A&P

[AmesNewington]

As far as Connecticut is concerned, back in the 90s and early 00s, A&P closed many underperforming locations. In the past 5 or 6 years, A&P has only closed one A&P store in CT (Newington in 2007) and have not closed any more locations. I must say that at least 5 or 6 of the CT locations were remodeled in the past few years (West Hartford, Branford, Greenwich, Riverside, and Stamford). There are some stores that have not been remodeled in a while, but seem to be good locations (the newer Danbury store, Mystic, Old Lyme) and then some stores that have fallen by the wayside and A&P can give a damn about (Berlin, Middletown, the older Danbury store, and East Haven from what I've heard). Bridgeport used to be the worst of the lot, but it was transormed in to a nice Food Basics. The only other store I don't have a clue about is Naugatuck. Does anyone know about that store?

I don't see why A&P can't just fix these locations up. They don't have to convert them to Fresh stores, but at least give it a cosmetic update.   

[Bdubs]

When that Price Chopper opens across the street from A&P in Middletown, it'll only get worse.  If that is even possible.  I think the problem not only lies with A&P, but the leasing companies as well.  The buildings are in terrible shape, and have been so neglected it is reflecting that look on the stores.  Truly sad. 

I know this is pretty much out in nowhere, and in a very ritzy area, but the Old Lyme A&P is in relatively great shape.  It's always clean, and was remodeled, circa probably early 00's.

The sad part is, these stores have the nicest employees.  I work for an outside vendor who deals with just about every retail outlet in CT, and I have to admit, as nasty as A&P/Foodmart is, the people are always great to deal with.

[nims57]

I've come to the conclusion that they don't give a flying flip about their stores. The Bristol one was horrible. No one ever shopped there. It was a ghost town all the time. They were selling "green" meat. My mother actually tried (I don't know if she succeeded) to shove the green meat down the manager's throat. When they had their Going out of Business Sale it was the busiest the store had been in years. I remember causing mischief there during the GOB sale opening cans of spray on snow and spraying them on the windows of the floral dept and opening bottles of stuff ad dumping the contents out on the shelves.The Meriden Store was the same way the few times I was in there. Very few customers at what would seemingly be busy times.

I heard Safeway in Houston, TX was selling "green" meat too.

[DerangedHermit]

Former A&Ps, I believe one lasted until the mid 80's, the other lasted until the early 80's.

North Patchogue, NY (now Chuck E Cheese, near an abandoned Home Depot):


Downtown Patchogue Village, NY (now a discount store):

[nims57]

Originally posted by nims57
Why is the A&P Wine & Spirits a separate store?

A&P owns and operates quite a few Wine & Spirits Stores in Connecticut. Locations are listed in this ad from The November 20, 2009 Bristol Observer Newspaper:

http://www.bristolobserver.com/11_20_09/32.pdf

But is there a law that liquor has to be separate? Maybe even an enclosed section of the store?

[MikeRa]

Originally posted by nims57
Why is the A&P Wine & Spirits a separate store?

A&P owns and operates quite a few Wine & Spirits Stores in Connecticut. Locations are listed in this ad from The November 20, 2009 Bristol Observer Newspaper:

http://www.bristolobserver.com/11_20_09/32.pdf

But is there a law that liquor has to be separate? Maybe even an enclosed section of the store?

I'm think the A&P Wine & Spirits stores are seperate form the supermarkets.  There are a few of the A&P Wine & Spirits/Best Cellars stores like that in New Jersey as well.

[Marc82]

Southington Wine and Spirits, Connecticut Lighting Center, and Namco are located in the former Super Foodmart location in The Walmart Plaza on Queen Street in Southington. Waldbaum's Foodmart moved here in 1981 from what is now The Southington Plaza. Waldbaum's replaced Village IGA. Super Foodmart closed in 95 or 96. Pictures taken yesterday 3/1/2010.

[acme style]

Check out one of the only remaining A&P Centennial stores...

http://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/morristown-nj.html

[kendra]

Cool...I will be back in North Jersey in May, maybe I will go check that store out if I get a chance.

I did get some photos back in the winter (late December, I think) of the former A&P located in the Furnace building in Andover, NJ. I'll try to get around to posting them one day.

