Waldbaum's

{{Infobox company

| name = Waldbaum's

| logo = File:Waldbaum's.svg

| logo_size = 250px

| type = {{unbulleted list|Private|Subsidiary}}

| industry = {{unbulleted list|Retail|Grocery}}

| foundation = {{start date|1904}} in Brooklyn, New York

| founder = {{unbulleted list|Sam Waldbaum|Wolf Waldbaum|Israel "Izzy" Waldbaum{{cite web|title=Waldbaum, Inc. History|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/waldbaum-inc-history/|website=Funding Universe|access-date=November 16, 2014}}}}

| fate = Bankruptcy

| hq_location = 2 Paragon Drive

| hq_location_city = Montvale, New Jersey

| hq_location_country = United States

| area_served = {{unbulleted list|New York City|Long Island|Westchester County, New York|Ulster County, New York|Rockland County, New York|Connecticut|New Jersey|Massachusetts{{cite news|last1=Scardino|first1=Albert|title=Waldbaum To Be Sold To A.&P.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/27/business/waldbaum-to-be-sold-to-a-p.html|access-date=February 27, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 27, 1986}}}}

| parent = The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company

| website = http://www.waldbaums.com [https://web.archive.org/web/20020326211034/http://waldbaums.com/]

| defunct = 2015

}}

Waldbaum's was a supermarket chain with stores in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx; and in Nassau, Suffolk counties and Upstate New York. The chain also for a time operated stores in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Founded in 1904, Waldbaum's was one of seven "banner store chains" owned and operated by The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), which acquired the chain from its founding family in 1986.

Waldbaum's operated full-service traditional supermarkets with varying footprints and store models and its popular marquee in certain aisles along with good food and reliable service. At its peak in the 1980s, it was the 12th largest supermarket chain in the United States and had 140 stores throughout the New York metropolitan area.{{Cite news |last=Scardino |first=Albert |date=1986-11-27 |title=WALDBAUM TO BE SOLD TO A.&P. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/27/business/waldbaum-to-be-sold-to-a-p.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} All Waldbaum's stores featured fresh meats and produce. 62 stores had bakeries and 36 offered pharmacy service. As with other A&P-branded stores, Waldbaum's offered in-house products under the America's Choice, America's Choice Kids, America's Choice Gold, Two-Forks Bakery, Green Way, Via Roma, Food Basics, Home Basics, Great Atlantic Seafood Market, Mid-Atlantic Country Farms, Woodson & James, Hartford Reserve, Food Emporium Trading Co., Preferred Pet and Live Better brands.

History

=Ownership under the Waldbaum family=

In 1904, two brothers, Sam and Wolf Waldbaum, Jewish immigrants from the Galician region of Ukraine, opened a store in Brooklyn. Their nephew, Israel "Izzy" Waldbaum, came to America and joined the business. The three men ran the store, with Izzy taking over the grocery when his uncles retired. Izzy married Julia Leffel; they had three children. The company made history in 1938, when identical twin black brothers, Ernest and George Brown, who started working at one of the only two existing stores at the time as stockboys were promoted to checkout boys. "It was unheard of then for a colored checker to be in a white neighborhood," Ernest Brown said three decades later in an interview. Both Browns later became store managers and, eventually, Waldbaum executives (vice-president and assistant vice-president, respectively).{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |date=June 1968 |title=Twin Stock Boys Rise to Supermart Executives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HNoDAAAAMBAJ&q=Ernest+Brown+Waldbaum+vice-president&pg=PA29 |journal=Ebony |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |volume=23 |issue=8 |pages=29–32, 34, 36, 39 |access-date=November 12, 2014}}

When Izzy died in 1948, his son Ira Waldbaum left his studies at New York University and took over the company's six stores in Brooklyn.{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |date=2002-02-02 |title=Ira Waldbaum, 74; Built Northeast Grocery Chain |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/02/nyregion/ira-waldbaum-74-built-northeast-grocery-chain.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Izzy's wife Julia Waldbaum played an active part in the company and served as its secretary. From the 1960s onward, her picture and her recipes appeared on almost all of the company's 400 private-label products.{{Cite web|url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/archive/julia-waldbaum-99|title=Julia Waldbaum, 99|date=October 7, 1996|website=Supermarket News}}

