Kohl's Food Stores

Maxwell Kohl, who had operated traditional grocery stores since 1927, built his first supermarket in 1946, the first in what would become a southeastern Wisconsin chain known as Kohl's Food Stores.{{cite news |url=http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/jun02/50935.asp |title=1st Kohl's supermarket to be next Lena's |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=June 13, 2002 |first=Tom |last=Daykin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020628144233/http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/jun02/50935.asp |archive-date=June 28, 2002 |url-status=dead}} In September 1962, after building Kohl's Food Stores into the largest supermarket chain in the Milwaukee area, Kohl opened his first department store in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He positioned Kohl's between the higher-end department stores and the discounters, selling everything from candy to engine oil to sporting equipment.{{cite web |title=Kohl's Q4 2013 FactBook |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MTc3MDM3fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1 |access-date=May 25, 2014 |publisher=Kohl's |date= |author=}}

In 1972, the British American Tobacco Company's U.S. retail division, Batus Inc., bought a controlling interest in Kohl's Corporation, which at the time operated 50 grocery stores, six department stores, three drug stores, and three liquor stores.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=wZJMF1LD7PcC&dat=19721028&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |title=Kohl Buyer Provides Backing for Growth |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |date=October 28, 1972 |page=6, Part 2 |first=Roger A. |last=Stafford |via=Google News}}{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/133697361 |title=Control of Kohl Corp. Sold To British-American Unit |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=October 30, 1972 |page=15 |author= |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|133697361}}}} The Kohl family, led by Allen Kohl and Herb Kohl, continued to manage the company. Herb Kohl left the management in 1979,{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/134433809 |title=Kohl Family to Drop Ties to the Kohl Unit Of BAT Industries Ltd. |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=May 2, 1979 |page=41 |author= |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|134433809}}}} eventually becoming a United States senator and owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. The firm then expanded Kohl's presence from 10 to 39 stores in Wisconsin. The grocery stores were sold to A&P in 1983,{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/16/business/a-p-to-acquire-kohl-s-from-batus.html |title=A. & P. to Acquire Kohl's From Batus |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 16, 1983 |author=}}{{cite news |title=Batus Food unit acquired by A&P |newspaper=WWD |date=September 29, 1983 |page=8 |volume=146 |issue=63 |author= |quote=A&P Wednesday finalized its purchase of Kohl Food Stores, Milwaukee-based division of Batus Retail Division. |id={{ProQuest|1445624941}}}} operating under the name Kohl's Food Store, and later Kohl's Food Emporium. In February 2003, A&P put the Kohl's Food Stores up for sale,{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2003/02/24/daily9.html |title=Local Kohl's Food Stores up for sale; Copps buys Madison stores |work=Milwaukee Business Journal |date=February 25, 2003 |author=}} as part of an effort to reduce debt. That same year, A&P closed all Kohl's Food Stores locations and the Kohl family left remaining management.{{cite book |title=Kohl's Q4 2013 FactBook |page=6 |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MTc3MDM3fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1 |access-date=May 25, 2014 |publisher=Kohl's |date= |author=}}{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2003/06/09/daily38.html |title=A&P to close area Kohl's Food Stores |work=Milwaukee Business Journal |date=June 13, 2003 |author=}} Jewel was rumored to buy Kohl's, but that deal fell through. The Madison area stores were sold to Roundy's.

• Kohl's

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071127204902/http://www.aptea.com/ A&P corporate website]

{{The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company}}

{{Supermarkets of the United States}}

Category:Defunct supermarkets of the United States

Category:American companies established in 1946

Category:Retail companies established in 1946

Category:Retail companies disestablished in 2003

Category:Supermarkets of the United States

Category:The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company

Category:2003 disestablishments in New York (state)