safeway
celebrates NEW
lifestyle STORE
PROMOTIONAL SUPPLEMENT
editor Kathleen Freimond
art director Jasmine Stringer
AssISTANT editorS Kirsten Rodenhizer, Tiffany Sloan
WRITER Robin Brunet
Photography Lindsay Donovan, Peter Holst
Production Manager
Suzy Williamson
Studio Manager
Kristina Borys
Production Coordinator
Candice Ui
Production Systems Manager
Kim McLane
Advertising production
Allison Griffioen, Miki May, Chris Sherwood, Nicole Whittle
Electronic production
Ina Bowerbank
Senior imaging technician
Debbie Lynn Craig
Electronic Imaging
Laura Michaels
VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE FEATURES SALES John Cochrane
SALES ASSISTANT Amaris Singh
chairman, ceo & publisher Peter Legge, obc, lld. (hon)
President Karen Foss
Executive vice-president Heather Parker cga
senior Vice-president –
accounting & administration Millie Warren cga
senior vice-president – sales Bruce Wiesner
vice-president – production Corinne Smith
vice-president – national sales Debbie McLean
vice-president – Marketing & digital media Samantha Legge, mba
vice-president – Editorial Kathleen Freimond
Congratulations Canada Safeway on your new flagship store!
We are proud to be part of your ongoing success!
director of publication sales Doug Climie
Director of Circulation Scott Wheatley
director of information technology Carsten Arnold
Director of digital sales Rebecca Legge
Director of Digital Media Shannon Emmerson
COVER PHOTO: PETER HOLST
This promotional supplement was published for
Safeway Canada Inc. by Canada Wide Media Limited’s
Special Advertising Features Dept.
1 7 5 6 P a n d o r a S t r e e t , V a n c o u v e r, B C V 5 L 1 M 1
Ph: (604) 254-9885 | Fax: (604) 254-7039
Promotional Supplement
safeway
NEW IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
landmark building exemplifies safeway’s
contribution to the West end
Celebrating the opening of the new
store are (from left) Mike Ngsee
(second assistant manager),
Rob Kitzul (second assistant
manager), Mike Nash (VP, retail
operations), Cheryl Prepchuck
(CEO, Greater Vancouver Food Bank),
Cameron Thistle (store manager),
Debbie Rooney (Lifestyle co-ordinator),
Brian Bradley (district manager),
Franco Lucarelli (first assistant
manager) and Gurpreet Virk
(management trainee).
Promotional Supplement
PhotoS: (above) Peter Holst; (left) lindsay donovan
safeway builds on its lifestyle
branding in its new vancouver store
I
F IT WEREN’T FOR THE ICONIC RED AND WHITE
logo, the sprawling new building on Robson Street in Vancouver’s
West End could easily pass for a theatre. Facing Robson to the east,
the structure’s graceful curving canopy augments two levels of glazing
and flows into glass awnings that protect pedestrians from the elements.
Further west is a V-shaped structure: two automatic walkways that glide
patrons from street level to the second storey and out again. Lastly,
at the western tip, the building’s glass frontage rises impressively to
become an atrium. The interior lights glow warmly, and activity
abounds: young couples laughing, mothers soothing their kids, businessmen checking their BlackBerries.
The illusion of opening night at the theatre is spoiled only by the fact
that most of these people are pushing shopping carts. Welcome to supermarket shopping in the 21st century and Safeway’s B.C. flagship store.
“Neighbourhoods
change and the
West End is no
exception. So we
have to live up
to our moniker of
being a trusted
neighbourhood
grocery by
changing with
the times.”
– Cameron Thistle
Promotional Supplement
T
he new Safeway embodies everything that has enabled the
company to retain its leadership status in the highly competitive food-retailing sector after 80 years in business. Safeway’s
initial success came from being a trusted neighbourhood grocery,
and today, thanks to its new Lifestyle supermarkets (of which the
Robson facility is arguably the most dazzling example), that trust is
stronger than ever.
Mike Nash, vice-president of retail operations, views the December 18 opening of the Robson store as one of the boldest steps his
company has taken in B.C. to differentiate Safeway from the competition. “This store enhances the Lifestyle format that places a strong
focus on organic, natural and fresh,” he says. “The elements of the
new Robson store are typical of our overall marketing philosophy.”
