shopping with my grandmother in A&P and Winn Dixie during the 70’s and 80’s. I miss those decades!

I will always remember that fresh ground coffee smell when you enter the store. I wondered what happened to them. Thanks!

I remember IGA being very aggressive competitive (think mafia style) 👀 (my opinion)

My first job was bagging groceries at A&P

A %& P sold out to Stop and Shop, it's now called Stop and P

The roaring noise and camera sounds between segments is annoying as hell.

Thank you for the Good memories ❤❤❤

I worked at A&P in high school and college from 1974 - 1979 in Park Ridge NJ. The corporate headquarters was in Montvale, the town I lived in. For many years now, I only shop at Costco. 🎹👍

We never had an a and p in our town and we are in the northeast but I did know of A&P, even though I never stepped foot in it I guess that’s just a testament to how widely known in the company was

We had an A&P in my neighborhood growing up as a kid in Texas in the 1970s. My mom would buy coffee and they'd grind it in the checkout line. It smelled so good. We loved A&P.

They built a proud new feeling.

This is so so informative

A & P is now Acme in Hopewell Junction NY.

the best grocery store of my childhood A&p

Thanks for posting. Grew up in Montclair NJ, and always wondered what happened to A+P. Btw, are my green stamps still good for something? 😉

In the 70’s at the Parkville A&P store. I would ask to push the carts and put the groceries in the car for change.

They ALMOST survived!!!

They were going to merge with Stop and Shop, but the deal fell through.

The new combined company would have been called "Stop and P".

Back in the 90's there was still an A&P in Asheville, North Carolina

And now the German duo grocery stores are using A&P models. ALDI and LiDL are spreading rapidly.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

Never heard of this place .

They unionized

'8 o’clock coffee'.😊❤ . . .A Boomer daughter remembering school mornings, and "mommy" brewing in that dented coffee pot with the glass knob. . .☺❤ THANKS, A&P for the heavenly "scratch & sniff" memories in my heart.🥹❤

Life before Walmart

They were going to merge with Stop&Shop, but Stop & P didn't work

This was done very, very, well. As a Kroger employee for 25 years. Most of your facts were spot on. Thanks so much.

my Grand mother retired from A&P.. worked there her whole life.
Burgettstown, Pa RIP

My very first job at 14 years old in 1973 as a freshman. $2.20/hour. Worked in the Produce Dept for 4 years before going to work for Xerox. They taught me the basis of my good work ethics. And I loved the coffee grinding machine filling the store with fresh ground coffee aroma. The good ol'e days.

First you said A&P catered to customers looking for cheaper pricing and this is part of their success. But you then said part of their failure is they didn't keep up with the Jones. People on the low side of the pay scale or that needed to mind their cost closely don't look for the higher cost niche products that tend to cost quite a bit more. I see the major reason for failure of successful companies large and small the fact that the original founders are no longer in charge and have the final say. It could be do to death, retirement, or a hostile take over. Then the company is ran by a board of directors each their own ambitions and dreams of climbing the ladder to the top. Then you have many investors and stock holders who want their piece of the pie and will drop the company like a lead balloon it they can get 1/2 % more elsewhere so the directors and CEO cater to them instead of running a business with the customer in mind. A family owned or self proprietor doesn't need as much profit because there is less people to share it with and frankly some may just be satisfied. I personally don't like to deal with businesses ran by boards and no personal touch by the one that built it.

My dad told me he worked for a&p loading bananas into train cars.

No alcohol should be ever served on board ship!

I remember the smell of the freshly ground 8 o’clock coffee the moment I walked through the doors of my local A&P. I also recall the S&H green stamps of the day❤. 1960’s New England 🎉