Albertsons is an American supermarket chain with 2,252 stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia. The company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Albertsons was founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson with a single store in Boise.
Albertsons expanded rapidly throughout the 1950s and 1960s, opening stores in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. By 1965, Albertsons had grown to become the largest supermarket chain in the Northwest. In 1968, Albertsons was acquired by American Stores Company, which also owned Jewel-Osco and Acme Markets.
In 2015, Albertsons announced it would be acquiring Safeway Inc. for $9.2 billion. The merger was completed in January 2015, making Albertsons the second-largest supermarket chain in the United States with 2,205 stores and annual sales of $58 billion.
In September 2015, it was announced that Cerberus Capital Management would be acquiring a majority stake in Albertsons. Cerberus Capital Management is a private equity firm specializing in investments in distressed companies. The deal was completed in January 2016, making Cerberus Capital Management the majority shareholder of Albertsons with a 70% stake in the company.
In March 2018, it was announced that Albertsons would be acquiring Rite Aid for $24 billion. The merger is expected to be completed by early 2019 pending regulatory approval.
Albertsons owns many different grocery store chains including Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Acme Markets, Shaw’s and Star Market (among others). Price Chopper is not owned by Albertsons.
