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The 1970s

Previously...

The 1970s seem to have been a period with no distinct design scheme for Safeway. Variations on the Marina prototype continued to be built until about 1975, but stores were increasingly located in shopping centers with predetermined designs. I can't find much evidence that any particular interior motif prevailed either, although I'm sure there was one.

The Super S drugstores were divested in 1971. Dale Lynch became company president in 1977, spearheading Safeway's move toward superstores, one-stop centers with food, drugs, and more.

In San Francisco:

Safeway started the 1970s with 24 stores in San Francisco, the oldest being three pre-1940 stores at 1010 South Van Ness, 279 West Portal, and 1330 Bush, all of which are now demolished. These and nine others were closed during the decade (the Bush Street store being relocated next door) and three were opened. Most of the closed branches were small, urban locations with no parking. The 3350 Mission store was the final Marina prototype built in San Francisco. In 1980, Safeway was operating 15 stores in the city and the transition to large supermarkets was complete.

One interesting addition to the San Francisco scene about 1970 was the still-open store on Jackson Street in the Financial District. Reversing an old trend, this store was small (under 10,000 square feet) and decidedly urban, located at the base of a high-rise apartment building and offering no parking lot.

On to the 1980s...