First published 2020
Marc Levinson chronicles how the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company transformed from a small tea shop into the world's largest retailer with nearly sixteen thousand stores. The company became a vertically integrated giant that threatened independent grocery stores nationwide. Main Street merchants fought back fiercely, prompting three presidential administrations to investigate A&P. The government ultimately brought criminal charges against the company for selling food at prices deemed too low and secured a conviction. Levinson examines how brothers George and John Hartford reshaped their inherited business repeatedly over seven decades. George maintained financial discipline while John drove marketing innovation, together creating the template for modern big-box retail. Their efficient food distribution system at low costs established the foundation of today's consumer economy. The book explores the fundamental conflict between small and large businesses that divided America. This updated edition adds analysis of contemporary concerns about Amazon and online retailers, drawing parallels to the historical battle over A&P's market dominance. Levinson shows how past struggles over retail concentration illuminate current debates about corporate power in the digital marketplace.
Genres: history, 20th-century, business, economics, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-drama, social-change
Setting: America
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
1 pages · MP3 CD · Blackstone Publishing