Last updated on 30 April 2025.
This is a list of all chain grocery locations my research has uncovered in Anchorage between 1948 and 2018, compiled from city directories, telephone books, and other sources. This list is generated through a live Google Spreadsheet so it reflects the latest information I have.
Notes
- Following the Carrs/Safeway merger in 1999, stores were listed under a variety of names (Carrs, Safeway, and Carrs Safeway) and sometimes under multiple names.
- There were apparently some Piggly Wiggly locations in the 1960s, but I can find no listings in the city directories for them.
Location list
- View as: Google | CSV | PDF | HTML
- 320 W 4th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1948: Pay’n Takit
- 801 W 4th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1948: Piggly Wiggly
- 1953: Piggly Wiggly
- E 5th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1953: H&D
- Notes: 5th and B (1953).
- E 8th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1953: H&D
- Notes: 8th and I (1953).
- 502 E 5th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1953: Piggly Wiggly
- 1958: Piggly Wiggly
- 900 W 13th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2000: Sagaya
- 2005: New Sagaya
- 2010: New Sagaya
- 2015: New Sagaya
- 2019: New Sagaya
- W 9th Av, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Market Basket
- Notes: 9th and C (1963).
- 3101 A St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Walmart Supercenter
- 6401 A St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs Safeway
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- Notes: Cannot locate this address.
- 8411 A St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2000: Carrs Quality Center
- Notes: Cannot locate this address.
- 1725 Abbott Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- 2300 Abbott Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Fred Meyer
- 2525 Blueberry Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2010: New Sagaya
- 2015: New Sagaya
- 2019: New Sagaya
- 131 Bragaw St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1968: Safeway
- 1976-77: Safeway?
- 1980: Safeway
- 1995: Red Apple
- 2000: Red Apple
- 2005: Red Apple
- 2010: Red Apple
- 2015: Red Apple
- Notes: 129 (1980).
- 5600 Debarr Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1976-77: Carrs Payless
- 1980: Carrs Payless
- 1985: Carrs?
- 1991: Carrs Quality Center
- 1995: Carrs Quality Center
- 2000: Carrs Quality Center
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs Safeway
- 2015: Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- 7405 Debarr Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Walmart Supercenter
- 7701 Debarr Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Fred Meyer
- 611 E Dimond Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1985: Market Basket
- 800 E Dimond Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1980: Safeway
- 1985: Safeway
- 1991: Safeway
- 1995: Safeway
- 2000: Safeway
- 900 E Dimond Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1980: Carrs Quality Center
- 1985: Carrs Quality Center
- 1991: Carrs Quality Center
- 901 E Dimond Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1995: Carrs Quality Center
- 4000 W Dimond Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2000: Carrs Quality Center
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- 2000 Dimond Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Fred Meyer
- 530 E St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Market Basket
- 802 Gambell St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Safeway
- 1968: Safeway
- 1976-77: Safeway
- 1980: Safeway
- 1985: Safeway
- Notes: Listed as 850 (1976 and 1980).
- 1340 Gambell St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1953: Carrs
- 1958: Carrs
- 1963: Carrs
- 1968: Carrs
- 1976-77: Carrs
- 1980: Carrs Payless
- 1985: Carrs
- 1991: Carrs
- 1995: Carrs Quality Center
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- Notes: Alternately listed as 1340/1341 Fairbanks St
- 856 Harvard St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1953: Piggly Wiggly
- 1501 Huffman Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1991: Carrs Quality Center
- 1995: Carrs Quality Center
- 2000: Carrs Quality Center
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- 1301 I St, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Lou’s
- 1968: Family Market
- 1976-77: Family Market
- 1980: Family Market
- 1985: Family Market
- 1991: Family Market
- 9001 Jewel Lake Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1980: Proctor’s
- 2810 Lake Otis Pkwy, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Market Basket
- 3905 Mt View Dr, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Market Basket
- 285 Muldoon Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1980: Proctor’s
- 1985: Proctor’s
- 1991: Foodland (Muldoon)
- 600 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1968: Carrs
- 1976-77: Carrs
- 1980: Carrs Payless
- 1985: Carrs Payless
- 1991: Carrs Food Center
- 1995: Carrs Quality Foods
- 2000: Carrs?