[acme style]

I have that store on my blog as well...

http://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/abandoned-sav-center-andover-nj.html

[AmesNewington]

The Berlin CT A&P is setting new hours effective Sunday 3/21/10. The new hours will be 7AM-10PM every day. The hours have been reduced Mon-Sat (they used to stay open until midnight). Unless it's an error, Sunday hours have increased by one hour from 9PM to 10PM. What do you think this all means??? A soon to close store or a soon to be better efficient run store? BTW, the store used to be dark in places and they have turned on all of the lights they haven't used in a while and replaced bulbs on many lights to make the store look brighter. I can't figure this store out.

[MikeRa]

Check out one of the only remaining A&P Centennial stores...

http://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/morristown-nj.html

There's an A&P in Little Silver, NJ that started as a "Marina" style roof, before being retro-converted to the "Centennial" design.

There is a superfresh in Washington DC that is still in it's "Centennial" building for many years

[AmesNewington]

Decided to be nosy and visit the A&P/Waldbaum's in Middletown, CT. It looks like they are doing some work inside the store, but they better get some sort of remodel, because the new Price Chopper is DIRECTLY across the street from Foodmart. The store is so old, and it will surely die once PC opens if nothing is done to improve it.

[ynkeesfn82]

That Price Chopper is opening Monday IIRC.

[AmesNewington]

It does in fact look as if the A&P on Washington Street in Middletown CT is getting some sort of remodel. In my opinion, it's a bit too late now that Price Chopper has opened, but maybe not, because in reality, it will be very good for the area having competition. It will keep prices fair. When I visited the store last Wednesday, crews were in the process of replacing those infamous open freezer cases in the middle of the store. Not much else was going on at the time, but it looked like management was preparing for a remodel. I believe they did get a new store manager, and I've seen him sporatically in W. Hartford, and he looks like he has what it takes to turn the Middletown store around.

That leaves the Berlin store now as the only neglected A&P in the area. I personally believe A&P is waiting for the lease on the Berlin store to expire and just close it up. I just don't know why. It's right off Route 9 and the Berlin Turnpike. There is room for improvement.

[Bdubs]

The Middletown Food Mart decided way too late to remodel the store.  They knew PC was coming over a year ago, why not start right when they broke ground?  Not only are they doing the most half assed remodel ever, the freezer cases they are putting in are used from another A&P which closed elsewhere.  They did a very thorough job in West Hartford, I'm not quite sure why they couldn't put that amount of money into that store as well.

[AmesNewington]

The Middletown Food Mart decided way too late to remodel the store.  They knew PC was coming over a year ago, why not start right when they broke ground?  Not only are they doing the most half assed remodel ever, the freezer cases they are putting in are used from another A&P which closed elsewhere.  They did a very thorough job in West Hartford, I'm not quite sure why they couldn't put that amount of money into that store as well.

When were you last there? I went last Wednesday and all they were doing was doing work on the freezer cases (nothing had been removed yet) and replacing ceiling tiles in the lobby. How far have they gotten and what else have they been doing? Do you really think they may do more extensive work?

[DerangedHermit]

Not only are they doing the most half assed remodel ever, the freezer cases they are putting in are used from another A&P which closed elsewhere.  They did a very thorough job in West Hartford, I'm not quite sure why they couldn't put that amount of money into that store as well.

This is A&P. They're not supposed to make sense.

[ynkeesfn82]

My friend Brian who has worked part time at A&P in Berlin, CT for 12 years posted on his facebook page that the store is closing for good on October 13th.

[TRU7536]

My friend Brian who has worked part time at A&P in Berlin, CT for 12 years posted on his facebook page that the store is closing for good on October 13th.

who didnt see that coming! I am just waiting for Rave Cinemas closing

[AmesNewington]

It's very sad, but one would be crazy to be surprised by this. The Berlin store went beyond the point of downhill, when it wasn't neccessary. A&P may be pricey on a few items, but Stop and Shop isn't any better. The big culprit here is lack of management and poor customer service. I'm convinced that the employees (most of them) drove the customers away.

[BillyGr]

It appears that they plan to close 25 stores in 5 states, but there is no detail which ones:

http://www.aptea.com/pressRoom_article.asp?id=199

[acme style]

I managed to find a couple of the stores that are closing...