The term “philosophy” may seem a tad hyperbolic, but in Safeway’s
case nothing could be more accurate. In today’s food-retailing
sector, companies seek to develop enduring market recognition:
shoppers may flock to one supermarket chain for its low prices,
another for its imported goods, another for its mixture of food and
home merchandise, and so forth. Brian Bradley, Safeway’s district
manager for the City of Vancouver and the North Shore, believes
Safeway’s calling card is its Lifestyle stores, a rebranding concept
that launched in 2005 and has proven to be wildly successful – to
the point where 11 of the 17 supermarkets in Bradley’s jurisdiction alone have been converted into Lifestyle venues. “As the name
implies, Lifestyle has a lot to do with the promotion of health and
wellness, which is why our pharmacies have become such a prominent part of our stores in recent years,” he says. “However, Lifestyle
is much more than just that: chiefly, it recognizes that time-starved
shoppers seek convenience but don’t want to sacrifice quality, and
Promotional Supplement
The new
Safeway
embodies
everything
that has
enabled the
company to
retain its
leadership
status in
the highly
competitive
food-retailing
sector after
80 years in
business.
it strives to make shopping pleasant rather
than a chore.”
So what does that translate into at the
Robson store? For starters, the new Safeway, designed by Kasian Architecture
Interior Design and Planning Ltd., doesn’t
feel like a supermarket. The first thing that
greets patrons in the western atrium is a
florist trellis, followed by a series of food
kiosks – including a Starbucks – arranged
in a casual and pleasing fashion.
Flanking this large congregational
space are departments that Lifestyle shoppers have come to expect, but with a twist.
For example, the bakery, where artisan
breads are made by hand daily, features an
open-flame hearth oven, and next to the
expanded Signature café is a kitchen featuring an in-store sushi chef. “We also have a
full-serve sandwich bar, self-serve salad bar
and buffet and a Nut Hut where you can
purchase all kinds of nuts, have them roasted on the spot or turned into nut butter,”
says store manager Cameron Thistle. “We
have new programs such as a world cuisine
at the deli counter and comfortable seating both indoors and outdoors. All of this
is made possible by the huge size of the
building itself: 42,450 square feet.”
Photo: ISTOCK
SAFEWAY
SAFEWAY
“The Robson
Street
Safeway
enhances
the Lifestyle
format that
places a
strong focus
on organic,
natural
and fresh.”
– Mike Nash
Fresh organic
produce, justbaked bread and
a fishmonger
with the catch
of the day are
all standard fare
at Safeway.
Promotional Supplement
PhotoS: Peter Holst
T
he Lifestyle theme is carried over into the actual grocery section, which features 22 aisles and 13 checkouts (including four
self-serve) and north-face glazing that affords generous views
of Robson Street. “The aisles are extra wide for those with mobility
challenges and also for shopping ease, and all portions of the supermarket have lighting that is more low-key and directional than you
would find in a traditional shopping venue – the intention being
to impart a warm and inviting atmosphere,” says Scott Gibney,
Safeway’s B.C. public affairs manager. Colour also plays a major
role in making customers feel cosy: earth, clay and brick tones are
evident everywhere, and natural wood is used prominantly in the
produce section. The attention paid to ambience is matched only
by the focus on small details: shopping carts that automatically lock
when set on the exit escalator, and back-office lighting that switches
on automatically when someone enters the room.
Employee-customer interaction plays a significant role in the
Lifestyle food departments: employees in the meat department offer
suggestions for entrees, cut meat according to shoppers’ requests
and add marinades or seasonings at no extra charge. Likewise, staff
in the seafood section can add marinades, liquid seasonings or dry
rubs to a purchase.
safeway
Congratulations
Canada Bread 1
1/9/09 10:53:22 AM
Congratulations Canada Safeway
on the opening of your new store!
We continue to enjoy our
partnership with you and look
forward to the future!
Promotional Supplement
In produce, the “Guaranteed Sweet” program means customers receive the freshest
and sweetest products every day. Safeway
has also expanded its organic produce range
to include up to 60 fresh items daily, and the
delicatessen boasts an olive bar, more than
100 specialty cheeses, dozens of fresh salads,
and a wide assortment of luncheon meats.
It’s a far cry from the old canvas awning Safeway that, up until 2007, had been
serving West End residents since 1958. “It
was a popular store but it had its day,” says
Gibney. When the decision was made to
build a new supermarket, Safeway’s Calgary-based team of designers decided the
new facility would occupy the footprint of
the old building plus the adjoining outdoor
parking lot the company had purchased in
the 1970s. “It was a one-time opportunity to
go all-out in creating a flagship facility, but
there were challenges,” says Gibney. “For
one thing, the parking lot was previously
owned by a gas station, so environmental
reclamation was called for and the entire
property had to be dug down to a depth of
16 feet.”
