American Stores founder Sam Skaggs dies at 89

SALT LAKE CITY — American Stores founder Sam Skaggs died of natural causes at his home Thursday, according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune. He was 89 years old. 

Retail pharmacy was the family business. Skaggs was the grandson of Safeway founder Marion Skaggs. And his father, Leonard Skaggs, operated PayLess Drug Stores since 1939. 

A video tribute to Skaggs produced by Tuff Cookie Productions is available here. 

In 1965, Sam Skaggs incorporated the PayLess business as Skaggs Drug Centers and went public. In 1979, Skaggs took over American Stores in Philadelphia.

Before his retirement in 1995, Skaggs operated one of the world’s largest food companies with more than 1,700 locations across 26 states.