Stopped into an A&P in suburban New Jersey on a Sunday afternoon and was shocked to see a store that was not only clean and organized, but also stocked to the brim with a wide range of merchandise. A&P, you see, is the supermarket chain I grew up with and, unfortunately, many of the memories were not so good. Years ago, and even recently, my visits there were more often met by despair than anything else. The stores were messy and disorganized and I was not very impressed with its perimeter departments.
I know that A&P still gets a bad rap by some. But, frankly, at this store, at least, the chain seems to finally be getting it that a combination of great assortment, easy shopping and competitive pricing will go a long way to helping the chain gain respect with consumers.