Graham Construction was retained to
build the facility, and during the summer
months the main challenge facing the contractor and sub-trades included extremely
tight site access with limited timeframes
for deliveries.
The facility that took shape throughout
2008 is ideally suited to the bustling West
End. A 120-stall parking lot is now located
on the ground and sub-floor of the building, and the supermarket’s orientation on
the second storey allows for smaller retail
PhotoS: Peter Holst
on the Grand
Opening of
your new
Flagship
store in
Vancouver!
outlets to open at street level, thus maintaining the neighbourhood feel of the area.
“In some ways we haven’t changed: we
have been and always will be an ingredients
supermarket,” says Thistle, who prior to
the December 18 opening was busy overseeing the training of 130 new employees
to augment the 70 seasoned staffers who
had been working elsewhere and would
return to the Robson location. “However,
neighbourhoods change and the West End
is no exception. So we have to live up to our
moniker of being a trusted neighbourhood
grocery by changing with the times. We
expect Robson Safeway shoppers who
moved to our Davie Street location when we
closed the old store will return, and we welcome a whole new range of customers too.”
To what degree will the new Safeway
influence the company’s other stores in the
region? “The geography of the site gave us
a unique layout: very wide and not so deep,
so I doubt we’ll see those dimensions copied anytime soon,” says
Convenient
Bradley. “But as for the
and allNut Hut, the in-store
encompassing, sushi chef, the bakery’s
Safeway offers hearth oven and other
everything
features, they’ll be introfrom chefduced in other locations
prepared
depending on store size
sushi lunches
and foot traffic.”
to fresh
As the West End welcut flowers.
comes Safeway back to
Robson Street, Thistle,
who previously managed
the Safeway at Vancouver’s Oakridge Centre, summarizes his company’s pride in the
new facility by saying, “We offer something
for everyone, whether you’re rushing from
one place to the next or have a few leisurely
hours to kill. It’s been 50 years since we first
served this neighbourhood, and we’re looking forward to the next 50.” 
Promotional Supplement
safeway
designing
a landmark
years of consultation and planning
culminate in a design that enhances
a west end neighbourhood
Photo: lindsay donovan
T
HE DESIGN OF THE SAFEWAY STORE ON THE
corner of Robson and Denman Streets in Vancouver provided the
opportunity to create a landmark building on the site and serve as a
catalyst for redevelopment in the West End neighbourhood.
Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. was
charged with creating the vision for the store on the 49,081-squarefoot site. Established in 1985, Kasian applied its philosophy
of architectural development complemented with a fundamental
understanding of Safeway’s needs and the impact of its work on the
social fabric of the area.
Kasian’s extensive portfolio ranging from individual projects to
urban development and master planning, plus its 10-year collaboration
with Safeway on projects in Canada and the U.S., all contributed to the
success of the redevelopment.
“The main challenge
for us was to make
such a visible
structure knit into
and enhance the
fabric of the West End
as well as maintain
accessibility and the
street life that is so
vibrant in this section
of Vancouver.”
– Alan Nakaska
Promotional Supplement
SAFEWAY
Photo: (TOP LEFT) lindsay donovan; ISTOCK
W
hen Safeway decided to redevelop its Robson Street
site at the beginning of the new millennium, it relied
on Kasian’s sensitivity towards client needs and the
impact a store of this magnitude would have on its surroundings.
“The West End is a high-density, constantly evolving community that has retained its close-knit ambience, and as such any
development in the area needs to be carefully thought-out and
requires input from many community and user groups,” says Scott
Douglas, Kasian’s principal-in-charge of the project. “Although
Safeway required a facility of more than 42,000 square feet in size,
the last thing locals needed was a huge, traditional supermarket.
So that’s why a lot of our work consisted of soliciting user groups,
holding public meetings, and working closely with city planners
and Safeway in order to create something that would satisfy everyone.” This is typically the approach Safeway takes in all of its new
developments and renovations, says Douglas.
Safeway retained Kasian as the project architect in 2000, when
the previous Robson Safeway was still an active venue bordered to
the west by a sprawling outdoor parking lot. “We knew the new
building would fill the old store site as well as the parking lot, but
remediation of the site was something unexpected during the early
stages of planning and that later became a logistical challenge,”
says Kasian design architect Alan Nakaska. “That aside, the main
challenge for us was to make such a visible structure knit into and
enhance the fabric of the West End as well as maintain accessibility
and the street life that is so vibrant in this section of Vancouver.”
