US retailer Safeway has said revenue increased 3.2% to US$8.9bn in the first quarter of 2006 compared to $8.6bn in Q1 last year, as operating costs fell.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Operating and administrative expense declined to 25.53% of sales in the first quarter of 2006 from 25.80% in the first quarter of 2005.


Net income was $142.9m for the quarter, compared to $131.3m for the first quarter of 2005.


Safeway president and CEO Steve Burd said: “We are pleased with our results this quarter. As expected, the momentum we built in 2005 has continued into the first quarter of 2006.


“Taking into account the timing of the New Year’s and Easter holidays, our identical-store sales increase of 1.5% is consistent with our guidance of 3% for the year. We also produced double-digit earnings growth while absorbing a number of significant cost increases.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Gross profit at the company increased to $2.6bn in the first quarter of 2006 from $2.5bn in the first quarter of 2005.


Safeway confirmed guidance for 2006 of $1.55 to $1.65 earnings per diluted share and $400m to $600m of free cash flow.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact