Report: Buyout firms eye Safeway

Pleasanton, Calif. – Several buyout firms are reportedly considering attempting a partial or total purchase of Safeway Inc., with Cerberus Capital Management LP among the potential bidders, according to Reuters.



Safeway has retained Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as an advisor, the report said.



Safeway, which is in the process of selling its Canadian operations to Sobey’s, also recently said it will exit the Chicago market, adopted a “poison pill” to limit how much stake in the company any one stockowner can hold, and authorized a $2 billion stock buyback plan.