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In Canada, are Safeway and Thrifty Foods owned by the same company? I find this hard to believe but was told this by an employee who worked at Safeway.

According to this Wikipedia article here it seems Thrifty Foods is owned by Sobeys who bought out the Canadian chain of Safeway, so I guess the answer is yes?

In June 2013, Sobeys announced the purchase of Safeway's Canadian operations for $5.8 billion, subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition will add Safeway's 214 locations, primarily located in Western Canada, to its portfolio. Sobeys has not yet determined whether it will maintain the Safeway brand post-acquisition.[5] In August 2013, Sobeys sold the land under 68 Safeways to Crombie REIT for $900 million.

Celeritas
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  • I see your surprise, but I am not sure I see skepticism. Do you doubt the Wikipedia summary and/or its sources? – Oddthinking Feb 19 '14 at 13:11

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Well, to start off, Sobey's is the owner of Thrifty Foods, as confirmed by their about page.

Sobey's did buy Safeway, for $5.8Bn in 2013, however their website doesn't list it amongst their brands (see the footer), and various business news articles mention the selling of Safeway stores following intervention by the Competition Bureau in Canada.

Basic conclusion: Sobey's do indeed own both, but the acquistion of Safeway led to unforeseen regulatory problems, that may change the situation somewhat.

Owen C. Jones
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  • Almost all of the "have to sell" Safeway stores have been sold already (as of last week). 22 out of the 23 were sold to the Federated Cooperatives. I know because one of the stores sold is in my city. Sale of the 23rd one to someone else is currently pending. – Compro01 Feb 19 '14 at 14:10