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- Notes: The Mall
- 1000 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Fred Meyer
- 5437 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1985: Proctor’s
- 5530 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1980: Safeway
- 1985: Safeway
- 1991: Safeway
- 1995: Safeway
- 2000: Safeway
- 7731 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2000: Carrs
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- 101 W Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1976-77: Proctor’s
- 1980: Proctor’s
- Notes: 104 (1980). Typo?
- 1200 W Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Safeway
- Notes: Same as 1400?
- 1400 W Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1968: Safeway
- 1976-77: Safeway
- 1980: Safeway
- 1985: Safeway
- 1991: Safeway
- 1995: Safeway
- 2000: Safeway
- 2005: Safeway
- 2010: Safeway
- Notes: Same as 1200?
- 1650 W Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1968: Carrs
- 1976-77: Carrs
- 1980: Carrs Food Center
- 1985: Carrs Quality Center
- 1991: Carrs Quality Center
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- Notes: Aurora Village
- 1100 O’Malley Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1976-77: Bi-Lo (South Center)
- 3700 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2000: Sagaya
- 2010: New Sagaya
- 2015: New Sagaya
- 2019: New Sagaya
- 3801 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1976-77: Safeway
- 1980: Safeway
- 1985: Safeway
- 1991: Safeway
- 1995: Safeway
- 2000: Safeway?
- 2005: Safeway
- 3838 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1968: Prairie Market
- 1976-77: Prairie Market
- 1980: Prairie Market
- 1985: Prairie Market
- Notes: Owned by Carrs.
- 8801 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 2019: Walmart Neighborhood Market
- 3101 Penland Pkwy, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1985: Safeway
- 1991: Safeway
- 1995: Safeway
- 2000: Safeway
- 2005: Carrs/Safeway
- 2010: Safeway
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- Notes: Listed under both names (2005).
- Spenard Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1953: Piggly Wiggly
- Notes: Super Piggly Wiggly (Sprenard & Adams).
- 2636 Spenard Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1968: Market Basket
- Notes: Number 1.
- 2654 Spenard Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 3309 Spenard Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Lou’s
- 3717 Spenard Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1976-77: Bi-Lo (Food Land)
- 1980: Bi-Lo (Food Land)
- 1985: Food Land
- 1991: Food Land
- 3727 Spenard Rd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
- 1963: Market Basket
- 11409 Business Blvd, Eagle River | Google Maps Link
- 2005: Carrs
- 2010: Carrs?
- 2015: Carrs Safeway
- 2019: Carrs
- 12001 Business Blvd, Eagle River | Google Maps Link
- 2000: Safeway
There was a Piggly Wiggly in Anchorage (Spenard) in 1964. My husband, 6 month old son and I were in it when the March 27th earthquake hit!!!
You don’t have accurate information. The grocery store you have listed as Bi-Lo was S&F Foodland owned by Jack Snyder. He had 3 in anchorage as well as Fairbanks, kenai peninsula
If you’ll look at my methodology section above, you’ll see that I rely on city directories, newspapers, and other sources, and that I do this research on my own time and at my own expense and make it freely available for no compensation at all. I want the details to be correct and I appreciate POLITE and CORDIAL requests for corrections. If you can give me the SPECIFIC location ADDRESSES and YEARS you are concerned with, I’ll see what I can do about an update. Currently, the stores are listed as they appeared in the Anchorage city directory. As is the case for many of the 300 or so cities on the site, I’ve never set foot in Anchorage so it’s not like I’m trying to do this from memory.
That said, maybe you don’t realize how you sound when you start a comment by launching with “you don’t have accurate information” as if I have failed your final exam. It’s kind of a drag when people forget there’s an actual human being rather than a machine at the other end, and it sometimes makes me wonder why I bother. But fortunately most people aren’t like that. They recognize and acknowledge the work involved before snapping out a criticism.
Anyway, have a delightful day.
I didn’t see the Prairie Market listed. In the building on Old Seward and Telephone Ave where the Goodwill is today. I think it was Mt. View Sports for some time in between. Anyway, it was a ‘wholesale’ type store that sold things directly out of the crates, and in larger quantities than Carr’s and Safeway, and also a bit cheaper.
Thanks for the pointer. If I can determine if it was actually a chain and when it was open, I’ll work on getting it added!
For the record, it was a chain (it was owned by Carrs) so I will get it added ASAP. Thanks again.
