Content about Safeway Inc.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway announced that Robert Edwards, currently the company's president, will succeed Steven Burd as CEO when Burd retires as chairman and CEO on May 14. Edwards, 57, will also join the company's board of directors.

"Since he arrived here in 2004, Robert has successfully met every challenge he has faced," Burd said. "He has demonstrated the ability to lead the company in all facets of its operations, and has earned the respect of the entire organization."

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. on Thursday said it earned $118.9 million, in the first quarter ended March 23, up from $72.9 million a year earlier, helped by tax benefits. The company maintained its forecast for the year.

Net sales inched down to $9.99 billion, from $10 billion a year ago, as the company sold its Genuardi’s division. Same-store sales rose 1.5%.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. said that Bruce Everette, 61, is retiring as EVP retail operations after a 44-year career at Safeway. He will be replaced by Kelly Griffith, currently the president of merchandising.

“We are deeply grateful to Bruce for his significant and lasting contribution to our company's success," said chairman and CEO Steve Burd. "He is the consummate operating executive whose results and people-oriented approach to the business leave an unmistakable imprint on who we are as a company."

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. said that its fourth-quarter net income rose 13% to $244 million, far ahead of expectations, helped by its customer loyalty program. Safeway said the program, which offers personalized discounts based on past purchases, is driving market share gains and profits.
 
Quarterly sales rose to $13.77 billion from $13.60 billion a year ago. Same-store sales, excluding fuel, inched up 0.8%.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. announced Monday that it has named Peter J. Bocian as EVP and CFO, effective Feb. 19.

Bocian, who will report to Safeway president Robert Edwards, spent a year with Starbucks as the coffee purveyor’s CFO and chief administrative officer. Most recently, he was head of real estate finance for JP Morgan Chase.

New York -- Shares of Safeway Inc. shares rose as much as 9% on Wednesday on rumors of increased buyout interest for its Canada operations by Canadian grocer Metro Inc. and Loblaw Companies Ltd.

On Tuesday, Metro announced it was selling off nearly half its stake in Couche-Tard Inc. for $482 million.

In December, Loblaw announced plans to spin off the vast majority of its property assets into a real estate investment trust.

New York -- The hunt is on for a new chief executive at Safeway following the resignation of longtime chairman and CEO Steve Burd.

Burd, 62, is scheduled to retire at the company’s annual stockholders meeting on May 14 and will aid in the search of his successor that is said to include internal and external candidates. Burd joined Safeway in October 1992 as president and was appointed CEO in May of the following year.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. announced it will expand its support of America's military veterans by hiring at least 1,000 military veterans in 2013 to add to the 1,300 hired to date in 2012.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. posted a lower profit from continuing operations for the third quarter on Thursday, but its net profit rose to $157 million from $130.2 last year, helped by the sale of some of its Genuardi's stores. The company reported income from continuing operations of $108.0 million for the quarter ended Sept. 8, compared with $130.3 million in third quarter 2011.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. announced on Wednesday that it plans to take its Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc. gift card and payment services unit public. Blackhawk sells gift cards at supermarkets and through other stores, including drug stores and convenience stores.

Safeway said it plans to file a registration statement for a potential initial public offering of a minority stake in Blackhawk and hopes to complete the IPO sometime in the first half of 2013, depending on market conditions.

Omaha, Neb. -- Midwestern department store retailer Gordmans said that it has named Roger Glenn as senior VP human resources.

Glenn joins Gordmans from Safeway, where he served as group VP for human resources and handled recruitment, employee relations, human resources planning and diversity.

By Jundong Song, songj@89degrees.com

In mid-June, Safeway, the number three U.S. food retailer after Wal-Mart and Kroger, capped two years of testing in selected markets and rolled out its enhanced reward program, “Just for U,” chain wide.

It’s a key move in loyalty card programs that all retailers should be watching.