USA: Safeway Announces Closure of University Store in Anchorage

On Saturday, April 29, 2000 at 6:00 p.m. the Safeway (NYSE:SWY) store located at 3801 Seward Highway in Anchorage, along with the Safeway Liquor Store located in University Center, will be permanently closed. Attorney General Bruce Botelho approved the sale of the store to Richard and Vikki Solberg who will operate Natural Pantry at the existing site. The Safeway Liquor store has been purchased by Randy Kaer and Development Catalyst Inc. "Once the doors are closed to the public, an inventory will take place followed by the moving of existing merchandise to neighboring stores" said Richard Near, General Manager of Alaskan Operations. "All employees will be reassigned to new locations." The sale of this store completes the necessary requirements of the Consent Decree of February 9, 1999 regarding the acquisition of the Carr-Gottstein Foods, Co. The Seattle Division of Safeway Inc. is made up of 205 stores in Washington, Northern Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Safeway is a Fortune 500 company and operates 1,663 stores in the United States and Canada. Safeway Inc. is the second largest food and drug retailer in North America based on sales. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.