Our Story
Albertsons has a long and storied history that started back in 1939. Founder Joe Albertson had a vision to run the best food and drug stores in the West. He opened his first store in Boise, Idaho and focused on providing excellent customer service, quality products, and low prices. This simple formula led to rapid growth throughout the next several decades.
Joe was a trailblazer in the grocery industry. He introduced many innovations that are now commonplace like one-stop shopping, self-service departments, and company brands. He strived to make the shopping experience more convenient and affordable for all families.
As the company grew, Albertsons continued expanding its footprint by acquiring other regional chains across the country like Skaggs, Jewel-Osco, and Safeway. This allowed Albertsons to bring its efficient operations and quality stores to new markets from coast to coast.
Today, Albertsons is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. But our focus remains the same – providing outstanding service, great prices, and an enjoyable shopping environment for our customers. We now operate over 2,200 stores under dozens of banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and Carrs.
Our diverse family of local brands allows us to tailor each store to meet the specific needs of its neighborhood. But no matter what banner hangs over the entrance, our customers can count on the same helpful experience and excellent products once they walk through the doors.
Our Values
Certain principles have defined Albertsons from the beginning and still guide us today:
Customer Service Excellence
Joe Albertson built his stores around the customer. We strive to deliver the best possible service and make shopping a pleasure. Our helpful store teams are trained to provide exceptional experiences.
Quality Products
Our stores are stocked with an abundant variety of the best brands and finest ingredients. We carefully select products to exceed your expectations for freshness, taste, and quality.
Low Prices
As Joe recognized, keeping prices affordable allows more families to shop comfortably. We run efficient operations to control costs and offer everyday low prices that compete with anyone.
Convenience
From quick shopping trips to one-stop outings, we design every store for your convenience. Self-service departments, friendly checkouts, and ease of parking – these innovations started with Joe over 70 years ago.
Community Focus
Our stores actively support the neighborhoods they serve. We donate food to those in need, raise funds for important causes, and strive to improve lives in our communities.
By staying true to these core values, we keep Joe’s vision alive and continue serving families as their trusted neighborhood grocer. We apply his forward-thinking approach as we adapt our business to meet the changing needs of new generations of shoppers.
Our Stores
Albertsons operates over a dozen leading grocery brands with locations across 34 states and Washington DC. This allows us to serve diverse markets from New England to Southern California. Here is a summary of our store banners:
Albertsons – Our flagship brand located across the Western and Southwestern US. Albertsons stores range from large-format to neighborhood markets.
Safeway – A longtime leader in the Western US and dominant brand in Northern California. From small concept stores to lavish lifestyle locations.
Vons – Well-established Southern California banner known for fresh produce, fried chicken, and excellent service.
Jewel-Osco – Top chain in greater Chicago area offering quality, value, and excellent prepared foods.
Shaw’s and Star Market – Leading banners in New England known for specialty and prepared foods.
Acme – Go-to neighborhood grocery stores across the Eastern seaboard.
Tom Thumb and Randalls – Favorite Texas grocery chains offering Lone Star hospitality and value.
United Supermarkets – Prominent banner in northern Texas and New Mexico famous for signature fried chicken.
Pavilions – Upscale signature banner in Southern California. Beautiful stores with amazing fresh fare.
Carrs – Major supermarket brand in Alaska started in the gold rush era. Shoppers’ top choice for quality.
This broad range of store brands allows us to meet the diverse needs of communities across the country. Yet no matter what banner is on the outside, customers inside find the same helpful service, quality selection, and affordable prices that Albertsons is known for.
Our stores provide all the traditional grocery departments you would expect – produce, meat, bakery, deli, dairy, frozen foods, pantry goods, and more. Many locations also feature specialty departments like fresh-cut flowers, onsite pharmacies, fuel stations, wine & spirits, and expanded organic selections.
We continue improving our stores to create the ultimate one-stop shopping experience. Some recently enhanced store offerings include:
- Onsite Starbucks– Full-service Starbucks coffee shops inside stores. Enjoy your morning pick-me-up while grocery shopping!
- Meal Kits– Pre-portioned meals with recipes and ingredients needed to cook restaurant-quality dishes at home.
- Home Chef Meal Stations– Stores prepare hot, fresh, restaurant-inspired meals onsite daily for quick grab-n-go.
- Wine Bars– Sample fine wines or enjoy a glass from our expansive selection of unique varietals.
- Cooking Schools– Learn new culinary techniques from chef instructors in a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen.
- Curbside Pickup– Save time by ordering groceries online for convenient curbside pickup at our stores.
We continue expanding these enhanced services and amenities to elevate the shopping experience. Our goal is to be the favorite local grocery store in every neighborhood we serve!
Our Private Brands
To give our customers premium quality at affordable prices, Albertsons offers thousands of popular items under our exclusive private brand labels. These products meet or exceed the quality of national brands for a lower cost by cutting out the middleman expenses.
Our portfolio of private brands includes:
- Signature– Our premium tier with restaurant-inspired recipes and gourmet ingredients
- Gold Emblem– Everyday favorites made with quality ingredients
- Fresh– Produce hand-selected at the peak of freshness
- Waterfront Bistro– Seafood harvested and packed for top flavor
- Open Nature– Healthy and organic products with natural ingredients
- O Organics– USDA certified organic fare under one trusted brand
- Lucerne– Fan favorites for dairy, ready meals, and pantry staples
- Bakery Fresh Goodness– Scrumptious cakes, cookies, and breads baked in store
- Rancher’s Reserve– Premium cuts of grass-fed beef and gourmet meats
- PRxO– Affordable over-the-counter medicines comparable to prescription brands
- Equaline– Pantry essentials and household goods for everyday savings
We conduct rigorous quality testing on all our private brands to ensure they live up to the Albertsons name. The next time you shop, give them a try to enjoy great taste and savings!
