Idaho-based Albertson's evolved from a store opened in Boise ["Boy-see"] in July 1939. By 1951, there were seventeen stores under the corporate umbrella.
Graphic from Albertson's, Incorporated
A second Boise store opened in 1953. It was a tenant at VISTA VILLAGE CENTER, which was the Spud State's first suburban-style shopping complex.
Photo from https://boisedev.com / Day Realty Company
Here, we see the enormous selection of cheeses available at a Seattle Albertson's Food Center. The snapshot was taken in 1955.
Photo from http://archives.seattle.gov / Seattle Municipal Archives
In 1963, the 100th Albertson's store opened in Seattle. In the following year, the 14-store All American Markets chain -in Orange County, California- was acquired. The first Colorado stores were dedicated in 1967, with the Texas market entered in 1969.
Graphic from Albertson's, Incorporated
Employees pose for a Kodak moment outside an Albertsons store in 1966. The building displays the "Marina-style," arched-roof design also used by Safeway, Penn Fruit, Kohl's Foods and Grand Union during the 1950s and '60s.
Graphic from Albertson's, Incorporated
The sans-apostrophe Albertsons logo was introduced in 1966. By the end of the decade, the company would be operating over 200 stores. The Fazio's Shopping Bag chain -of Los Angeles- was purchased in 1978. South Dakota and Nebraska Albertsons units opened in 1981.
Graphic from Albertson's, Incorporated
This trademark was introduced in 1976, and is still in use. The 500th Albertsons was dedicated -in Temecula, California- in 1989. Acquisitions were carried out in the 1990s. These added chains such as Alabama's Bruno's Supermarkets (1996), Montana's Buttrey Food & Drug (1998) and Utah's American Stores (1999). Units were added in Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Graphic from Albertson's, Incorporated
By 1999, Albertsons had 2,500 stores in thirty-seven states and was, briefly, the nation's largest grocer. A restructuring was done in 2001, with divisions redrawn and 165 stores shuttered. In 2004, Massachusetts' Shaw's & Star Market and California's Bristol Farms were bought. These acquisitions, and competition from Costco and Walmart, caused problems for Albertsons. In June 2006, the chain was sold to Minnesota's SuperValu and a joint venture headed by New York's Cerberus Capital Management.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Caldorwards4"
Two grocery divisions formed. A new Albertsons, Inc. (SuperValu) had 1,124 units. Albertsons, LLC (Cerberus) took possession of 680. Albertsons, LLC sold and shuttered stores. Those remaining were rebranded as Save Mart or -if in Greater San Francisco- Lucky Stores. Albertsons, Inc. closed stores and, by 2013, had 900. A merger with Safeway, Inc. was finalized in January 2015. By 2023, Albertsons Companies, Inc. was overseeing 2,271 stores. These operated under twelve nameplates in twenty-nine states.
https://www.albertsonscompanies.com
ALBERTSONS JUNIOR-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:
*WEST PARK PLAZA, Billings, MT (1961)
*COTTONWOOD MALL, Holladay, UT (1962)
*CAPITAL HILL MALL, Helena, MT (1965)
