Acme will bolster its presence in Delaware and the region, after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge in New York state approved the sale of more than 70 A&P stores to operators that include Acme Markets.
Bloomberg reported that A&P will get $370 million for the stores that include Pathmark and Superfresh locations in Delaware and elsewhere on the East Coast.
The other successful bidder was Ahold, which will buy Stop and Shop stores in New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Once a nationwide chain, A&P has been shrinking for decades as it closed or sold off stores. Recent competition has come from nonunion chains like Walmart, Target, Costco and BJ’s, as well as dollar stores and even drug stores with food departments.
Acme will get Delaware Pathmark locations off Kirkwood Highway and Newark as well as SuperFresh locations near Rehoboth Beach, in north Newark and on Marsh Road in north Wilmington.
Acme is believed to have the largest market share among grocers in northern Delaware and the purchases would boost that position. However, Acme does have nearby locations that could be subject to closing once the Superfresh stores are integrated into its system.
Also in the mix are Safeway stores in Delaware that have the same corporate parent as Acme, but operate separately.
A number of Pathmark, Safeway and SuperFresh stores have been closed in Delaware and elsewhere.
Acme and the acquired stores are unionized operations. Its parent company Albertsons is now owned by an investment group and has a management team in place working to turn around store operations. Acme continues to deal with the perception that its prices are too high.
Acme itself has closed a number of stores over the years as it also battled discount competitors and Shoprite, which by some accounts has become the largest grocer in the Delaware Valley. Shoprite stores are owned by individual operators that include the Kenny family in Delaware.
The family has opened stores in Wilmington, Bear and Glasgow in recent years.
iT IS HIGHLY DOUBTFUL THAT ANY ACME IN THE NEWARK OF Wilmington AREA CLOSE DO THIS PURCHASE. each OF THESE ACMES ARE HIGH VOLUME WELL MAINTAINED PROFITABLE STORES. NONE OF THESE SUPER FRESH OR PATHMARKS COMPETE WITH ANY OF THE ACME LOCATIONS OR DO EVEN HALF THE VOLUME OF THE ACMES OR ARE HALF THE SIZE OF THE ACMES IN THE COUNTY THE OTHER TWO B EACH STORES ARE IN AREAS THAT ACME HASNT HAD STORES IN TWENTY YEARS. SO WERE IS AN IDEA. WHY NOT TAKE THE TIME TO FIND OUT SOME THING ABOUT THE B USINESS AND STOP GOING TO THOSE SAME OLD TIRED SOURCES IN ACADEMIA WHO HAVE NO REAL IDEA.