The U.S. supermarket industry is witnessing the end of one of its most historic chapters after King Kullen Grocery Co., widely recognised as America’s first true supermarket chain, agreed to sell its remaining stores to fellow Long Island retailer Giunta’s Meat Farms. The acquisition includes 24 King Kullen supermarkets and four Wild by Nature natural food stores, bringing to a close nearly a century of independent ownership by the Cullen family. Today, the chain operates exclusively on Long Island, where it has remained a familiar name for generations of shoppers. Giunta’s Meat Farms, another family-owned Long Island grocery business, said operations will continue as normal until the transaction is completed. For King Kullen, it represents the conclusion of a remarkable 96-year journey that helped define the supermarket industry.