Safeway History

The 1930s

Combined Operation

At the dawn of the 1930s, Safeway Stores, Inc., was operating 2695 units under the Safeway, Piggly Wiggly, Sanitary and Pay ‘n Takit names, among others, with sales of $219 million. The closely related MacMarr chain, also assembled by Charles Merrill boasted 1400 stores and sales of $86 million. Most of these were traditional, smaller stores, although many had upgraded to include meat markets and some level of self-service. On 10 July 1931, it was announced that the two chains would merge, creating the nation’s second largest retail grocery concern behind The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P). Safeway Stores also became the largest retail-only concern traded on the New York Stock Exchange; the larger Sears, Roebuck & Co. was both a retailer and a mail order operation, while A&P was privately held at the time.

Merrill had planned to merge the two chains since he founded MacMarr, and the deal resulted in a consolidation of Safeway’s market share in its operating area, as no new territory was added to its operations. At the time of the merger, MacMarr had stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Safeway operated in these states in addition to Nevada, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia (plus Canada and the territory of Hawaii). Shortly after the merger, Safeway president Marion Skaggs announced in the Wall Street Journal that no new mergers were pending, denying reports that Safeway was negotiating with Kroger or with New York-based Daniel Reeves or H.C. Bohack.

safeway-merger-ad-1932

Operations among the three major brands (Safeway, Piggly Wiggly, and MacMarr) were consolidated in a variety of ways. A subsidiary, the Modern Foods Company, was established to operate the MacMarr stores in the Oakland, California, division, although this approach was not copied in other areas. More common, perhaps, was the approach taken in the Los Angeles area, where advertising ad other operations of the three names were combined over several months, with Safeway becoming the predominant brand and the MacMarr name apparently being tossed aside to a large extent. Advertisements first noted the “combined operations” of all three store brands but ultimately mentioned only Safeway Stores and Piggly Wiggly. The Piggly Wiggly name had also disappeared by 1935 in most operating areas. In Washington DC, however, the Sanitary Stores and Piggly Wiggly names would last a bit longer.

The organizational structure was even more complicated by 1933.

Ling Warren, Supermarkets, and Taxes

In 1934, Lingan Warren, president of Safeway’s MacMarr division, became CEO of Safeway Stores, Inc., a position he would hold for more than twenty years. The Depression having put a damper on operations, Warren focused on internal improvements rather than growth of the chain, which peaked at 3400 stores in 1935.

sw-wichita-1933

– From Uno Animo, Safeway employee magazine, 1933. Used by permission.

The drop in store counts was not only attributable to the economy, but to the consolidation of stores into the first wave of “supermarket” style units that combined groceries, produce, meats, and self-service into a larger store footprint that often also featured parking lots. The rise of the automobile trade allowed larger units to serve a larger trade area, although many small, urban locations were remodeled and remained open in cramped quarters for years to come. Safeway was perhaps somewhat conservative in the move to supermarkets; A&P closed or consolidated more than half its 15000 stores during the 1930s, while Safeway’s store count dropped by only about a quarter. The first Safeway supermarket units were also somewhat smaller than those of some competitors.

Safeway and other large chains faced another challenge in the mid 1930s as states around the country began, at the urging of local merchants, efforts to impose debilitating taxes on chain stores in an effort to drive them out of business. Through public relations and delaying tactics, the chains were able to bring these proposed taxes to referendum in many states, notably California, and they were generally overturned.

More Mergers

In 1935, Safeway divested its Hawaiian stores, citing the difficulty of supervising such a small collection of stores from such a great distance. That same year, the company purchased fifty-three Kroger stores in Oklahoma as well as a large number of Public Food stores in California. In 1936, the Canadian store count was increased by 40% through the acquisition of Piggly Wiggly (Canadian) Ltd.

Through numerous mergers, Safeway’s store count peaked in 1932 at 3411. By 1939, supermarket consolidations and divested stores had reduced this total to 2967 stores with annual sales of $385.9 million. By comparison, industry leader A&P reduced its store count by more than 35% during the same period, from 15000 to 9200 stores.

