WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The judge in A&P’s federal bankruptcy case has granted the retailer’s request to reject 73 leases for properties where A&P no longer operates a store. Rent expenses for these closed properties were a major drain on expenses for A&P, the retailer said, even though landlords for many of the properties said A&P had stopped paying rent on them earlier this year and filed separate suits seeking rent payments.
A&P admitted in a court declaration that it had unilaterally surrendered keys to many of those properties earlier this year.
The stores include former Farmer Jack, Kohl’s, SuperFresh, A&P, Pathmark, Sav-A-Center and Waldbaums stores in 11 states.