A&P

[david121]

Haha, gotta love the organic fad thats all the rage, well NOT!

I remember that Price Chopper went apefrickin stuff over organic products, and the stuff is going out of code (expired) faster than selling. There where ads in the stores, radio ads on the PA, and hell, there where two pages devoted to it in the quarterly magazine that associates get.

[mikey7290]

This is what the former A&P at 332 State Street in Downtown Ogdensburg (NY) looks like today.  A&P built this store in 1940 and stayed here until 1975, when they moved into the downtown mall before G.O.B. in June 1975.  The store had the red, circular logo common in older stores, but had a light blue background with the words "Food Store" spelled out in red letters above the windows.  Since the late 1970's, the building as been used as a workshop and bottle redemption center for the mentally-challenged.

[GothicPrincess]

These are fabulous pictures. My first job ever was in Atlantic Highlands, NJ at A&P. The lane markers and belts were the same as the photos above, the only thing different from the inside was the signage. Thanks for sharing those pics!!!

[fa152]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0116xaguBU

[store215]

Heres an old "Super Fresh" version of the discount card from the early 90's. I assume it still works, although it hasn't been used in at least 12 years (family started shopping at Pathmark exclusively when I used to live in Philly). A few years ago the card program was renamed to "Club Fresh".

[Marc82]

They're having a Grand Reopening sale of the Waldbaum's on North Main Street in West Hartford, Connecticut. Yep even after a Grand Reopening they're still gonna use the old school Waldbaum's name and not switch over to A&P Super Foodmart.

[AmesNewington1]

Wasn't the reason the West Hartford store remained as Waldbaum's Foodmart is because of the Jewish community it serves? Isn't Waldbaum's a jewish name? I have no clue. Another thing I noticed is that if you go to Super Foodmart's website and look at the flyers, the West Hartford store has the Waldbaum's logo and the A&P Super Foodmart stores in the rest of CT are simply labeled as A&P. Is A&P too lazy to not give Foodmart their own flyers with their green logo or is the company going to convert all Foodmart stores left to A&P supermarkets?

My other wish it that all Foodmarts get a renovation soon. I still have a liking for the classic feel of an A&P store.

[arnoldziffel]

I remember A&P as a kid.  My mom liked to shop there.  In fact, she wasn't satisfied with just 1 a&p, she had 3 that she used to go to.   She said they had different stuff at different ones i think.  I remember as a kid, the checkers didn't have scanners, they had to punch in each price by hand.  I was always amazed at how fast they hit the keys.   Sadly, A&P decided that the Waldbaums name was stronger and more marketable here on Long Island, so they changed all the a&p's over.   The last one was done within the last 4 years.  Now it's a waldbaums.   I'd love to see A&P come back with a vengance, but I don't think that will happen.

[AmesNewington1]

A&P has been doing a bit of an overhaul with their New-England division. The Super Foodmart stores that remain in CT including the Margaretville NY store are now technically a part of the regular A&P chain. The Foodmart website now re-directs to the A&P supermarket website. I guess they were always A&P's but now it's more official. The ads I get in the paper are simply labeled as A&P. I just was at the Berlin CT store yesterday and that is one of the nice Foodmart's left. They still have Foodmart bags, receipts and such. I'm hoping these Foodmart stores stay around. A&P is a real old-fashioned, familiar, friendly supermarket, and I like them for that.

Furthermore, of course the West Hartford store, formerly known as Waldbaum's Foodmart, is now technically a part of the Waldbaum's chain. Again, their ads say Waldbaum's, and they are listed on the Waldbaum's website. And of course they renovated this store to meet the needs of the West Hartford community with a huge Kosher selection and a new concept design.

So, while the A&P chain hasn't expanded, it's beginning to improve what they have and has brought new life to what they have, and that's a positive sign.

[MikeRa]

My guess is eventually the A&P Super Foodmarts will be rebranded as A&P Fresh Market

[XISMZERO]

Here's the now vacant A&P Super Foodmart in Newington, CT. Taken today (3-6-2008).

[XISMZERO]

Here's the now vacant A&P Super Foodmart in Newington, CT. Taken today (3-6-2008).

[XISMZERO]

Here's the now vacant A&P Super Foodmart in Newington, CT. Taken today (3-6-2008).