By 1951, the company had opened its first supermarket in Flushing, Queens and net sales reached $55.2 million by 1960. In 1961, the company went public by selling shares of common stock, though the Waldbaum's family still owned a majority of the shares.{{cite web |title=Securities and Exchange Commission News Digest |url=https://www.sec.gov/news/digest/1961/dig072461.pdf |access-date=November 12, 2014 |website=SEC.gov}}{{Cite news |last=Barmash |first=Isadore |date=1986-04-13 |title=A FAMILY FEUD STAYS FRIENDLY AT WALDBAUM |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/13/business/a-family-feud-stays-friendly-at-waldbaum.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} By this time, Waldbaum's had 25 stores and sales of $80 million. In 1970, the company bought the Food Mart chain in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

On August 2, 1978, a fire was reported at the store in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, which was undergoing renovations at the time. The roof collapsed as firefighters were attempting to vent the building, killing six firefighters and injuring over 30.{{cite news |last1=Kifner |first1=John |date=August 3, 1978 |title=Six Firemen Killed As Roof Collapses At Brooklyn Blaze; Toll is Worst in Dozen Years |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/03/archives/new-jersey-pages-six-firemen-killed-as-roof-collapses-at-brooklyn.html |access-date=November 12, 2014 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=B17}}{{cite web |last1=Spak |first1=Steve |title=The Waldbaum's Fire and Tragedy |url=http://stevespak.com/waldbaums.html |access-date=November 12, 2014}} Investigators arrested 21-year old neighborhood man named Eric Jackson, who was charged with arson and six counts of murder. He was convicted and sentenced to twenty-five years to life in state prison. However, later evidence showed that the fire had been caused by an electrical failure and that the prosecution had both withheld information from the defense team and manufactured evidence against Jackson.{{Cite news |last=Herbert |first=Bob |date=1994-08-07 |title=Opinion {{!}} In America; Disregard Of The Truth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/07/opinion/in-america-disregard-of-the-truth.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} In 1988, a new trial was ordered and in 1994 the jury returned an acquittal.{{Cite news |last=Sexton |first=Joe |date=1994-08-08 |title=Arson Retrial Marked by Uncertainty |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/08/nyregion/arson-retrial-marked-by-uncertainty.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=Eric Jackson-Knight - National Registry of Exonerations |url=https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3320 |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=www.law.umich.edu}}

In March 1979, a Waldbaum's store in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn was the site of an armed robbery. The three gunmen held 40 shoppers in the store for three and a half hours before surrendering to the police.{{Cite news |last=Saxon |first=Wolfgang |date=1979-04-01 |title=40 Are Held Hostage, Then Freed at a Brooklyn Store |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/01/archives/40-are-held-hostage-then-freed-at-a-brooklyn-store-they-were-very.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Jr |first=Donald G. McNeil |date=1979-04-02 |title=Hostages Tell of Strange Siege at Store |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/02/archives/hostages-tell-of-strange-siege-at-store-persuaded-to-surrender.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

In 1984, Waldbaum's pleaded no contest to price fixing charges after the company was accused of conspiring with Pathmark and King Kullen chains on joint double-couponing promotions.{{Cite news |last=Fried |first=Joseph P. |date=1984-06-10 |title=SUPERMARKET CHAINS CHARGED WITH FIXING PRICES |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/10/nyregion/supermarket-chains-charged-with-fixing-prices.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Waldbaum's paid a fine of $700,000. After years of in-house advertising, the company hired the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles ad agency with a $5 million budget in 1988.{{Cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Philip H. |date=1988-01-12 |title=ADVERTISING; Waldbaum's Agency |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/12/business/advertising-waldbaum-s-agency.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

=Purchase by A&P=

In November 1986, Waldbaum's sold controlling interest in the company to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. Following the sale, the Waldbaum family continued to manage the stores.

