Safeway Inc. is an American supermarket chain founded in 1915. It is a subsidiary of Albertsons, and has 2,200 stores across the United States.
In January 2015, Safeway announced that it would be acquired by Albertsons for $9 billion. The deal was completed in March 2015.
Safeway was founded in 1915 by Marion Barton Skaggs. Skaggs was the son of a grocer and had worked in the grocery business for several years before he decided to open his own store. He borrowed $5,000 from his father to open the first Safeway store in American Falls, Idaho.
The Safeway chain grew quickly and by 1926, it had grown to include more than 1,000 stores across the United States.
Safeway was one of the first Supermarkets to offer self-service shopping and home delivery. In the 1930s, Safeway introduced the concept of a “supermarket” – a large store that offered a wide variety of food and household products under one roof.
Safeway continued to grow in the decades that followed. In 1968, Safeway merged with a rival supermarket chain, Grocery Stores Company. The merger made Safeway the largest supermarket chain in the United States.
In 1979, Safeway was acquired by KKR, a private equity firm. KKR took Safeway public again in 1986. In 1990, Safeway moved its headquarters from American Falls to Pleasanton, California.
Safeway underwent a number of ownership changes in the 2000s. In 2004, it was acquired by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm. Cerberus then took Safeway private again in 2006.
In 2013, Safeway announced that it would be selling its Canadian operations to Sobeys for $5.8 billion. The sale was completed in 2014.
Did Safeway buy Albertsons?
Yes, Safeway Inc. acquired Albertsons in 2015 for $9 billion.