[XISMZERO]

Here's the now vacant A&P Super Foodmart in Newington, CT. Taken today (3-6-2008).

[AmesNewington]

WOW! Thanks Nick for taking these of my favorite little supermarket! It's funny because I was there about 9AM this morning and you must have came a few hours later. I so wish another grocery chain would move in. That was my weekly lunch trip once I was able to drive in the summer of 06. As much as I like the Berlin Foodmart, the amount of gas I use up with my Jeep is not good.

There used to be an "Available" sign in the window. It's not there anymore. I wonder if something's up.

In the Spring, the facade in this plaza will be redone to look almost like a large house (similar to neighboring Shaw's and Stop and Shop). Maybe more business will be brought in from this.

[beachgal26]

I had thought that they were all dead and gone until I visited New Orleans right after Katrina and actually saw a very little one in the middle of this little town square.

Anybody have any current info on the chain?

[RogerAnthony]

There's still a Waldbaum's at Bishops Corner in West Hartford.  It had the same look in the facade that the Newington one did back in the 1990's, but I heard it was renovated in 2007 so I don't know what it looks like now.  Oddly, The other 70 Waldbaum's are all on Long Island.

To find any A&P owned store go to http://www.aptea.com/stores.asp

[AmesNewington]

The Branford and Bridgeport stores have the same design as well. This is when all the Foodmart stores were renovated in the 90s to Super Foodmart. All other ones left in CT have all different designs. If you go to Southington to the Southington Wine and Spirits/CT Lighting building, you will see the same exact design, only now the design is painted over in blue. I believe the Berlin and newer Danbury one are the largest and best looking ones left. Berlin has the newer late 90s design seen on many A&Ps, and the new Danbury store reminds me of a Shaw's in front. It seems to me the entire A&P chain operates either in New York or Long Island. I believe Super Fresh, also a part of the corporation is in Washington DC.

AS FOR THE STATUS OF THIS CHAIN:

The remaining Food Mart stores in CT are obviously owned by A&P. The Food Mart chain started in the 70s, and was bought up by A&P in 1986 and given the Waldbaum's Foodmart name some time around then. The Food Mart division went from CT through as far as Vermont at one point. Then in the 90s, A&P went through changes, taking the Waldbaum's name away from Food Mart and calling it Super Foodmart. Then as the 90s wore on, many Food Mart stores closed in Northern New England. Eventually, there came down to 11 stores left in CT. But in 2007, further changes were made, Food Mart in Newington closed and the West Hartford store was given back the Waldbaum's name. The Food Mart website went away and the remaining 9 or so actual Food Mart's became associated with the regular A&P chain, which still has plenty of locations in NY and NJ. Waldbaum's is still very much alive with 72 stores in the Long Island area of NY and West Hartford. There are also Super Fresh, The Food Emporium and Food Basics chains that are all associated with A&P. Even PathMark is associated with A&P. So Food Mart has plenty of support to stay alive in some way or another. The bottom line is A&P and A&P Super Foodmart are the same thing. I think the Super Foodmart name has been kept is that it's a very familiar local name in CT. When someone goes to an A&P Super Foodmart, they say "I'm going to Foodmart".

[store215]

Originally posted by beachgal26
I had thought that they were all dead and gone until I visited New Orleans right after Katrina and actually saw a very little one in the middle of this little town square.

Anybody have any current info on the chain?

I believe the store you visited in New Orleans is no more. A&P pulled out of the Louisiana market a few months ago. They also had larger stores that operated under the banner of "Sav-A-Center" (minus the A&P), but they were at least sold off to a local chain and not just left abandoned. The A&P in the middle of the town was the only store in the area actually still branded as A&P for nostalgic purposes.

[Anonymous]

Wasn't that little A&P in New Orleans the oldest continuously operating supermarket in the country? It was opened in 1930 from what I heard.

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#366) in Middletown, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#74) in Danbury, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#409) in Danbury, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#108) in Mystic, CT:
(I think this location got the name A&P Super Foodmart long before the rest)

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#128) in Old Lyme, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#350) in Naugatuck, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#355) in Branford, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#385) in East Haven, CT:

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#405) in Bridgeport, CT:


I wonder what these Foodmart stores look like inside (beside Berlin).

[AmesNewington]

A&P Super Foodmart (#339) in Berlin CT again: