To some, the big concrete box in Broomall may seem like just another supermarket about to go empty.
But the soon-to-be-shuttered Pathmark near West Chester Pike is more than that. It's a small player in a big saga about a supermarket giant that once was a leader in Philadelphia and now is fighting for its life.
The Delaware County store is one of two Pathmarks and two Super Fresh stores in the Philadelphia region being shut down in the coming weeks by Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. as the publicly traded firm, under its third chief executive since February, reaches for a rescue.
Although four stores might not be much, their fate illustrates how far the once-mighty Pathmark and A&P names have fallen – and may yet continue to fall. Some observers and union officials worry things may worsen, with more jobs lost and empty anchor stores, if corporate doesn't find a fix – and fast.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Philadelphia Inquirer.