11 once-popular grocery stores that closed their doors forever
- The grocery business can be brutal.
- Dozens of regional and national supermarket chains have gone under over the decades.
- Some suffered during the retail apocalypse, while others were done in by mismanagement or acquisitions.
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Margins in the business are notoriously low. You've also got to contend with ever-shifting customer preferences and stiff competition from other supermarkets, powerful e-commerce outfits like Amazon, and big-box giants like Walmart and Costco.
And you can't forget the retail apocalypse that's been dragging down much of the industry.
Read more: 12 department stores that disappeared before the retail apocalypse even began to rage
That's why it's not surprising to see that a large number of once-successful grocery chains ultimately crashed and burned. In some cases, the companies ran up against unfortunate circumstances beyond their control. In other situations, the grocers proved too slow to adapt to shifting trends or ramped-up competition.
Here's a list of grocery store chains that are no longer with us:
The A&P was founded in 1859 in New York City, but after 100 years in business the once-powerful grocer began a slow decline. A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015, and all stores ceased operations that same year.
Source: The Journal News, Newsday
Waldbaum's was a New York supermarket chain that managed to venture into neighboring states like New Jersey and Connecticut during its 115-year history. A&P bought the business from the Waldbaum family in 1986. Waldbaum's met its fate alongside its parent company in 2015.
Source: CBS, Supermarket News, The New York Times
Grand Union stores once dotted the northeastern United States. But in 2001, the grocer filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. C&S Wholesale Grocers bought the company, then sold it off to Tops Friendly Markets in 2012. The following year, the new owner discontinued the Grand Union brand.
Source: The Hartford Courant, Supermarket News, Times Union
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