A&P to Ax 300-plus Jobs at HQ

As it moves through the bankruptcy process, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) has informed 319 employees at its headquarters in Montvale, N.J., that they'll be laid off on Nov. 23, according to published reports. The notices cover virtually all headquarters employees, with the exception of top executives. 

The grocer, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July, earlier sent layoff notices to more than 18,000 associates in six states. A&P is currently receiving bids on its stores, all of which it intends to sell; the latest companies to make offers on indivudual locations are Keasbey, N.J.-based retailer cooperative Wakefern Food Corp., whose members operate ShopRite stores, and New York-based grocery chains Morton Williams and Food Bazaar.

The eventual shutdown of A&P headquarters isn't the only such event the area has faced in recent times: the U.S. headquarters of German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, also based in Montvale, is moving to Georgia, and car-rental company Hertz recently relocated from nearby Park Ridge to Florida.