Waldbaum's introduced a shop-at-home service in 1989, where customers can call in their order and get it delivered.{{Cite news |last=Ketcham |first=Diane |date=1989-10-08 |title=Long Island Journal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/08/nyregion/long-island-journal-321089.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} In January 1996, 14 people were injured when the roof of the Massapequa, New York Waldbaum's collapsed under the weight of snow during the historic blizzard of 1996.{{Cite news |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |date=1996-01-13 |title=THE BLIZZARD OF 1996: THE DAMAGE;At Least 14 Hurt as Snow's Weight Brings Down the Roof of an L.I. Supermarket |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/13/nyregion/blizzard-1996-damage-least-14-hurt-snow-s-weight-brings-down-roof-li-supermarket.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Times |first=The New York |date=1996-01-24 |title=Weight of Snow Is Blamed in Roof Collapse |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/24/nyregion/weight-of-snow-is-blamed-in-roof-collapse.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

Following the purchase of Pathmark in 2007, A&P was required to sell five Waldbaum's locations in Staten Island and Long Island to satisfy regulators over antitrust concerns.{{Cite web |date=2007-11-27 |title=FTC Challenges A&Ps Proposed Acquisition of Pathmark Supermarkets |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2007/11/ftc-challenges-aps-proposed-acquisition-pathmark-supermarkets |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Federal Trade Commission |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=November 27, 2007 |title=A&P, Pathmark to sell 6 stores to win antitrust OK |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/markets/ap-pathmark-to-sell-6-stores-to-win-antitrust-ok-idUSN27543880/ |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=Reuters}}

In August 2010, A&P announced that it would close 25 stores as the parent of Waldbaum's began the implementation and execution phase of its comprehensive turnaround.{{Cite web |last=Springer |first=Jon |date=2010-08-13 |title=A&P Plans to Close 25 Stores |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/ap-plans-close-25-stores |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Supermarket News |language=en}} In September, A&P announced it planned to lay off over 400 workers, including 195 employees from the closure of the West Hartford Waldbaum's store in Connecticut.{{Cite web |last=Baruzzi |first=Cara |date=September 14, 2010 |title=195 layoffs expected from closure of Waldbaum's |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/195-layoffs-expected-from-closure-of-Waldbaum-s-16853677.php |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=CT Insider}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2010-09-14 |title=A&P to Lay Off 416 |url=https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/ap-to-lay-off-416/1850314/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=NBC Connecticut |language=en-US}} The stores in Centereach and Levittown closed in October.{{Cite web |last=Izzo |first=Justin |date=2011-11-18 |title=Preliminary Retail Plans in Progress for Former Waldbaums Site |url=https://patch.com/new-york/levittown-ny/retail-plans-in-progress-for-former-waldbaums-site |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Levittown, NY Patch |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2010-09-22 |title=New A&P CEO Moving Quickly With Store Sales, Closures - Food Trade News & Food World |url=https://foodtradenews.com/2010/09/22/new-ap-ceo-moving-quickly-with-store-sales-closures/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=foodtradenews.com |language=en-US}}

In December 2010, A&P filed for bankruptcy.{{Cite news |last=Kary |first=Tiffany |date=2010-12-13 |title=A&P, U.S. Grocery-Store Chain, Files for Bankruptcy |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-12-12/a-p-grocery-store-owner-files-for-bankruptcy-as-competition-heightens?embedded-checkout=true |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2010-12-18 |title=A&P Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection - Food Trade News & Food World |url=https://foodtradenews.com/2010/12/18/ap-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-protection/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=foodtradenews.com |language=en-US}} In order to help turn around the business, A&P identified 32 locations for closure, including Waldbaum's stores in Farmingdale, Smithtown, and Valley Stream.{{Cite web |last=Hamlin |first=Clarissa |date=2011-03-02 |title=Valley Stream Waldbaums to close |url=https://liherald.com/stories/valley-stream-waldbaums-to-close,31104 |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Herald Community Newspapers |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=DiNapoli |first=Jessica |date=2011-02-15 |title=LI A&P-owned supermarkets to close {{!}} Long Island Business News |url=https://libn.com/2011/02/15/li-ap-owned-supermarkets-to-close/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |language=en-US}}

In January 2012, A&P announced six more stores would close in Commack, West Babylon, East Islip, Lake Ronkonkoma, Huntington Station and Rockville Centre.{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Keiko |date=2012-01-10 |title=A&P to close 6 Long Island Waldbaum's |url=https://www.newsday.com/business/a-p-to-close-6-long-island-waldbaum-s-q78846 |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Newsday |language=en}} Waldbaum's parent company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a private company in March 2012.{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2012 |title=Supermarket chain A&P emerges from bankruptcy |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/markets/commodities/supermarket-chain-ap-emerges-from-bankruptcy-idUSL2E8EDNXG/ |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=Reuters}}File:Waldbaums Bankruptcy.jpg