You can look at old grocery ads from Anchorage newspapers by going to atwoodfoundation.org and selecting Anchorage Times archives. Most of the grocers ran ads on Wednesdays. As a paperboy, you learned this stuff because the papers were always heavier.
Jack Snyder and Foodland teamed up with Bi-Lo stores in mid 1970s.. They had Bi-Lo stores all over town. I was a night manager in 1975 who got shuffled all over town to close up at night. I’d worked my way up from cleaning the meat department, being a box boy and stocking shelves for a couple years. They had Bi-Lo stores at 9th & C, Jewel Lake by four corners (my home store), O’Malley Southcenter, Boniface & Northern Lights, Spenard & Minnesota (Foodland), Turnagain & W. Northern Lights.
One night I was working alone at Turnagain store off W. Northern Lights and had a stack of milk crates toppled and make a huge mess. Jack Snyder happened to come in and saw the milk all over and me in a panic. He took off his suit coat, grabbed a mop and helped me get everything cleaned up. Saved the day. He must have said something to my supervisors as I was given more responsibilities after that. I was18 and had keys to a couple stores and combinations to all the safes. Great job I learned a lot from.
I grew up in Spenard. Initially, the grocery store at Spenard and Minnesota was S & F Foodland and then later became Bi-Lo. Hewitts Drugs (after the earthquake) was in the building as was Hobby Lobby (also after the quake). When the building opened it was Center Theater—across Minnesota from Center Bowl. (My aunt lived beside Center Bowl). Prior to Hobby Lobby and Hewitts Drugs, Totem Department store was located in the building.
What about Proctor’s? I worked at the Northern Lights location and Muldoon Rd store. I worked in the office for Orv Proctor, a truly wonderful person.
I think Orville Proctor also had a store on Tudor he called Christian Grocery for a short while. Proctors had a store on Jewel Lake too, it was where the bowling alley is now.
Yes, it would be nice if we can get the Tudor stores updated on this cool map. Christian Brothers, and I feel like it might have even been called Proctors for a year, and then maybe even Market Basket?? before closing down. These are old faded memories of a kid the grew up in the neighborhood, so those second two are dodgy, but I remember Christian Brothers very well. In the Athenian Village Shopping Center. Blue Fox lounge is the only surviving business in that mall that was there in the 70s
Do you only list grocery market chains? Otherwise, you might wish to include the Natural Pantry. The first location I remember for it was on 36th, just west of C Street. The store had other iterations on Dimond, in the old Safeway at the University Center, and at its current location on 36th by the library.
In response to a couple of questions, yes, I only do chains. That DOES include local chains, but I don’t include one-off independent stores. Again, there is a more detailed explanation of my methodology here: https://www.groceteria.com/about/methodology/
That said if anybody wants to do a list or a map that includes independents as well, you’re completely welcome to use the data I’ve compiled (for any of the 300-plus cities on the site) as a starting point! All I ask for is attribution as the source of the data that I contributed.
There was a neighborhood store in City View at 16th and Foraker called PaynPak also called City View Market in the late 50’s/to the 70’s. The store had everything. Had the complete meat counter with butchers. Also had the most wonderful checkout lady Kay who always took care of everything with a wonderful, positive demeanor!
Payn pak or Pay’n Save? That’s what I remember… I was 12 when my family moved to New Zealand. However, I went to Rogers Park Elementary for Kindergarten – 3rd grade because we lived on Purdue st. Then we moved to Crescent Ave on the other side of the highway and transferred to Lake Otis Elementary for 4th and 5th grade. Then after the election and campaign, our parents sent us to Northern Lights Elementary for 6th grade. I also remember the Prairie Market Grocery store and Fred Meyers and Safeways. My brother and sister and I delivered newspapers… Those were the days, my friends….. Simple…
Payn pak or Pay’n Save? That’s what I remember… However, I went to Rogers Park Elementary for Kindergarten – 3rd grade Then we moved to the other side of the highway and transferred to Lake Otis Elementary for 4th and 5th grade. Then after the election and campaign, our parents sent me to Northern Lights Elementary for 6th grade. I also remember the Prairie Market Grocery store and Fred Meyers and Safeways. My brother and sister and I delivered newspapers… Those were the days, my friends….. Simple…
This store which is now Value Village was actually Bi-Lo grocery store when it was 1st built in the ‘70s.
5437 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage | Google Maps Link
1985: Proctor’s