Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc. (A&P) operates 337 stores in the United States under seven retail names, which include conventional supermarkets, food and drug combination stores, and discount food stores. A&P employs 37,030 associates. Annualized sales volume is approximately $6.9 billion.

The company operates the following store names: A&P, Waldbaum's, A&P Super Foodmart, The Food Emporium, Super Fresh, Sav-A-Center and Food Basics.

Stores are located in 8 U.S. states (Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Louisiana, Mississippi), and the District of Columbia.

The company distributes private label product lines sold exclusively throughout its U.S. stores under the trade names- America's Choice, Master Choice, Health Pride and Savings Plus.

A&P announced plans to acquire the Pathmark supermarket chain of 141 stores but is awaiting federal approval. It is also trying to sell the Sav-A-Center chain based in Louisiana.

In 2006, company sales were $6.9 billion and net income was $27 million.

History

The company was originally founded in 1859 by George Huntington Hartford and George Gilman who opened a store called Great American Tea Company on Vesey Street in New York City. They began selling tea, coffee and spices at value prices. Soon stores sprung up all around the metropolitan area and salesmen took their wares to the road in horse-drawn carriages bound for New England, the mid-west and the south.

In 1870 the Company was renamed the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, in honor of the first transcontinental railroad and hopes of expanding across the continent.

In 1880, A&P introduced the first private label product - baking powder. As the Company grew, private manufacturing became an important aspect of its business and by the 1920s, A&P had opened its own factory, packing plant and bakery with private brands such as Sunnyfield (bacon, butter, flour and cereals) and Sultana (canned goods, peanut butter and jams).

A&P attributes much of its early customer recognition to its advertising and promotional activities. It launched the original customer-loyalty program in the early 1900s with premiums and savings coupons.

One of the Company's most popular programs was plaid stamps. Introduced in the 1920s, and revitalized during the 1960s, the plaid stamps premium program encouraged customers to make frequent visits to the stores to purchase products and collect stamps.

The Company also continued to focus on upgrading and redefining its store base. In 1927, John Hartford initiated the first "no frills" grocery format in America with the opening of the A&P Economy Store in Jersey City, NJ.

This cash and carry store, with plain furnishings and fixtures, offered no credit, no deliveries and no premiums - just quality groceries at very low prices.

In the 1930s A&P was America's #1 grocery store operating close to 16,000 stores with sales of more than $1 billion. The Company's vast advertising and promotional activities reached so many consumers that A&P became part of American culture.

During that era, the Company developed Woman's Day magazine through a wholly owned subsidiary, The Stores Publishing Company. It also sponsored its own Radio Hour featuring popular artists such as Kate Smith, and Harry Horlick and the A&P Gypsies. And, it participated in the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago with a 2,000 seat amphitheater and numerous attractions.
The popularity of A&P continued to soar through the 1960s, when the Company was renowned as the industry leader with $5.4 billion in sales, over $1 billion more than the nearest chain competitor.

But times were changing and populations were shifting. In 1979, after more than a decade of decline, the Hartford family members and the John A. Hartford Foundation sold the majority of A&P shares to the Tengelmann Group of Germany.

Benefits

Benefits vary by location and position.

Health Care Benefits - Medical
Comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family, including preventative care, vision care and prescription drug coverage, from the following medical options:
- CIGNA Choice Plan (CDHP)
- Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)- where available
Health Care Benefits - Dental
Coverage for preventative and diagnostic care, orthodontia and other treatments from the following options:
- CIGNA Standard Dental Plan (PPO)
- CIGNA Dental HMO (HMO)

Holiday Savings Club Plan
Our Holiday Savings Club Plan makes it easy for you to save money each week so that at the end of the year you're ready to celebrate. All employees are eligible to join and are paid interest on their deposits. After filling out the necessary paperwork, club deposits are automatically deducted from your paycheck starting the end of October for 50 weeks of each calendar year. Checks are issued so that you receive your savings by November 15th, just in time for the holiday season.
Vacation Savings Club Plan
The Vacation Savings Club Plan makes it easy to save money each week so that by the end of Spring you're ready for that time off. All employees are eligible to join and your deductions earn interest. After filling out the necessary paperwork, club deposits are automatically deducted from your paycheck starting the end of May and continuing for 50 weeks of each calendar year. Checks are issued so that you receive your savings by June 15th, just in time for the vacation season.

US Savings Bond Deductions
All employees are eligible to purchase US Savings Bonds Series EE through automatic payroll deduction. You pay 50% of the face value of bonds, which mature over a defined period. Bond certificates are automatically mailed to your home.

Other Benefits: Credit Unions & Banks
Some areas of the company have partnered with local credit unions and banks to offer benefits to our associates.

As an associate, you may be eligible to join a local credit union in your area. Credit unions provide a wide variety of financialservices to our associates including check cashing, credit cards, loans etc. In addition, local banks may offer discounted banking fees, check cashing, or other financial services at a special rate. See your manager to see if these options are available in your area.
- Group Universal Life (GUL) insurance
- Group Homeowners Insurance
- Group Auto Insurance
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
- Group Legal
- Long Term Care
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Updated August 23, 2007