A&P Maplewood, NJ. Very small old store.

Pathmark, Little Falls NJ. It's right next door to an A&P Fresh with a very successful ShopRite right across the street. The Pathmark is the hardest to get to.

Pathmark, Fort Lee, NJ. Small store with a huge A&P Fresh nearby in Fort Lee.

Pathmark, North Bergen, NJ. Used to be very successful but now has a Target next door, and brand new Walmart and BJ's down the road.

[AmesNewington]

I managed to find a couple of the stores that are closing...

A&P Maplewood, NJ. Very small old store.

Pathmark, Little Falls NJ. It's right next door to an A&P Fresh with a very successful ShopRite right across the street. The Pathmark is the hardest to get to.

Pathmark, Fort Lee, NJ. Small store with a huge A&P Fresh nearby in Fort Lee.

Pathmark, North Bergen, NJ. Used to be very successful but now has a Target next door, and brand new Walmart and BJ's down the road.

These are all very logical closures. I hope A&P can be saved as a whole starting by weeding out the "liability" stores that are just eating away at the business. Maybe someday, if the company returns to profitability, they can open more CT stores again. The A&P name has too much history to be folded. I still think the company has at least one more chance to restructure.

[AmesNewington]

If anyone knows which other A&P/Foodmart stores are closing in CT, please let me know. For certain, Berlin is closing. I predict that they might be closing the East Haven store (an older store), the smaller/older Danbury store (they probably don't need two A&Ps in the same town), and maybe one more. The locations I am almost certain will stay open are Middletown (I've been hearing they are staying open), Danbury (newer one), New Cannan (Food Emporium), West Hartford (Waldbaums; very certain because I work there and nothing was said Friday), Branford, Riverside, Stamford, and Greenwich. The latter 5 were remodeled in the last three years. I'd be surprised if they were to close them. Now the last three CT stores I have no idea, because I don't know how well they do and because they aren't really around much competition. They are Naugatuck, Old Lyme and Mystic. I've heard the latter two are in upscale areas and are clean and well managed so they probably do well. Naugatuck is 50/50. I'm thinking they probably do decent.   

[DerangedHermit]

Any LI stores announced? Most of their logical closings have already happened in the past few years (Shirley, East Patchogue, San Remo/Kings Park)

edit: supposedly two. East Rockaway and Garden City, both Pathmarks.

[DerangedHermit]

http://www.lohud.com/article/20100817/NEWS02/8170339/-1/NEWSFRONT/A&P-accuses-Stop-&-Shop-of-lying-about-lower-prices

LMAO. Not that Stop & Shop is cheap, but A&P's like the pot calling the kettle black. What is this thing that Kelly Ripa keeps advertising? lol

[ynkeesfn82]

This article in this morning's New Britain Herald claims Middletown, CT is closing in addition to Berlin, but if you read the comments someone who claims to work in Middletown had heard of no such thing.  There's also nothing in the Middletown Press.

http://newbritainherald.com/articles/2010/08/16/news/doc4c69ebae41e11081153833.txt

[DerangedHermit]

A list I compiled of all closing A&P, Pathmark, and Waldbaums stores...


A&P - Maplewood, NJ
A&P - Berlin, CT
Pathmark - Marlboro, NJ
Pathmark - Little Falls, NJ
Pathmark - Fort Lee, NJ
Pathmark - North Bergen, NJ
Pathmark - Garden City Park, NY
Pathmark - North Brunswick, NJ
Waldbaum's - Centereach, NY
Waldbaum's - Levittown, NY
Pathmark - Belleville, NJ
Pathmark - South Plainfield, NJ
Pathmark - Union, NJ
Pathmark - Monsey, NY

(I think the ? ones are all Pathmark, but I'm not certain)

Centereach is the closest one closing near me, and it makes sense. They have Walmart right across the road, Pathmark a light east of Waldbaums, and Whole Foods a few miles west.

edited for corrections and clarifications

[acme style]

The West Paterson Pathmark is the same store as the Little Falls Pathmark.

The Pathmark in North Brunswisk has a Walmart next door and an A&P a mile or two north right off of Route 1.