Albertsons

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is looking to its recently launched Just for U loyalty program, which this month became available across all U.S. divisions, to help drive a positive sales story through the rest of the fiscal year. The key differentiator for that program is Safeway's ability to personalize the loyalty card experience to a factor of one.

"Registration is on track," Steve Burd, Safeway chairman and CEO, told analysts during a conference call late Thursday morning. Safeway is capturing approximately 70% of its customers into the loyalty program.

AMSTERDAM — A division of Ahold USA has completed its acquisition of stores in the greater Philadelphia area.

Giant-Carlisle officially closed its acquisition of 15 Genuardi's stores, a subsidiary of Safeway. The deal was previously announced in January and was approved by the Federal Trade Commission last month.

As previously reported, during the conversion process, five stores at a time will temporarily close for about a week. The three-phase staggered approach is expected to be completed on July 22.

CARLISLE, Pa. — The Federal Trade Commission has approved Giant Food Stores' proposal to acquire 15 Genuardi's stores from Safeway.

The announcement follows Giant's Jan. 5 announcement that it would acquire the Genuardi's stores, all of which are located in the greater Philadelphia market. Giant also noted that under the terms of a consent order approved by the FTC, the Genuardi's located in Newtown, Pa., will be purchased by Newtown Market and will be operated as a McCaffrey's supermarket.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Wednesday announced that it has transitioned to using reusable product containers, rather than corrugated boxes, to ship many types of produce from the farm fields, through the distribution channel and to the final store destination.

This transition eliminated the use of more than 17 million pounds of corrugated boxes, the grocer reported.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is gearing up to launch five filtered coffee pods that can be used in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' Keurig brewing system, according to published reports.

Reuters said Tuesday that a Safeway spokesman confirmed that the new private-label cups will differ from the retailer's current offering, which were launched earlier this year.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway and its charitable arm have launched their annual prostate cancer awareness campaign this month.

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons LLC has implemented an in-store program that will allow customers to scan a QR code using their smartphones to access recipes with tips for grilling Steakhouse Choice cuts of meat.

PORTLAND, Ore., and SEATTLE — Safeway has launched an online and mobile shopping tool that is designed to give customers an easier way to save on groceries.

Just for U, launched in the chain's Oregon and Washington divisions, delivers targeted savings directly to a customer's Safeway club card. Deals are offered on items a shopper most frequently buys, as well as items they might be interested in — providing savings of up to 10% to 20% more than by using a Safeway club card alone, Safeway said.