Sobeys

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway has named Brian Baer president of its Dominick’s Finer Foods division in the Chicago area.

Baer had been acting president of Dominick’s since last July when the previous president, Don Kperta, resigned.

Baer joined Safeway in 2001 as VP finance for the company’s Phoenix division. In 2008, he was appointed CFO at Dominick’s.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — After stepping into the role on an interim basis, Safeway has named Brian Baer president of its Dominick's Finer Foods banner.

Baer, who has served as acting president of Dominick's since July 2011 after the exit of Don Keprta, has been part of Dominick's parent Safeway since 2001. Prior to his role as president, Baer served as Dominick's CFO and VP finance.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway posted a drop in quarterly net income amid higher commodity costs.

The company reported net income of $215.6 million (67 cents per diluted share) for the fourth quarter of 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2010, Safeway reported net income of $229.6 million (62 cents per diluted share).

Total sales increased 6.2% to $13.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011 from $12.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, helped by higher fuel sales and a 1.5% increase in identical-store sales (excluding fuel).

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. posted a drop in quarterly net income amid higher commodity costs.

The chain said fourth-quarter net income fell to $215.6 million from $229.6 million a year earlier.

Total sales increased 6.2% to $13.6 billion. Same-store sales rose 1.5%, excluding fuel.
 

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is launching a first-of-its kind competition that could land one chef with a job with the Safeway Culinary Kitchens and his or recipe included in the Open Nature Skillet Meal line. The competition will culminate in a final cook-off at the Safeway Culinary Kitchens in Pleasanton, Calif., where chefs will cook their original, delicious and nutritious skillet meals.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. said Monday that it has agreed to sell three of its Genuardi's stores in Pennsylvania to grocery chain Weis Markets. The deal follows on the heels of Safeway’s sale of 16 Genuardi’s stores to Giant Food Stores.

The three stores are located in Doylestown, Norristown, and Conshohocken. Safeway said it will continue to operate the group until the transaction closes. No firm date has been announced.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Monday announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase three Pennsylvania-based Genuardi's stores from Safeway.

"We're extremely pleased to be adding these stores to our store base," Weis Markets president and CEO David Hepfinger said. "We look forward to serving these communities as the lead local merchant as we have in 33 counties throughout central, eastern and Northeastern Pennsylvania. We will also be reaching out to the associates of these stores to discuss employment with our company."

PLEASANTON, Calif. — As the Greenpeace's most sustainable U.S. grocer for seafood, Safeway already has a sterling reputation for providing its customers with a wide variety of responsibly-sourced fish. Now, the company is taking that even further by announcing that its Safeway brand skipjack (chunk-light) canned tuna will be responsibly caught using free-school purse-seine methods. The company will transition to the purse-seine method by the end of the year.