Safeway Europe and Australia

[marshd1000]

Before Safeway North America divested itself of its' operations in Europe and Australia, did any of these divisions carry the same brands as Safeway US/Canada? For example, did they carry Lucerne dairy products, Mrs. Wrights baked goods, Coldbrook Margarine, etc? I don't believe that there is still a Safeway in Germany. I know UK became Morrisons. But when did Safeway UK and Australia get rid of the "S"? I know that Safeway Australia still exists as part of Woolworths (no relation to the dime store chain in the US and Canada).

[Groceteria]

But when did Safeway UK and Australia get rid of the "S"?

From the following link, it looks like the "s" went away for good about 1990 in the UK:

http://www.safeway.org.uk/history.php

[ajsanjua]

There is indeed Safeway here in Australia (I'm currently studying here for one semester) and it is under Woolworth's Ltd, but not nationwide. Safeway only exists in Victoria, apparently due to past naming conflicts in the other states or territories. Alas, Safeway will cease to exist in the near future, as Woolworth wants to pull both of its food divisions under one name, being that they already share the same slogan and the same store-brand Woolworth's products. I think the naming difference only extended to the store signage, the advertisement circulars and some of the high-flow products like milk and bread.

[Groceteria]

I would be interesting to see if any of the pre-Woolworths locations in Australia are still operating and what they looked like. I've seen at least one photo of a Marina that was built in the UK, so it's not unreasonable to assume there might have been some in Australia as well, since Safeway entered that market in 1963, although they apparently kept the name Pratt's (the chain they acquired) for some time afterward.

[TheStranger]

I would be interesting to see if any of the pre-Woolworths locations in Australia are still operating and what they looked like. I've seen at least one photo of a Marina that was built in the UK, so it's not unreasonable to assume there might have been some in Australia as well, since Safeway entered that market in 1963, although they apparently kept the name Pratt's (the chain they acquired) for some time afterward.

I think I have posted a photo here a couple years ago of an Australian marina...not sure if that post is still here though.

[TheStranger]

A marina Safeway in the 1960s or 1970s located in suburban Melbourne:

http://flickr.com/photos/hugo90/3027318829/

[Groceteria]

A marina Safeway in the 1960s or 1970s located in suburban Melbourne:

Lovely. Thanks!

[Nic UK]

All private label goods in the UK were only ever branded 'Safeway' or 'Safeway Savers' for budget lines. The Safeway 'S' was still being used in 1993.

[Jason B.]

The "Safeway News" (employee newsletter) of February 1965 reported on the opening of Safeway's third store in West Germany in December 1964. This third store was at Drosselstrasse (a.k.a. Drosselstraße) 18, Hamburg. It was Safeway's "first completely new store in Germany." The first Safeway store in West Germany was "an acquired, remodeled food store." The article says, "the new store is part of a major shopping center in the Fuhlsbutteler (sic - Fuhlsbuttler) Strasse, including two large department stores, other fine shops, and an expansive area for car parking." The Safeway store had a corner location. It had a total of about 11,000 square feet, of which about 6,500 square feet was sales area. "A large service delikatessen (sic?) and bakery are hits," the article says. The three Safeway stores in West Germany were part of Safeway's United Kingdom Division, managed by E.C. Knight. The article includes several photographs of the new store.

Here is a photo of a German Safeway store. I cannot tell if it is the same store. The photo seems to be from the 1980s:
http://www.filmmuseum-hamburg.de/index. ... &ds_id=115

This blog post says that a Hamburg, West Germany Safeway store was selling Cragmont-brand soft drinks in the late '70s/early '80s:
http://loyaltubist.blogspot.com/2009/04/safeway.html

This apparently is a Google "street view" (March 2010) of the Safeway store that opened in Dec. 1964 ("Penny Markt" according to its signage):
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5885229 ... 312!8i6656

The location might be in the Lidl chain as of 2015:
https://www.hamburg.de/branchenbuch/ham ... /10109557/

[pseudo3d]

Is there a good reason why Safeway's UK division skipped France, Belgium, and Netherlands, and went straight to West Germany for expansion? Safeway's U.S. divisions tended to be centered around major areas and then slowly diffused out to counties beyond the "core city".

[klkla]

Is there a good reason why Safeway's UK division skipped France, Belgium, and Netherlands, and went straight to West Germany for expansion? Safeway's U.S. divisions tended to be centered around major areas and then slowly diffused out to counties beyond the "core city".

I don't know your answer, but Germany is the largest economy in Europe (and was probably second largest at that time) so that would be my guess as to why they chose to open there.

Also, the stores in Germany were a separate division and not part of the UK when I worked for the company. IIRC it was a pretty small division. Maybe 40-50 stores.