Content about Pleasanton, California

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Tuesday announced that its board of directors approved an increase to its regular quarterly cash dividend from $0.175 per share to $0.20 per share, reflecting a 14% increase. 

The board also declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share payable on July 11, 2013 to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 20, 2013.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Friday announced that its board of directors met Thursday and declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.175 per share. 

The cash dividend will be payable on April 11 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 25.

Safeway shares were down 7 cents to $24.31 in early-morning trading Friday.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Thursday reported a sales increase of 1.3% to $44.2 billion in 2012 for its fiscal year ended Dec. 29, driven by increased fuel sales and a same-store sales increase of 0.5% (excluding fuel), the grocer reported. Safeway chairman and CEO Steve Burd projected identical sales as high as 2% in the first quarter of 2013, in part because of the success Safeway has had with its loyalty program Just 4 U. 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Safeway chairman and CEO Steve Burd on Monday signed a Statement of Support for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense agency, at a ceremony at the company's corporate offices in Pleasanton, Calif., ESGR stated. 

"We are honored to reaffirm Safeway's support for our employees in the National Guard and Reserve," Burd said. "No other public service could be more important than providing support to our men and women in uniform."

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has launched a personal call to action that directly involves and rewards employees and shoppers.

The "Heart of Safeway Pledge" extends the retailer's corporate social responsibility commitment and invites employees and shoppers to take simple, everyday steps — such as using energy-conserving light bulbs, taking a 15-minute walk three times a week or eating healthier foods — to benefit people and their communities.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is looking to its recently launched Just for U loyalty program, which this month became available across all U.S. divisions, to help drive a positive sales story through the rest of the fiscal year. The key differentiator for that program is Safeway's ability to personalize the loyalty card experience to a factor of one.

"Registration is on track," Steve Burd, Safeway chairman and CEO, told analysts during a conference call late Thursday morning. Safeway is capturing approximately 70% of its customers into the loyalty program.

PORTLAND, Ore., and SEATTLE — Safeway has launched an online and mobile shopping tool that is designed to give customers an easier way to save on groceries.

Just for U, launched in the chain's Oregon and Washington divisions, delivers targeted savings directly to a customer's Safeway club card. Deals are offered on items a shopper most frequently buys, as well as items they might be interested in — providing savings of up to 10% to 20% more than by using a Safeway club card alone, Safeway said.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Recent events, which have driven Wall Street analysts to speculate that Safeway is a buyout target, are not interrelated, Safeway chairman and CEO Steve Burd assured analysts Thursday morning during the grocer's first-quarter conference call.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Monday evening promoted Robert Edwards to president of the company. Edwards had served as Safeway's EVP and CFO since 2004.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Tuesday joined forces with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion on an initiative to develop and promote dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — In effort to further its commitment to sustainability, Safeway's private-label Softly bath and facial tissue and Ultra Thirsty paper towels now are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance.

Safeway's paper products earned the FSC seal by being produced from fiber sourced from suppliers who have been independently certified to follow the strictest standards in sustainable, ethical forestry management and production chain controls.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Pharmacy and identical-store sales were identified as positives for Safeway, which discussed its fourth-quarter results with analysts on Thursday.