History
Brand Journey Throught The Years
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1850
Founding of the company
Company founding
The forerunner of A&P was founded in the 1850s as Gilman & Company by George Gilman (1826–1901) to continue his father's leather tanning business.
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1863
Great American Tea Company
Great American Tea Company
Gilman turned over the tanning business to his brother Winthrop; George moved his tea business to 129 Front Street. Initially, Gilman & Company was a wholesaler. In early 1863 the firm became a retailer, Great American Tea Company.
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1951–1974
Post-Hartford era
Post-Hartford era
In 1951, John Hartford died in the Chrysler Building after returning from a meeting of the automaker's board of directors. George remained as A&P's chairman and treasurer, appointing the corporation's longtime secretary Ralph Burger as its new president.
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1975–2001
Scott/Wood era
Scott/Wood era
In February 1975, A&P considered a plan by Booz Allen Hamilton to close 36% of its 3,468 stores. Kane agreed to resign and was replaced by Jonathan Scott, the 44-year-old president of Albertsons.
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2001–2015
Final years as a supermarket chain
Final years as a supermarket chain
Nationwide, Walmart gained a dominant position in the grocery industry, forcing much of the competition to downsize, though in A&P's core Northeast region, Walmart still had not become a major grocery competitor.
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2015
Company Closing
Company Closing
A&P briefly returned to modest profitability by cutting costs in its remaining stores.
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2018
Relaunch A&P
Relaunch A&P
Relaunch A&P