A&P
Liquidated its remaining stores in 2015 after a second bankruptcy.
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company began as a New York tea and coffee seller in 1859 and grew into the dominant American grocer of the early 20th century — at its peak running nearly 16,000 stores and pioneering the low-price 'economy store' and the supermarket. A&P's house brands like Eight O'Clock Coffee and Ann Page were pantry staples, and its sheer scale once drew federal antitrust scrutiny. Decades of decline against newer supermarket chains ended in a final 2015 bankruptcy and liquidation.
Known For
- America's dominant early grocery chain
- Eight O'Clock Coffee and Ann Page brands
- Pioneered the supermarket format