Michael J. Cullen Works His Way to Division Superintendent
Born in April 1884 to Irish immigrant parents, Michael J. Cullen learned about the grocery business during his early years of employment. In 1902, at the age of 18, he worked as a clerk for the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., where he worked his way up to division superintendent.
Cullen’s natural marketing talents, work experience observations and insight into the grocery business led to his idea for mass merchandising – selling high volume at low-profit margins.
Cullen Envisions a Revolutionized Industry
While employed as the manager of 94 small Kroger Grocery & Baking Company stores in Illinois, Cullen wrote a letter to a Kroger Vice President, describing his ideas that would eventually revolutionize the industry.
His letter detailed his vision of “monstrous stores, size of same to be about forty feet wide and hundred and thirty to a hundred and sixty feet deep, and the ought to be located one to three blocks off the high rent district with plenty of parking space, and same to be operated as a semi-self-service store – twenty percent service and eighty percent self-service.”
Cullen’s letter went unanswered. Undaunted and confident in his ability to see his idea become a reality, Cullen resigned and moved his family to Long Island.
