National Tea Co. Stock Certificate - 1930s - Grocery Store Chain

 The National Tea Company was a grocery chain founded in 1899 in Chicago by two Danish immigrants. Starting as a single store, the business eventually grew into about 160 stores by 1920. By the end of the decade, National Tea Co. had grown further to 600 locations throughout Chicago and an impressive 1,000 additional stores nationwide. These stock certificates were issued during the Great Depression, which saw the closure of many of these stores. However, National Tea Co. remained a major grocery store chain in the US for much of the 20th century. In 1955, with annual sales of over $600 million, it was purchased by George Weston LTD, a Canadian Grocery company. The company subsequently lagged behind its competitors in the Chicago area, and by the end of the 1900s the chain declined and its presence in its home state of Illinois largely vanished in favor of its competitors. These particular stock certificates were issued in the 1930s. A National Tea Co. store on 8th Ave and Santa Fe Dr