One solution was to create a two-storey building in which the
supermarket was located on the second level. “That way we could
Promotional Supplement
“We hope the new
Safeway will be a real
catalyst for positive
change as the West
End redevelops and
in-fills. Its fit with the
neighbourhood was
made possible by
extensive collaboration with many local
groups, and it’s an
example of high-quality
redevelopment that
others can follow.”
– Scott Douglas
SAFEWAY
safeway
Photo: lindsay donovan
The outwardly
slanted glazing
on the second
level allows
passersby to
look up and
see the activity
inside, and
affords shoppers
a view of the
neighbourhood
below.
Congratulations Safeway on the
opening of your new flagship store
Promotional Supplement
have a variety of small retail stores on street
level, which would not only stimulate pedestrian traffic but conveniently hide the indoor
parking lot that would take up most of street
level and the sub-level,” says Douglas.
Another solution was to bring much of
the outside environment into the building and vice versa. This was accomplished
through an extensive and creative use of
glazing. “For example, the outwardly slanted
glazing on the second level allows people on
the street to look up and see activity inside,
and it allows shoppers inside to view Robson
Street,” says Nakaska. “Plus, the angle of the
glass mitigates interior heat gain.” The glazing, combined with a floor plan that is less
deep and wider than the average Safeway,
also enables natural light to penetrate much
farther into the shopping aisles. “That alone
enhances the enjoyability of the shopping
experience,” notes Nakaska.
Kasian designed the western entry of
Safeway to be a majestic, two-storey glass
structure that Nakaska and Douglas refer to
as a “lantern” – another major design feature
that imparts a sense of transparency to people
standing inside and outside the building.
The new Safeway is very much a fresh
shopping concept. “Traditionally, big food
stores are located in suburban areas, and
urban food retail on this kind of scale has only
emerged in recent years,” explains Douglas.
That said, many architectural flourishes of
the new facility are strongly reminiscent of
Safeways of the past. “That’s most evident
on the Robson Street facing, which instead
of big pylons has lots of curves, slants and the
iconic curved Safeway roof,” says Douglas.
The traditional elements are augmented
with many nods towards green standards,
not the least of which is a white polyeurethane coating on the roof that serves
several purposes. “First, it reduces the heat
island effect that black asphalt roofs create,
and secondly it’s much more attractive for
residents in adjacent highrises to look down
upon,” says Nakaska. Also with highrise
gazers in mind, Kasian broke up the roof’s
appearance so that viewers could easily mistake the structure for a series of buildings
rather than just one large unit.
Now that the new Safeway is open for
business, Douglas and Nakaska believe the
building will be an inspiration for other
Vancouver developers. Says Douglas:
“We hope the new Safeway will be a real
catalyst for positive change as the West
End redevelops and in-fills. Its fit with the
neighbourhood was made possible by
extensive collaboration with many local
groups, and it’s an example of high-quality
redevelopment that others can follow.” 
Congratulations on your new store opening.
As Safeway continues to “Raise the Bar” on
service and quality, we wish you all the
success and future growth!
From the Summit Logistics Team
Telephone: 604-527-2900
Fax: 604-517-1397
Summit Logistics 1
12/18/08 12:40:57 PM
Promotional Supplement
SAFEWAY
Order up
the perfect
custom
sandwich
from the
Signature
Sandwich
Counter.
design
aND development
robson street safeway showcases
the company’s national rebranding
strategy for store design
Photo: (ABOVE) PETER HOLST; ISTOCK
O
NE OF THE MORE REMARKABLE ASPECTS OF
the new Robson Street Safeway is the large volume of people
who congregate at the facility – and not just to grocery shop.
They view Safeway as a place to meet, to buy flowers for loved ones,
get prescriptions filled or perhaps even have lunch prepared by the
in-store sushi chef.
Those who confine their visit to the food aisles are also experiencing
a radically different shopping experience than offered by supermarkets
of the past. That’s because Safeway provides food that is either procured
locally, created in-store, or sourced and restocked to maximize freshness.
The Robson Street supermarket is the showpiece for Canada
Safeway’s vision for its stores in the 21st century: places that make shopping a pleasure, not a chore. This is being accomplished through national
rebranding that dictates the way new stores are developed and existing
“We’re
constantly
developing
and testing
new food
items, new
marketing
concepts,
new ideas
that will keep
us on the
cutting edge
of doing what
we do best:
sell food.”
