AB Acquisition and Safeway Complete Merger

AB Acquisition and Safeway completed their merger last week.AB Acquisition (also known as Albertsons) acquired all outstanding shares of Safeway, becoming the second largest grocery chain in the U.S. after Kroger. The combined company includes banners Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Albertsons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw's, Star Market, Super Saver, United Supermarkets, Market Street and Amigos. It spans 2,230 stores, 19 manufacturing plants and 27 distribution facilities across 34 states and Washington, D.C. The companies sold 168 stores to four different buyers in December 2014 in order to secure Federal Trade Commission approval for the merger. (See Related Articles.) The new company will be divided into three regions and 14 retail divisions. Offices will be spread through Albertsons' original headquarters in Boise, ID, Safeway’s former headquarters in Pleasanton, CA, as well as Phoenix. "This is a transformative day for both Albertsons and Safeway. This merger creates a unified, strong organization that is dedicated to bringing a better shopping experience to more customers across the country," newly appointed executive chairman of the combined company Bob Miller said in a media release. Pre-merger, Miller was Albertsons' chief executive officer.Safeway’s president and ceo Robert Edwards retains the same roles in the combined company. "We plan to be the favorite local supermarket in every community we serve," Edwards said in a media release. "We will do this by knowing, listening to, and delighting our customers; providing the right products at a compelling value; and delivering a superior shopping experience. We will also continue to be active members of our local communities."Late last year, Albertsons revealed leadership appointments effective upon completion of the merger:Karl Schroeder — senior vice president of corporate merchandising. Previously president of Safeway's Northern California division. Dimitri Haloulos — svp, own brands. Previously Safeway's group vp of shopper marketing. Darren Singer — svp corporate pharmacy, health & wellness. Previously svp pharmacy, health & wellness at Safeway.Tamara Pattison — group vp, loyalty & analytics. Previously vp, loyalty project management at Safeway.Dan Salemi — group vp, pharmacy services. Previously, president of the pharmacy division at Albertsons. Creighton Schenkel — group vp of merchandising analytics and marketing finance. Previously vp, corporate strategic initiatives at Safeway. George Doredevic — vp, advertising. Previously Safeway's vp, advertising. Deb Fifles — vp, consumer and shopper insights. Previously vp of consumer and shopper insights at Safeway.Amy Kirby — vp, in-store experience. Previously vp of marketing for Albertsons.Mike McCready — vp of e-commerce. Previously vp of e-commerce at Safeway. Karl Meinhardt — vp of digital marketing & social media. Previously vp of social/digital marketing at Albertsons.Jerry Noland — vp of food safety and quality assurance. Previously group vp of quality assurance and consumer protection at Safeway. The completion of the merger also means that Safeway stock will no longer be listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange or any other securities exchange. Safeway shareholders will receive a payout of $34.92 per share.

AB Acquisition and Safeway Complete Merger

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

Related Images

Company

Market Segment