Safeway is a grocery store chain in the United States. It is a subsidiary of Albertsons. Safeway was founded in 1915 in American Fork, Utah by Marion B. Skaggs.
Skaggs merged his $3,600 investment in a small grocery store he bought at auction with his father’s $5,000 savings from running a creamery. This $8,600 investment was used to open Safeway stores in American Fork and Kaysville, Utah.
The first Safeway store had a “self-service” format, meaning that customers would pick out their own groceries and bring them to the front to be rung up by a clerk. This was a new concept at the time and was very successful. Safeway quickly grew and by 1926 there were 100 stores in the chain.
In 1929, Skaggs visited England to learn about their “self-service” grocery stores. He was so impressed that he decided to implement this concept in all Safeway stores in the United States.
Safeway continued to grow throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1948, Skaggs retired and sold his shares of the company to the Cudahy Company for $12 million. In 1961, Safeway was sold to Sears Roebuck & Company for $130 million. In 1981, Safeway was sold to KKR for $4 billion.
In 1986, Safeway was taken private by an investor group led by CEO Robert Geddes for $6 billion. In 1990, Safeway went public again and became listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
In 2013, Safeway had 1,335 stores across the United States and Canada and employed over 100,000 people.
What is the $5 deal of Safeway?
The $5 deal of Safeway is when you spend $50 or more on qualifying items* you’ll save $5 instantly at checkout! This offer excludes alcohol, tobacco, fuel, prescriptions and co-pays, gift cards, taxes or fees as well as items prohibited by law. *Offer valid 1/1/19-1/31/19 at participating stores.
