An A&P supermarket in Montclair, NJ.Photo: Christopher Sadowski
A&P is hungry for shoppers — the kind that will buy its stores.
The money-losing supermarket operator — whose brands include Food Emporium, Pathmark and Waldbaums in addition to its flagship A&P stores — is shopping 137 of its 301-store portfolio, The Post has learned.
Dozens of New York City stores are on the block — including all 10 Manhattan Food Emporium stores, according to a list of the targeted stores obtained by The Post.
The stores on the list are scattered throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and New York — although the company operates in six Northeast states — and includes both well-performing stores and poor-performing ones, the list reveals.
For example, two better-performing stores, a Pathmark location in Ozone Park and another in Staten Island, generate about $50 million in revenue a year.
On the other end of the spectrum, an A&P in Peekskill, in suburban Westchester County, rang up just $7.9 million in sales last year, according to the list.
Montvale, NJ-based A&P has been hurting financially for years and is believed to be selling the stores to raise some much-needed cash.
A&P filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and became privately held when it emerged in 2012 — with 320 stores.
It is part-owned by Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos.
In 2013, the company reportedly tried to sell itself to either another grocery chain or private equity firm — but came up short.
A&P would not confirm the number of stores it is shopping but said it has been reviewing its strategic options since March.
“The review includes raising new capital from investors, considering new business-partner relationships and exploring the sale of certain assets of the company,” A&P said.
The 156-year-old outfit, officially known as the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, had 16,000 stores at its peak in the 1930s when it expanded into California and Canada.
But its heyday is long behind it as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and online rivals like Fresh Direct have stolen away its customers.
Poor management — including a revolving door of CEOs — hasn’t helped.
“They are deeply in debt and struggling to produce a profit,” said supermarket consultant Burt Flickinger, adding that rivals Stop & Shop, ShopRite and Key Food could be contenders to buy the stores.
Rumors about possible store closings and/or a sale reached a crescendo on Monday when the UFCW, which represents A&P workers, told its members that it had confirmed that A&P is “actively seeking potential buyers for part or all of the company” and that “several companies are interested in buying A&P in whole or in part.”
Some 11 union locals represent 30,000 A&P workers. The presidents of the locals will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation, said a source familiar with the meeting.
A&P said “no decisions have been made” and that there is “no timetable set for the completion of the process.”
They took over Grand Union, which had taken over my much missed Big Star in the south in the late 80's. A&P, Food Giant, Big Star and Winn- Dixie paid my bills for a long time. R.I.P.
I worked for them from 59 to 80 with a few short trips to other companies, we ruled America with 3600 stores, then they turn the Board of Directors over to some younger guys that wanted to break the union out of them, started WEO (Where Economy Originates) and building "Family Mart" using non union labor it was all down hill from there