– Brian Bradley
Promotional Supplement
safeway
Shell Lubricants, a Shell Canada Products business,
would like to congratulate Canada Safeway Limited
for the opening of its new flagship store located at
Robson & Denman, Vancouver.
Congratulations, best wishes and continued success…
from all of us at Pepsi-QTG.
Congratulations1/6/09
to 1:33:34 PM
Canada Safeway on
the opening of its new
flagship store!
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Congratulations to
Safeway on the opening of its
new flagship store!
Promotional Supplement
ones renovated. “In 2005 we unveiled the
concept of Lifestyle stores in order to differentiate ourselves from the competition,”
says City of Vancouver and North Shore
Safeway district manager Brian Bradley. To
date, 185 of Canada’s 213 Safeways have
been converted into Lifestyle stores, with
the process usually taking less than 50 days
per store thanks to the careful planning of
Safeway’s Calgary-based design department.
The remaining supermarkets are expected
to be converted within the next year.
Bradley points out the Lifestyle initiative
is key to energizing Safeway’s market share
in the 21st century. “We face increased
competition from the big box retailers, and
Wal-Mart is attracting customers with its
new Supercentres, which are massive food
markets in the middle of their retail outlets,” he says. “So it was in our best interest
to rebrand.”
Safeway store conversions require an
Photo: PETER HOLST
Sample
the latest
Starbucks
coffee
concoction
while
you shop.
extensive redesign of the traditional store
layout, with special attention paid to inviting decor and subdued lighting, new employee uniforms, sushi and olive bars, plus
the addition of Starbucks. “Input from our
customers was essential in developing these
facilities,” says Bradley. “Essentially, we
are acknowledging the fact that customers
lead busier lives than ever and are seeking
convenience along with great food. If they
don’t have time to create meals from the
food items they buy from us, they have the
option of purchasing ready-to-eat or easyto-assemble meals that taste great and are
healthy to boot.”
Lifestyle stores are also suited for people
in transit who just want to take a break and
sit somewhere pleasant. Whether the location is in a big city or out in the country, a
growing number of customers visit Safeway
to enjoy a Signature sandwich and soup or
salad along with their Starbucks coffee.
Doris Hosiery.indd
1
12/23/08
4:35:03 PM
Mex Y Can,
Highest Quality Flowers
from Around the World!!!!
Congratulations Safeway on your opening!
Mex Y Can 1
12/16/08 3:10:56 PM
Congratulations Safeway
Promotional Supplement
Create your
own salad
from an
impressive
array of fresh
ingredients.
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Promotional Supplement
Ironically for a 21st-century initiative,
many Lifestyle elements are firmly rooted
in the old-fashioned food-retailing maxim
of providing one-on-one service. At a time
when the retail sector is slashing employment to cope with the recession, Safeway
is actually hiring more staff to fulfil its
commitment to the new level of service,
whether it entails sourcing and procuring
between 40 and 60 organic produce items
per store daily, preparing stuffed pork loin
and Cornish game hens, cutting meat for
customers or baking bread from scratch.
With the amount of fresh perishables
available in-store, it’s understandable that
Safeway’s operations and logistics people
spend much time and effort maintaining
the Lifestyle commitment to freshness.
Their work is facilitated by the fact that
Safeway is one of the largest single buyers
of Canadian agricultural products: this not
only helps local economies but ensures customers have direct access to fresh produce
that can be traced to growers in or near
the communities in which they live. Also,
the quality and freshness of produce have
improved considerably in recent years
due to faster turnaround and less handling
during shipping. Plus, each Safeway store
Photo: PETER HOLST
safeway
ensures freshness and reduces waste by
bringing in produce only as needed. And
when local supplies of certain items aren’t
available, Safeway buyers search worldwide for alternatives. Because of modern
transportation methods, customers are
assured the produce in store displays was
picked only days earlier.
Cameron Thistle, Robson Street Safeway’s store manager, voices a little-known
fact: “A typical Safeway is really a 24-hour
operation. When our doors close for the
evening, the night shift prepares the store
for opening the following morning. We
never stop working.”
Lucerne Foods, a subsidiary under
Safeway’s banner, also ensures freshness
and a wide selection of goods. Lucerne’s
plants in Western Canada include fruit and
vegetable processing, and milk, egg, bread,
ice cream, cheese and meat packaging.
