In a 75-year time frame, Safeway took its small-town roots and grew it into an international chain before eventually concentrating its business in the U.S. and Canada. Along with the time line, below, are the executives who served as Safeway president from 1928 to the present.
rm a company with $30.1 million in sales. Company incorporates under the name Safeway.
1928: Safeway expands through acquisitions into Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Texas.
1929: Safeway expands into Canada, ends year with 2,660 stores.
1931: Safeway merges with MacMarr chain in California, ends year with 3,527 stores -- an all-time high -- and sales of $246.8 million.
1936: Safeway introduces a money-back guarantee on meat.
1940: Safeway introduces concept of pricing produce by weight.
1941: Safeway expands to New York-New Jersey area. Skaggs retires as chairman.
1947: Sales exceed $1 billion for the first time.
1955: Robert A. Magowan leaves Merrill Lynch to become Safeway chairman. Milton L. Selby, who joined Safeway at founding, named president.
1957: Selby retires as president and is succeeded by Magowan.
1961: Safeway sells 163 stores in New York-New Jersey.
1962: Safeway expands to England with acquisition of John Gardner Ltd.
1963: Safeway expands to Hawaii and Alaska, plus Australia and West Germany; opens first Super S, a food-and-drug combination store format with 42,000 stockkeeping units, in Anchorage, Alaska.
1965: Safeway expands to Scotland.
1966: Magowan retires as president, succeeded by Quentin Reynolds.
1969: Safeway expands to Houston and Toronto.
1971: Safeway divests Super S stores. Reynolds retires as president, succeeded by William S. Mitchell.
1980: Peter A. Magowan named chairman and CEO.
1981: Safeway enters Mexico through a joint venture with Casa Ley.
1985: Safeway sells Australia division.
1986: Company is sold in a leveraged buyout to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., New York, and is taken private.
1987: Safeway divests divisions in Dallas, Salt Lake City, El Paso and Oklahoma, plus United Kingdom.
1988: Safeway divests divisions in Kansas City, Little Rock, Houston and parts of Richmond, Va., and sells southern California division to Vons Grocery Co.
1990: Safeway goes public again.
1992: Steve Burd, longtime consultant to Safeway, named president.
1997: Safeway acquires Vons in southern California.
