Why has there never been an A&P bankruptcy?
Posted: 09 Jun 2010 23:51
The A&P "Empire" has had a really bizarre history. They had "good" and "bad" periods for new store development, and lots of name changes back and forth. I believe they started with downtown stores, then moved on to this style: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N ... 563434732/
This Acme (just about a block away) opened in 1954, and is still open (rear view): http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N00/3939264477/
I would guess the A&P opened around the same time. Perhaps their "barrel roof" stores were from the very early 50's?
The book "Family Pride", about Genuardi's, gives an interesting account. It says that in the later 50's, Acme, Food Fair, and Penn Fruit were the "favorite" chains of Philadelphia developers. A&P was excluded, and was treated the same as early Thriftway stores!
That all must have changed when the classic Centennial A&P, such as most of the ones here, debuted: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N ... 563434732/
But after about 1965, it seems no more Centennials were built. From that point into the 70's, they built quite a few new stores, but not as many. They all looked different too. A&P continued to update stores, many not very old.
Meanwhile, this basic design I believe was built on and off for about 20 years! (circa 1955-1975): http://www.flickr.com/photos/42444189@N ... 339997109/
The "Progress Plaza" store from 1968 had this style.
In the 70's they actually began closing stores, and replacing the Centennials after a while. At this point, many of the WEO stores were switched back to just A&P with their new logo. But in 1982, they tried to exit the Philadelphia market. The unions stopped them, even though they already closed ALL their area stores. I believe, from 1982-1985, different selected stores reopened! as Super Fresh. They even resumed new store construction, and fast.
But my question is, after thousands of store closures, selloffs, and failed concepts, how did they never have a bankruptcy reorganization? Last time I checked, A&P never went bankrupt. Food Fair, Penn Fruit, Grand Union, and AppleTree all did. So did icons like Woolworth and Montgomery Ward.
This Acme (just about a block away) opened in 1954, and is still open (rear view): http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N00/3939264477/
I would guess the A&P opened around the same time. Perhaps their "barrel roof" stores were from the very early 50's?
The book "Family Pride", about Genuardi's, gives an interesting account. It says that in the later 50's, Acme, Food Fair, and Penn Fruit were the "favorite" chains of Philadelphia developers. A&P was excluded, and was treated the same as early Thriftway stores!
That all must have changed when the classic Centennial A&P, such as most of the ones here, debuted: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N ... 563434732/
But after about 1965, it seems no more Centennials were built. From that point into the 70's, they built quite a few new stores, but not as many. They all looked different too. A&P continued to update stores, many not very old.
Meanwhile, this basic design I believe was built on and off for about 20 years! (circa 1955-1975): http://www.flickr.com/photos/42444189@N ... 339997109/
The "Progress Plaza" store from 1968 had this style.
In the 70's they actually began closing stores, and replacing the Centennials after a while. At this point, many of the WEO stores were switched back to just A&P with their new logo. But in 1982, they tried to exit the Philadelphia market. The unions stopped them, even though they already closed ALL their area stores. I believe, from 1982-1985, different selected stores reopened! as Super Fresh. They even resumed new store construction, and fast.
But my question is, after thousands of store closures, selloffs, and failed concepts, how did they never have a bankruptcy reorganization? Last time I checked, A&P never went bankrupt. Food Fair, Penn Fruit, Grand Union, and AppleTree all did. So did icons like Woolworth and Montgomery Ward.