Our Pharmacies
Most Albertsons stores have our trusted onsite pharmacies for one-stop prescription fulfillment and wellness solutions. Our helpful pharmacy teams make it easy to manage your medications and optimize your health.
Features our pharmacy shoppers love include:
- Immunizations and health screenings to protect you and your family
- Automatic prescription refills and pickup reminders
- Mobile app to conveniently manage your prescriptions
- 90-day supplies to minimize trips to the pharmacy
- Easy prescription transfers including from mail order
- Automatic prescription renewal at some locations
- Competitive prescription drug pricing and savings
- FlavorRx – Add delicious flavors to liquid medications for kids
- Consultations with our knowledgeable pharmacists
We also offer many additional pharmacy services like medication therapy management, durable medical goods, and specialized senior care offerings. Our licensed professional pharmacists are available for immunizations, health tests, and to answer your questions.
Visit any Albertsons pharmacy location to experience our five-star service for yourself!
Our Own Brands
In addition to our selection of private label groceries, Albertsons is proud to offer several proprietary specialty brands developed by our expert merchandising team. These unique own brands give our customers products they won’t find anywhere else.
Popular examples include:
O Organics
Our flagship USDA organic brand offering high quality fare at affordable organic prices across every department of the store. One of the largest organic brands in the country.
Open Nature
Our range of natural and healthier choice products with simple, recognizable ingredients. Never artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Waterfront Bistro
Restaurant-quality seafood brought directly from the source to our counters. Hand-selected and packed at the peak of freshness.
Signature RESERVE
Top tier of premium products across departments like premium Reserve meats and gourmet RESERVE wines.
Signature SELECT
Gourmet ingredients and restaurant-inspired recipes prepared by our in-store chefs and bakers.
Gold Emblem
Budget-friendly everyday favorites made with quality ingredients and great taste.
These distinctive own brands deliver true value on products our customers won’t find anywhere else. We pride ourselves on curating products that meet our high standards for freshness, taste, and quality.
Our Commitment to Community
Albertsons actively supports the neighborhoods surrounding our stores through food donations, fundraising, and community enrichment programs.
Some of our initiatives include:
Nourishing Neighbors
Working with local food banks to donate millions of pounds of wholesome food to hungry families and seniors each year. Because no one should go hungry.
Foundation Fighting Hunger
Using foundation grants, food donations, and fundraisers at our stores to support hunger relief across our communities.
Helping Hands
Donating a portion of certain own brands sales each year to local charities making a difference in our communities.
Fuel Your School
Allowing our customers to direct Albertsons fuel rewards points to vote for schools to receive scholarship funds.
Bag Hunger
Encouraging customers to purchase and donate food bags for those in need right at our checkout stands.
Cart to Classroom
Collecting recycled shopping carts to raise funds for schools to obtain much-needed supplies.
Pediatric Cancer Research
Supporting leading research hospitals in the fight against childhood cancer.
Honoring Heroes
Offering exclusive discounts to active duty military, veterans, first responders, and educators to recognize their service.
These are just a few examples of how deeply embedded Albertsons stores are within the fabric of their neighborhoods. We take great pride in being not just an accessible food provider, but also a valued community partner.
Our Environmental Commitment
At Albertsons, environmental stewardship goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to serve the neighborhoods our stores operate in. We continually undertake initiatives to reduce our environmental impact through sustainable operations, packaging, and partnerships.
Our efforts include:
- Reducing food waste and spoilage through enhanced inventory controls
- Diverting millions of pounds of surplus food to feed those in need rather than landfills
- Conserving energy through LED lighting, refrigeration upgrades, and heating/cooling improvements
- Using recycled materials in packaging and supplies whenever feasible
- Expanding sustainable transportation like all-electric delivery vans
- Eliminating single-use plastic bags from checkout stands
- Comprehensive recycling programs for paper, plastic, organics, and other waste streams
- Responsibly managing refrigerants and reducing GHG emissions
- Setting renewable energy and zero waste goals aligned to combat climate change
- Working with vendors and suppliers to reduce environmental footprints across our supply chain
- Educating staff and customers on how they can contribute through their daily habits
While we are proud of the progress made so far, there is always more we can do. We will continue challenging ourselves to find new ways Albertsons can operate sustainably for the benefit of all. The future depends on it.
Our Vision for the Future
After more than 80 years, Albertsons still embraces Joe’s founding philosophy – run the best food and drug stores in the West. But as we’ve expanded coast to coast, we simply strive to run the best stores in every neighborhood we serve, period.
Though Joe could have never imagined today’s digital conveniences, he did foresee many modern shopping innovations. Albertsons will continue in this pioneering spirit, evolving to meet our customers’ changing needs while preserving our core values.
We are investing in expanding our ecommerce channel to offer more online ordering, delivery, and curbside pickup options. Our mobile app puts our stores in your pocket with digital coupons, shopping lists, recipes and more. We’re improving our own brands to exceed expectations on quality and value across every department.
Tech-enabled services help shoppers, but our helpful, friendly store teams remain at the heart of every Albertsons location. We’ll never lose sight of the human touch and personal relationships that have defined our company all these years.
Albertsons has come a long way since Joe’s first store back in 1939. But our focus stays fixed on what matters most – serving you and the neighborhoods we call home. We can’t wait to see where the next 80 years takes us!