Safeway’s pharmacies have become an
integral part of the Lifestyle concept. First
introduced in the late 1980s, the pharmacies reflect the growing phenomena of
people taking more responsibility for their
own health care and buying increased volumes of related products. “Customers have
access to over 20,000 prescription items,
but that said, our pharmacies are viewed
more as wellness centres than places to go
when you’re sick,” says Bradley. In each
facility, licensed pharmacists offer patient
counselling and use advanced computer
networks to provide expert advice to doctors and other health care specialists.
Of course, staying ahead of the retail
curve is nothing new to trend-setting
Safeway. In its early years, it was credited
with breaking down the front counter barrier that was the norm in grocery shopping
and ushering in self-serve shopping. It also
revolutionized the food-retailing industry by introducing free parking spaces as
well as shopping carts, home delivery, and
weigh scales to allow people to buy produce
by the pound.
Lifestyle format stores enjoy significantly higher average weekly sales than other
Safeway stores, but Bradley points out that
they are hardly the last word in Safeway’s
ongoing evolution as a food-retailing giant:
“We’re constantly developing and testing
new food items, new marketing concepts, new
ideas that will keep us on the cutting edge of
doing what we do best: sell food.” 
Congratulations Safeway on the
opening of your new store!
Tel: 204-982-9100
Email: info@ambrosielighting.ca
Ambrosie Lighting 1
1/8/09 11:21:12 AM
Promotional Supplement
ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK
SAFEWAY
giving BACK
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP TRANSLATES INTO
AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES
S
AFEWAY’S REPUTATION AS A TRUSTED NEIGHBOURHOOD
grocery store extends beyond superior customer service and sourcing
locally. Since its inception in Canada in 1929, it has strived to be a good
corporate citizen that is an integral and active member of the community, and
that translates into supporting initiatives, organizations and events on a local
and national level.
Established in 2002, the Canada Safeway Foundation is the conduit for
more than $15 million a year directed to support for people in need. The nonprofit Foundation supports initiatives to feed, protect and nurture children
and families. Contributions from the Foundation sponsor summer camp for
thousands of children every year. The Foundation also champions breast and
prostate cancer research and disaster relief in times of crisis, which in recent
times have encompassed calamities such as Hurricane Katrina (the Canadian
Red Cross received $275,000 from Safeway) and $214,000 was raised several
Safeway was
“thinking green” long
before it was trendy.
It has collected and
recycled cardboard
since the 1960s, and
20 years ago it began
recycling used plastic
grocery bags and
diverting millions of
tons of waste away
from landfills.
Promotional Supplement
safeway
Congratulations on your innovative new store!
AWP wishes Safeway continued success!
WHOLESALE INC .
Supplier of Exotic
Advance Wire Products Ltd.
toll free: 1.888.421.4666 | ph: 604.541.4666 | web: www.awp.ca
Advance Wire 1
Asian Plants
1/7/09 3:17:29 PM
Congratulations
Safeway on your
new store opening!
years ago to support people affected by forest fires in B.C.
Safeway’s charitable initiatives are supported by its staff and customers. It is the single
largest Western Canadian contributor to
the Easter Seals, the Prostate Cancer Research
Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Canada and
Food Banks annually, making it the region’s
largest single contributor to such outlets.
Safeway is equally devoted to community
events and sports. In B.C. alone, it participates
in and supports a variety of events ranging
from Chinese New Year and the Pacific
National Exhibition to the Special Olympics
and the Surrey Children’s Festival.
Being a good corporate citizen also means
tailoring its internal operations to reflect
the communities it serves, and Safeway is a
strong advocate of equal employment opportunities. This has led to numerous awards
and recognition from organizations such as
MOSAIC (Multilingual Orientation Service
Association for Immigrant Communities)
and the B.C. provincial government’s Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons
with Disabilities.
These days, being part of the neighbourhood is inextricably linked with protecting the environment, but Safeway was
“thinking green” long before it was trendy.
It has collected and recycled cardboard
Promotional Supplement
ILLUSTRATIONS: ISTOCK
23449 “0” Avenue,
Langley, BC V2Z 2X3
Tel: 604.533.0844
Fax: 604.533.8324
email: dirk@floraldirectwholesale.com
www.orchidgrower.ca | www.bonsaigrower.ca
since the 1960s, and 20 years ago it began
recycling used plastic grocery bags and
diverting millions of tons of waste away
from landfills. Safeway stores throughout
the country separate and process organic
waste (vegetable trimmings, damaged produce, floral waste and unwrapped bakery
refuse), thus dramatically reducing the
volume of landfill-bound waste. Many other
materials are also recycled, including computers, fluorescent light bulbs, motor oil for
trucks, used tires and wood pallets.
