Canada’s Safeway supermarkets sold to new owner; no effect on Peninsula

Published 9:22 am Monday, June 17, 2013

VICTORIA — Safeway supermarkets in Victoria and the rest of British Columbia are getting a new owner.

Nova Scotia-based supermarket firm Sobeys, owned by Empire Co., is buying the chain’s 213 Canadian stores from California-based Safeway Inc. for $5.8 billion ($5.71 billion U.S.), the Victoria News reported.

A Sobeys spokesperson sand the company hasn’t decided if it will keep the Safeway name or rebrand the stores under one of its existing names, which in B.C. include IGA and Thrifty Foods.

Adding Safeway’s 75 B.C. stores will give Sobeys 107 outlets in the province.

Safeway Inc. operates four Safeway stores on the North Olympic Peninsula as part of its U.S. operation that includes stores operating under the Safeway, Vons, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Carrs names in different regions.