Did you get both a Safeway and an Albertsons ad this week? Notice anything a little different? Or maybe I should say the SAME? Clearly Safeway and Albertsons {who are now owned by Cerberus Capital Management} have the same ad director working for them.
It would be one thing if these two stores were in totally different cities across the US. But when you have stores that are just a mile or two apart who are vying for the same shoppers… you might want to get a little more creative and move the images around a bit more. Maybe put them on different pages or something so we don’t catch on that your prices {with the exception of just a handful of items} are EXACTLY THE SAME in both stores.
Am I the only one who noticed this?
~Mavis
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Janet says
This ad thing has been going on for months. I don’t shop at either store unless I have gift cards. I can’t afford it, and I do not enjoy shopping at either store because of the prices.
I find Fred Meyer has better regular prices than Albertsons and Safeway sale prices. Fred Meyer has great give-backs with money sent four times a year, coupons in the mail, and money off at the gas pump. We use our gas discount once a month to fill the truck, which is only filled once a month, and we save a lot depending on what I’ve spent in the store. We fill my car usually once a month and just use the 3-cent discount, which is usually a lot lower than gas stations. There is also the free item on Friday. I also like the other items available at Fred Meyer from the other parts of the store. I do my weekly shopping at Fred Meyer and hit a few other stores here and there for other items.
The Albertsons near me sold out and is now closed. The Safeway across the street from the old Albertsons doesn’t have a gas pump and you have to drive to another Safeway for the gas discount. I have no interest in either store.
Mavis Butterfield says
Our Safeway closed, then turned into a Haggen then Haggen closed and it re-opened as a Safeway again last week. Overall, I think the prices at both stores are high. If I could only shop at one store {instead of picking up just the sale items at different stores} I think I would shop exclusively at Fred Meyer as well.
Robin says
Safeway/ Vons bought several albertsons here in California. So the ads are exactly the same. Our albertsons turned into a Hagen which flopped and closed. So now it is nothing and I’ve heard Sprouts might by it. So we have to shop at Vons. I still get an albertsons ad each week even though the closest one is over 18 mi away.
Marcia says
We lost half of our local stores to the Albertson’s / Vons merger, they became Haggen, which went out of business.
Susan says
The majority of my shopping is done at Fred Meyer and QFC. With a WinCo fill-in once (sometimes twice) a month.
Sandra says
The only real difference that I can see in GH is that one store cares about taking two-week-expired dairy off the shelf (SW), and the other one doesn’t (Als). Oh, and the young man at the Albertsons Starbucks gives good customer service, with a smile.
Mavis Butterfield says
Starbucks guy is great! Always super cheerful and sweet. 🙂
Cassandra says
Actually, by the time I combine the Just for you specials with their sales prices and online coupons I find that Safeway is cheaper than Fred Meyer.
Marcia says
Um, they are the same company. They are owned by the same people.
Safeway and Vons were the same.
Albertson’s bought Vons.
So now Albertson’s, Vons, Safeway are actually the same company, with the same ads, and similar prices.
Albertson’s had to sell off a bunch of stores because of it, to avoid monopoly.
athena says
Yep, they completed a merger of Safeway and Albertsons last year. Here’s a link to Albertson’s website talking about the merger: http://www.albertsons.com/albertsons-and-safeway-complete-merger-transaction/ They aren’t just owned by the same company, they are all now owned by Albertsons.
Michelle says
My cousin works at the distribution center for the company in Salt Lake City and just worked a TON of hours to get their systems changed. I hope it works for them. We only have Albertsons here and I only shop their good sales.
Susan Sleeman says
I have noticed it for quite some time, too, but I also see that the prices are not the same at both stores. Safeway’s ad prices are often higher than Albertson’s here.
Sherry In Sumner says
I also miss the indivuality of the stores. Albertsons has now discontinued my favorite Taco Bell sauce and other products Taco Bell products so I really miss that. I’ve always preferred Safeway over Albertsons though and since their ads are identical now, I just read the Safeway ad. Why don’t they just name all the stores the same while they’re at it?
Jessica says
Here in the Vancouver, WA area the ads are still different. Sure they may still have some of the same deals each week (this week for example both have Oreos for $2.50), but the majority of deals for the week are different. Our area’s ads look different from each other style-wise too.
The Seattle area the ads are quite different from the Vancouver ads. Yet it’s even the same state. I wonder why the regional differences?
Kori says
In Vancouver, WA I don’t shop Albertsons or Safeway. I do chucks for produce only, Winco for bulk -maybe once a month and the rest at Fred Meyer.
Tracy L. says
Ha!!! I noticed this a couple weeks ago, SO WEIRD! And I did compare prices. Every once in awhile there is a difference. And sometimes significant, $2.99 or $3.99 a pound. So, if they’re owned by the same people, why the price difference, and why not make them all the same name? I rarely shop Safeway anymore, and since the coupon craze has gone by the wayside, rarely if ever Albertsons. There used to be an Albertsons close by, but they closed it. And since I’m not couponing, I don’t make the extra trip. Costco or Sams, and Fred Meyer (for all the reasons already mentioned, and it’s close). The occasional trip to Trader Joes, and I keep hoping someday there will be a Winco closer to me. I keep hearing great things about them.
Rachel says
Such a waste of paper. You would think they would just condense the ad into one!?!