Safeway is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America with 1,600 stores. The company is headquartered in Pleasanton, California and has its origins dating back to 1915. Safeway operates in 32 states across the United States.
The first Safeway store was opened in American Falls, Idaho in 1915 by Marion Barton Skaggs. Skaggs was the son of a grocer and he ran his father’s small chain of stores in American Falls known as Skaggs Cash Stores. In 1926, Skaggs merged his company with a larger grocery chain called Sam Seelig Company.
Safeway continued to grow throughout the years and by 1930, the company operated 200 stores in 11 western states. In 1940, Safeway stores were generating $160 million in annual sales. The company went public in 1941 and by 1960, Safeway was operating 2,000 stores across the United States.
Safeway expanded rapidly throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The company acquired various grocery chains such as Vons, Dominick’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, and Carr Gottstein. By 1985, Safeway was the second largest grocery store chain in North America with over 3,000 stores.
The 1990s brought more acquisitions for Safeway including Shaw’s Supermarkets, Star Market Company, and Preston Companies. In 1999, Safeway launched a new logo and store concept called “Lifestyle.” The Lifestyle store concept was designed to appeal to more affluent shoppers and featured upgraded interiors and exteriors as well as expanded product offerings such as organic foods.
In recent years, Safeway has been working to revamp its image and improve its financial performance. The company has been investing in store remodels and renovations as well as upgrading its technology infrastructure. Safeway also recently announced that it would be selling off its Canadian division in order to focus on its core US business.
Which states have Safeway?
Safeway operates in 32 states across the United States including: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana Nebraska , Nevada , New Mexico , North Dakota , Ohio , Oregon , Pennsylvania , South Dakota , Texas , Virginia , Washington , Washington D.C., West Virginia , Wisconsin