Over the years, Safeway’s environmental
initiatives have evolved into a green corporate
culture in which everyone is counted on
to minimize the environmental impact of
his or her job whenever
possible. Periodically, key
personnel attend seminars
on green issues and standards, and Safeway policy
requires that a third-party
environmental audit be
conducted prior to the
purchase, sale or renovation of any of the
company’s properties.
From Safeway’s perspective, the essence
of a healthy community is the willingness of
everyone to look out for one another. Conducting business in a responsible manner
isn’t just good policy – it’s common sense. 
Floral Direct 1
12/19/08 9:04:41 AM
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safeway
diverse,
AND PROUD OF IT
safeway’s corporate culture promotes
diversity and opportunity
A
S A TRUSTED LOCAL GROCERY STORE, SAFEWAY IS KEENLY
aware that neighbourhoods are comprised of people from all walks of life and
it values every employee regardless of race, creed, colour, sex, age, religion,
sexual orientation or whether that person has a disability.
Safeway ensures that its policies are backed by action, and one small example of the
company’s commitment to equal opportunity is that it employs nearly 10,000 people
with disabilities across Canada and in the U.S.
Equal opportunity for Safeway doesn’t mean just hiring, but workplace nurturing
as well. Safeway’s 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility Report states, “We have zero tolerance for all forms of discrimination, harassment and unequal treatment, including
derogatory or demeaning comments, jokes or actions.” The zero-tolerance policy is
supported by an array of programs designed to make all employees feel valued and
respected. Every Safeway division has a Diversity Advisory Board comprising representatives from across the operating and support areas. One of the board’s main
goals is to integrate diversity management skills into Safeway’s business objectives
and corporate culture.
Congratulations to Safeway on the opening of your new store!
From the H.J Heinz Company of Canada Ltd
Visit www.heinzitup.com for great recipe ideas.
HJ Heinz 1
Congratulations Safeway
on the opening of
your new store!
12/16/08 4:05:04 PM
Additionally, over the years Safeway has
established network groups for women,
African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics
as well as a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alliance, and these groups provide
networking, leadership and mentoring
opportunities that encourage personal and
professional growth.
Safeway also promotes supplier diversity
by encouraging minority- and womenowned businesses to present their goods or
services to the company for consideration.
Potential suppliers are guided through the
complex evaluation and presentation processes by a designated diversity contact and
the appropriate category manager. Suppliers whose product is accepted soon find their
business receives a phenomenal boost thanks
to Safeway’s vast distribution network.
Safeway’s efforts to promote diversity
and equal opportunity reflect its goal of
being a good corporate citizen. However,
as is the case with its environmental initiatives, it also makes good business sense. The
Corporate Social Responsibility Report points
out, “By embracing diversity, we believe
we gain a competitive advantage in serving
our customers and attracting capable new
employees.” 
Congratulations
on the opening of
your new store!
Janes Family Foods Ltd.
3340 Orlando Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L4V 1C7
(905) 673-7145
Yo u r P e t, O ur Pas s io n.
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www.janesfamilyfoods.com
safeway
From your
y
friends at
Congratulations
Safeway has been part
of Canadian communities
since 1929.
Safeway on the opening
of your new store
Highliner Foods 1
philosophy
and profit
1/8/09 2:21:00 PM
A
WEEK PRIOR TO THE DECEMBER 2008 OPENING
of the new Safeway on the corner of Robson and Denman
streets in Vancouver, district manager Brian Bradley was
clearly excited about the store’s potential to attract new and returning customers. He also viewed the facility as a shining example of
just how effective large urban food retailing can be.
Bradley also took the opportunity to recall the innovation and
trend-setting management that solidified Safeway’s place in a competitive marketplace. “Frankly, if you study the history of Safeway
after it began in California in 1915 and here in Canada in 1929,
you realize that the company was thinking outside the box decades
before anyone came up with that term,” he says. “Innovative thinking from management to store level has always been our trademark,
and it has kept us going through challenging times and against stiff
competition.”
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Canada Safeway’s history
may seem like
a steady
succession
of successes,
but they were
achieved
through much
hard work and
calculated
risk-taking.
Safeway’s most far-reaching display of
innovative thinking – international expansion – began in the opening decades of the
20th century and blossomed in the 1960s.
Safeway founder Sam Seelig had set the
stage for growth by establishing nearly 100
stores throughout southern California, and
after he left Safeway in 1924, management
retained a global vision for the company.
