Sav-A-Center
| Company type | Brand name / supermarket chain |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (supermarket) |
| Predecessor | The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) |
| Founded | 1980s |
Area served | United States (New Orleans, Louisiana region; Northeastern and mid-South Atlantic markets), Canada (Toronto region) |
| Products | Grocery stores, supermarkets |
| Parent | The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company |
Sav-A-Center was a brand name utilized by The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.
History
The Sav-A-Center brand first appeared in the 1980s as a supermarket chain serving the greater New Orleans, Louisiana region. This division operated stores across Louisiana and extended into Mississippi.[1][2]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Additionally, the division encompassed three conventional A&P outlets, including a small "corner grocery" located in New Orleans' French Quarter, which A&P had maintained since 1931.[3]
Following the bankruptcy of Schwegmann in 1999, A&P acquired six of their stores, incorporating them into the Sav-A-Center division.[1] In April 2004, A&P expanded by purchasing four New Orleans locations from Albertsons, planning to rebrand them as Sav-A-Centers.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name By this stage, A&P operated a total of 28 stores under the Sav-A-Center name within the New Orleans vicinity. In May 2005, the company revealed a strategic restructuring initiative aimed at concentrating its operations mainly along the East Coast, including its Sav-A-Center outlets.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In August 2005, numerous stores were impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Within several months post-storm, twenty-one stores resumed operations; two additional locations reopened after undergoing flood damage repairs. However, five stores were permanently shuttered due to extensive damage to both the facilities and surrounding neighborhoods.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name By April 2007, the chain had withdrawn from the Baton Rouge market.
In May 2007, A&P declared intentions to exit the New Orleans market entirely and sought buyers for its remaining 21 Sav-A-Center stores. The decision was driven by a desire to focus on Northeast operations and streamline efforts following its merger with Pathmark.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Later in September 2007, it was confirmed that the locally owned Rouses supermarket chain would acquire most of the remaining Sav-A-Center locations. Rouses took over sixteen stores, including those in Mississippi and the French Quarter A&P store; one store was sold to rival Breaux Mart, while others were closed.[2]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A&P Sav-A-Center
During the 1980s, A&P expanded the Sav-A-Center brand to numerous locations throughout its Northeastern and mid-South Atlantic markets. In 1981, the company acquired 17 Stop & Shop outlets in New Jersey and rebranded several of them under the Sav-A-Center banner. Following this acquisition, A&P often found itself sharing retail space within strip malls alongside Bradlees stores, which were then owned by Stop & Shop. To accommodate both businesses, a dividing wall was constructed between the supermarkets. Across various regions—including the Tidewater region/Hampton Roads in Virginia, North Carolina, and much of A&P’s Northeastern territory—existing traditional A&P stores were remodeled and converted into Sav-A-Centers; the familiar red, orange, and yellow hues of the classic A&P logo were replaced with tones of kelly green.
In the Northeast, the former Stop & Shop locations tended to be larger than typical A&P stores. The company leveraged the Sav-A-Center transformation as part of its "We've Built a Proud New Feeling" marketing campaign, aiming to overturn its reputation for high prices and outdated image. This campaign showcased spacious, modern stores with clean aesthetics, featuring contented, upscale shoppers and cordial staff members. It was also during this period that A&P introduced its Futurestore concept. Renovations at Sav-A-Center outlets included large-scale graphics depicting fresh produce and baked goods, along with the installation of IBM-POS checkout systems. Despite these efforts, A&P struggled to overcome its perception as an expensive retailer; over time, many lower-traffic Sav-A-Centers experienced declines in sales and customer traffic to competitors like Pathmark and regional leader ShopRite. While some of the more successful Sav-A-Centers remained operational, numerous others eventually shuttered or were rebranded as A&P Food Market during the 1990s or later as Food Basics in the 2000s.
Kohl's Sav-A-Center
Following A&P’s acquisition of the Kohl's Food Stores chain headquartered in Wisconsin, several locations were rebranded as Kohl's Sav-A-Center. These stores subsequently underwent further rebranding to become Kohl's Food Market or Kohl's Food Emporium prior to the chain's eventual closure.
Family Mart Sav-A-Center
During the 1980s and 1990s, A&P rebranded numerous outlets of its The Family Mart chain in the Southern United States as Family Mart Sav-A-Center.
Dominion Save-A-Centre
Starting in the late 1980s, A&P Canada launched several stores around the Toronto region under the Sav-A-Centre banner. The branding closely resembled the American Sav-A-Center logo, with the primary difference being a red color scheme instead of green.
In 1985, A&P acquired 92 Dominion locations. By the end of the 1990s, some of these outlets were rebranded to Dominion Sav-A-Centre. In August 2005, A&P divested its Canadian operations to Metro, and by 2009, all stores had been converted to Metro branding.
Pathmark Sav-A-Center
In March 2007, A&P completed the acquisition of Pathmark. Shortly thereafter, Rouses Markets purchased 19 Sav-A-Center and A&P stores from A&P, including the notable outlet located in New Orleans' French Quarter.
By June 2008, Pathmark rolled out a "price impact" store format under the Pathmark Sav-A-Center name, initially launching remodeled locations in Irvington and South Edison, New Jersey. Following positive results from these stores, A&P announced plans to convert 16 Pathmark Super Centers and eight of the thirteen Philadelphia-area A&P Super Fresh stores into Pathmark Sav-A-Center outlets. Subsequently, Pathmark was officially rebranded as Pathmark Sav-A-Center on A&P's website.
See also
References
External links
Template:The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Template:Supermarkets of the United States