El Super Competitors

In 1939, Joe Albertson, a former Safeway district manager, took $5,000 he saved and $7,500 he borrowed from his wife’s Aunt Bertie, and partnered with L.S. Skaggs to open his first Albertsons store on 16th and State Streets in Boise, Idaho. Joe knew the keys of running a really great store, and it was all about working hard for the customers: give them the products they want, at a fair price, with lots of tender, loving care. Joe was innovative, too. He had one of the first in-store magazine racks in the country along with a scratch bakery and fresh ice cream made in store. He worked hard, seven days a week on his vision to build his company, and through his inspiring work ethic and tireless determination to run the best store, the first store thrived. Just two years later, he had opened two other stores in neighboring communities, and grew the fledgling company’s sales to over $1 million by the end of 1941. Today, Albertsons operates as a banner of Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States.

Grocery Outlet Inc. (www.groceryoutlet.com) is the leading extreme value retailer in the United States, serving bargain seeking customers since 1946. Publicly held, Grocery Outlet employs 1000 people across the US. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, Grocery Outlet has been family oriented for over 75 years and has a rich history of putting customers and employees first. The Grocery Outlet Bargain Market brand currently includes over 480 + independently operated stores in California, Delaware, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania. With our broad appeal, Grocery Outlets are located in large and small cities and in a variety of neighborhoods. The premise is simple: offer quality brand name products with savings of 40% to 60% below traditional retailers and sell them with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The product selection consists of frozen foods, refrigerated products, produce, fresh meat, general merchandise, health & beauty, natural and organic foods and beer & wine. Customers know they will find value in every visit as inventory turns continually creating a “treasure hunt” shopping experience. Grocery Outlet’s world class buying team is known for cultivating a culture of collaborative relationships with the over 2,500 supplier partners we deal with.

Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 190 supermarkets from its division headquarters in Los Angeles. Last year, Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to support education, hunger relief, women’s health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company’s stores. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the nation’s largest food retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.