Safeway expanded into Canada in 1929 by
acquiring nine stores, into the United Kingdom in 1962 by purchasing the 11-store
John Gardner Limited, into Australia in
1963 with the acquisition of three Pratt
Supermarkets and into Germany in 1964
HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAFEWAY
Innovation and bold management marks
Canada Safeway’s 80-year history
with the acquisition of two Big Bear stores
(later still, in the 1980s, Safeway would
establish operations in Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait in a licensing and management
agreement with the Tamimi Group).
During the early years of Canada
Safeway, grocery shopping trends were
stagnant. Typical grocery outlets were
only about 1,000 square feet in size and
customers provided a list to clerks behind
the counter for selection, bagging and boxing. Safeway broke the front counter barrier by creating shopping aisles and providing patrons with shopping carts. As the
automobile age progressed, management
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safeway
CONGRATULATIONS
on your new store opening!
From your friends at:
Pharmascience congratulates
Canada Safeway on the opening
of its new Flagship Store
Pharmascience
LifeScan Canada 1
12/15/08 4:35:35 PM
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Kellogg.indd 1
augmented its stores with free parking
spaces, with most lots accommodating up to
100 cars. And when the widespread availability of electricity resulted in the proliferation
of home refrigerators and freezers (which
enabled families to stock up on supplies),
Safeway expanded its procuring powers so
that meat, dairy, grocery and bakery items
could be found in every store, all under one
roof (meat coolers staffed by meat cutters is
yet another Safeway innovation that revolutionized modern grocery shopping).
Canada Safeway’s well-known care and
nurturing of its employees manifested itself
officially in the early 1940s, with the introduction of an employee retirement program
as well as employee training and development. This decade also introduced open-top,
refrigerated display cases, which made frozen
products more accessible to shoppers.
After the Second World War, Safeway
developed a “distribution without waste”
philosophy, a then-revolutionary idea that
today is paramount in the retail sector, and
provisions were made for distribution and
plant facilities to better serve new stores that
were opening across the country. By the
1950s, Safeway stores were modern supermarkets that each stocked over 6,000 items
compared to the 1,000-plus items available 20 years prior. These air-conditioned
supermarkets averaged 20,000 square feet
in size, and they frequently became the
anchors for new neighbourhood shopping
malls and strips.
As Bradley points out, constant selfimprovement and innovation was necessary
to stay ahead of the competition, which
1
1/19/09
11:02:25 AM
During the early years, customers
provided the clerk behind the counter with
a grocery list for selection and bagging.
grew fierce in the 1950s with the rise of
other major food retailers such as T. Eaton
Company, Hudson’s Bay and Woodward’s.
That competition took on an added dimension in the 1970s with the emergence of
mega-stores. The concept of these warehouse-type structures originated in Europe
and took root in North America in the eastern United States, and its power was such
that many well-established grocery businesses disappeared virtually overnight. But
because offering lower prices and case lot
purchasing to customers who were willing to serve themselves was a fairly simple
business proposal, Safeway lost no time
responding to this marketing juggernaut
in the form of the more customer-friendly
“Food for Less” stores, a blend of Safeway’s
traditional services and the spaciousness and
larger selection of food barns. The hybrid
stores were an instant success.
In the wake of the mega-stores came the
phenomena of “stores within stores,” which
called for each food department of a supermarket to offer even higher levels of service
and product expertise. Canada Safeway
pioneered in-store pharmacies and floral
departments (both were introduced in
1980), and in 1998 it launched the Club
Card, a form of coupon-free discounts.
That same year it also arranged for the Bank
of Montreal to open in-store branches.
Canada Safeway’s history reads like a
Promotional Supplement
12/22/08 2:52:40 PM
Safeway broke the
front counter barrier by
creating shopping aisles
and providing patrons
with shopping carts.
Promotional Supplement
steady succession of successes, but they
were achieved through much hard work
and calculated risk-taking. There have been
many challenges, the most recent being in
the 1990s when widespread centralization
and consolidation permanently changed
the food-retailing sector. The consolidation occurred at a time when Safeway’s
sales and profits were down, yet in order
to remain competitive, expansion was
urgently required. Canada Safeway’s chief
executive, John H. Jope, is widely credited
for helping to initiate a series of changes
that would improve the company’s economies of scale and revitalize its fortunes in a
two-year period.
Today, Canada Safeway focuses on
providing world-class service to customers by exceeding their expectations. It’s not
an easy achievement to maintain, but 80
years’ worth of experience goes a long way
in determining how to keep the shopping
experience fresh and pleasing. n
photos: lindsay donovan; istock
SAFEWAY