On July 20, 2015, A&P filed for a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy, following years of financial loss and a struggle to compete with rival grocery chains.{{Cite news |last=Abrams |first=Rachel |date=2015-07-21 |title=A&P Files for Bankruptcy and Aims to Sell 120 Stores |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/business/ap-files-for-bankruptcy-and-aims-to-sell-120-stores.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2015 |title=A&P Stores to be Sold & Closed: The Complete List |url=http://couponsinthenews.com/2015/07/20/ap-stores-to-be-sold-closed-the-complete-list/ |website=Coupons in the News}} Three Waldbaum's stores in Carle Place, Riverhead, and Oceanside were set to close.{{Cite web |last1=Pinciaro |first1=Joseph |last2=Smith |first2=Nicole |date=2015-07-20 |title=Riverhead Waldbaum's closing as A&P files for bankruptcy |url=https://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2015/07/66710/riverhead-waldbaums-closing-as-ap-files-for-bankruptcy/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Riverhead News Review |language=en-US}}

The company announced its intention to immediately sell 120 stores. Stop & Shop bought Waldbaum's locations in Bedford, East Hampton, Southampton, Baldwin, Massapequa, Long Beach, Huntington, Howard Beach, Belle Harbor, and Bay Terrace.{{Cite web |last=Winzelberg |first=David |date=2015-07-20 |title=Stop & Shop to buy 9 Waldbaum's, Pathmark stores on LI {{!}} Long Island Business News |url=https://libn.com/2015/07/20/stop-shop-to-buy-9-waldbaums-pathmark-stores-on-li/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |language=en-US}} Key Food bought stores in Moriches, Mattituck, Albertson, Flushing, Glen Head, Rosebankoo Brooklyn, Jackson Heights, Glen Oaks, and Bayside.{{Cite web |last=O'Reilly |first=Anthony |date=2015-07-23 |title=Supermarket chains buy up Waldbaums |url=https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/supermarket-chains-buy-up-waldbaums/article_9270a33e-9ee2-5bc3-847b-4d6500436559.html |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Queens Chronicle |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=James |date=2015-09-24 |title=Waldbaum's in Huntington To Close For One Week |url=https://www.longislandernews.com/the-long-islander-archives/-waldbaums-in-huntington-to-close-for-one-week |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Long Islander News |language=en-US}} Five store locations were sold to Best Yet Market in November 2015,{{cite news |last1=Al-Muslim |first1=Aisha |date=November 13, 2015 |title=Best Market to buy five more Waldbaum's, Pathmarks |url=https://www.newsday.com/business/best-market-to-buy-five-more-waldbaum-s-pathmarks-i33514 |access-date=February 27, 2016 |work=Newsday}} and three locations to Wakefern Food Corporation, owner of the ShopRite Food chain, with several other entities acquiring additional locations.{{cite news |last1=Al-Muslim |first1=Aisha |date=September 25, 2015 |title=ShopRite parent to buy three Long Island A&P stores |url=https://www.newsday.com/business/shoprite-parent-to-buy-three-long-island-a-p-stores-x37035 |access-date=February 27, 2016 |work=Newsday}}

All Waldbaum's stores were sold or closed by November 2015.{{cite news |date=January 2016 |title=All A&P Stores Now Closed; A&G Realty To Help Move Unsold Units |url=https://foodtradenews.com/2016/01/04/a-ag-realty-move-unsold-units/ |access-date=August 6, 2017 |website=Food Trade News}}{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/business/the-end-of-a-p-employees-consumers-wonder-what-the-future-holds-1.11146394|title=The end of A&P: Employees, consumers wonder what the future holds|date=November 27, 2015|first=Aisha|last=Al-Muslim|work=Newsday}} In December 2018, private equity firm American Legacy Brands purchased the intellectual property rights for A&P and Waldbaum's with the intention of licensing the names for private label lines.{{Cite web |last=Goldschmidt |first=Bridget |date=2018-12-28 |title=A&P, Waldbaum's IP Assets Purchased by Private Equity Investment Firm |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/ap-waldbaums-ip-assets-purchased-private-equity-investment-firm |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Redman |first=Russell |date=2018-05-02 |title=A&P's store banners, private labels sold off |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/ap-s-store-banners-private-labels-sold |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Supermarket News |language=en}}