The great A&P and the struggle for small business in America

 by Marc Levinson. The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company was a trendsetter and market leader from its founding in 1869. It capitalized on the growing tea trade and innovative marketing approaches to become the first retailer anywhere to sell $1 billion of merchandise in a single year. Levinson shows how, through expanded product lines, trading stamps, branding, and financial control, astute management drove the company's success in reinventing itself in response to changing market conditions. It portrays the colorful personalities of the men who ran A&P in the early days and their effectiveness as leaders. It also cites the missed opportunities, beginning in the 1950s, that resulted in the company's downfall. The A&P story is a fascinating case history within the evolution of the U.S. grocery industry. Levinson makes it read like a novel, full of interesting anecdotes and references to a large bibliography. Anyone interested in the retail industry may find this book a great study of responding to the need to adapt to market and economic pressures to survive. --Booklist (Check Catalog)