A&P Closing 3 Philly-area Super Fresh Stores

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) will close three underperforming Super Fresh stores in the greater Philadelphia area this January, according to published reports. The stores are located in the southern New Jersey towns of Evesham, Haddon Township and Plainsboro.

About 255 unionized workers will be affected by the three closings, union representatives told the Burlington County Times in New Jersey. Some employees may be able to secure positions at other Super Fresh stores in the region.

Montvale, N.J.-based A&P said the closings follow “an ongoing review of our store footprint.” Employees were notified Nov. 9.

“While this is a very difficult circumstance for our associates, customers, partners and the local communities, we remain focused on providing great value and service to our customers that shop in these stores,” A&P spokeswoman Marcy Connor told the newspaper. The northeastern grocer, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2010 and subsequently closed dozens of supermarkets in the region, didn’t disclose any further store closings.

Other A&P banners are Food Basics, The Food Emporium (which the company said in September it was looking to sell off), Pathmark and Waldbaum's.