Updated on 26 November 2022
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One thought on “Safeway History

  1. Jerry Kneifel

    January 2, 2019 at 3:23pm

    I am with the Platte County Nebraska Historical Society and am trying to find the date when our Safeway store in Columbus Nebraska had a major fire in the 1940’s or early 1950’s. If you are able to find the date so that I could go through the old newspapers I would appreciate it. There was also a fire in the mid 1960’s of which is also of a secondary interest. Thank you for your assistance.

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  2. Bunola Hovey

    February 8, 2019 at 1:41pm

    Found an old paper clipping about my Dad worked at Safeway store as a butcher. He became a manager before the store was closed at Marion, KS. Am trying to find out when was it closed (before or after I was born in 1940). Thanks!

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  3. Seth Miller

    April 7, 2019 at 8:27am

    Trying to find out which stores sold the Snowy Peak brand of sodas. Thanks in advance.

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  4. Shirley

    July 14, 2019 at 8:43pm

    Can anyone tell me when the Safeway in Fraser, CO was built?

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  5. Linda Blackford

    May 27, 2020 at 10:06am

    I worked at the safeway store #0174, started when they had their grand opening. trying to find out if it was in 1963 or 1964.

    Linda Blackford

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  6. Kevin McCabe

    September 20, 2020 at 1:50pm

    What was the name Of the frozen poor boys that came two in a box , sold in the 70s. Thank You

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  7. Joe Garwood

    January 31, 2021 at 1:49am

    My grandfather was the manager when they built the first safeway in Julesburg Colorado. I have a picture of it taken in 1936 when it opened.

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  8. DONNA

    August 29, 2021 at 3:37pm

    Was there a Continental Market in Fig Gargen Village Fresno Ca?

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  9. Jon Gianulias

    December 31, 2021 at 12:32am

    Hello, does anyone have photos of the former small Safeway across from Tower Theater in Sacramento, 16th & Broadway, we own that property and with redevelopment, looking to frame some history. Tower Records opened there in the 60s, so it was prior to that. Thank you. Jon Gianulias

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  10. Dave Holbrook

    February 21, 2022 at 3:07pm

    I worked for San Mateo Co (CA) & have an photo from their archives of an old Safeway store (with a Sharkey’s Cab hut next to it) from the 1950s. But I NEED to find its location so I can include in a historical article I’m writing for the County’s history museum. But I can’t find anything on-line about location of original Safeway stores in SMCo. Happy to
    Email a copy of the pic.

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  11. Sherry

    August 21, 2022 at 7:12pm

    Can anyone tell me how to find out when the Washington, D.C. Safeway at 1747 Columbia Road NW became a Safeway store? In 1964, as a young bride whose husband was stationed in D.C., we lived in an old sandstone building a block over from Columbia Road, and I did my shopping at a grocery located in a string of small stores on Columbia. I don’t remember if it was Safeway at the time, but I’m trying to find the old building we lived in, a 4-story corner sandstone bldg with a broad set of concrete steps (lots, several dozen) up to the entrance. On Sundays, I know we rounded the corner onto Columbia and walked some distance straight down to National Baptist Memorial Church–passing what I believe was the current Safeway Store.

    Grateful for any feedback,
    Sherry

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  12. RICHARD W PIERCE

    January 1, 2023 at 11:00am

    RICHARD PIERCE navyus1940@gmail.com BORN IN SAN FRANCISCO 1940 CAME BACK FROM THE NAVY 1966 WORK FOR SAFWAY FROM 1963 TO 1971 meat cutter meat mgr. store mgr. MOVE TO NC JAMESTOWN WORK FOR BIG BEAR FOOD WORLD HATTIS TEETER. SEE YOU JAN 18

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  13. Ross Hollinger

    May 12, 2023 at 8:37pm

    I was a Safeway employee in Kern County, CA from 1970 to 1979. I was at Niles St, Brundage Ln and Chester Ave in Bakersfield; and Central Valley Hwy and Shater Ave in Shafter. All three are still standing. My father was a store manager in various places in SoCal and my grandfather was retail operations manager for SoCal.

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