Editing Albertsons (section)

==== Additional acquisitions and closures ====
On February 20, 2018, Albertsons announced plans to acquire [[Rite Aid]], subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.<ref>{{cite web|title=Albertsons Companies and Rite Aid Merge to Create Food, Health, and Wellness Leader|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180220005785/en/Albertsons-Companies-Rite-Aid-Merge-Create-Food|website=BusinessWire|date=February 20, 2018|access-date=20 February 2018|language=en|archive-date=February 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152937/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180220005785/en/Albertsons-Companies-Rite-Aid-Merge-Create-Food|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to retaining the stand-alone Rite Aid pharmacies, its [[Osco Drug and Sav-on Drugs|Osco and Sav-on]] pharmacies located in Albertsons's existing stores were expected to be replaced by Rite Aid pharmacies. On August 8, 2018, Rite Aid announced that the plan had failed to please shareholders and the proposed acquisition would be canceled.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/08/rite-aid-and-albertsons-agree-to-terminate-their-merger.html|title=Rite Aid and Albertsons agree to terminate their merger|last=Hirsch|first=Lauren|date=2018-08-08|work=CNBC|access-date=2018-08-09|archive-date=August 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809152939/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/08/rite-aid-and-albertsons-agree-to-terminate-their-merger.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

That same year, Albertsons closed several stores across multiple divisions, including all three Safeway stores in Florida. These stores were sold to [[Publix]] for an undisclosed price. With the closing, Albertsons officially exited the state, which it had been in since the late 1970s when they acquired their Skaggs Albertsons stores.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Publix Acquires Florida Safeway Stores {{!}} Newsroom|url=http://corporate.publix.com/about-publix/newsroom/news-releases/publix-acquires-florida-safeway-stores|website=Publix Super Markets|language=en-us|access-date=August 22, 2020|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725021226/https://corporate.publix.com/about-publix/newsroom/news-releases/publix-acquires-florida-safeway-stores|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, the company divested its share in [[Casa Ley]], selling it to Tenedora CL del Noroeste.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-01-17|title=Albertsons sells Casa Ley stake, posts Q3 ID sales decline|url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/albertsons-sells-casa-ley-stake-posts-q3-id-sales-decline|website=Supermarket News|language=en|access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128021936/https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/albertsons-sells-casa-ley-stake-posts-q3-id-sales-decline|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Dangerous Duty.jpg|thumb|Checkouts at a Safeway during COVID-19]]
Also that year three new Lucky locations in Utah opened, two in West Valley City and Salt Lake City, replacing the last two Super Saver stores, and one in Tooele, replacing a former Albertsons store.
The next year, a location in [[West Jordan, Utah]], opened, replacing another Albertsons that closed in the late 2000s.

In 2019, Albertsons opened Albertsons Market Street in Meridian, Idaho, a [[flagship store]] located in a converted [[Shopko|ShopKo]] store and based on the Market Street brand of United Supermarkets. This became Albertsons's largest store at 110,000 square feet and featured a variety of departments exclusive to the store or found rarely in the chain, including an oyster bar, a full bar area, and in-house sausages.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Albertsons Market Street Store is a Food Paradise|url=https://progressivegrocer.com/albertsons-market-street-store-food-paradise|website=Progressive Grocer|date=April 15, 2019 |language=en|access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128021704/https://progressivegrocer.com/albertsons-market-street-store-food-paradise|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, around the same time, a new [[Andronico's]] Community Markets opened in Monterey, California, the first new store to be branded as such.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-03|title=New Andronico's to open its doors next week; store will feature Starbucks|url=https://www.montereyherald.com/new-andronicos-to-open-its-doors-next-week-store-will-feature-starbucks|website=Monterey Herald|language=en-US|access-date=August 22, 2020|archive-date=April 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423000403/https://www.montereyherald.com/2019/01/03/new-andronicos-to-open-its-doors-next-week-store-will-feature-starbucks/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, Albertsons announced the closing of a distribution center in [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland]], laying off up 520 people. Albertsons said its duties will be shifted to an existing distribution center in [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania]], which will add up to 300 workers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Rebecca|date=30 January 2020|title=Safeway parent will lay off 520 in Prince George's County|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/01/30/safeway-parent-will-lay-off-520-in-prince-george-s.html?iana=hpmvp_wash_news_headline|journal=Washington Business Journal|access-date=January 31, 2020|archive-date=April 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423000404/https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/01/30/safeway-parent-will-lay-off-520-in-prince-george-s.html?iana=hpmvp_wash_news_headline|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Albertsons's total sales experienced a growth of 27% compared to the previous year. The rise in sales and higher traffic came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in gross sales of $22.8 billion in the second quarter of 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/albertsons-books-higher-sales-amid-coronavirus-11595852513?mod=business_lead_pos6|title=Albertsons Books Higher Sales Amid Coronavirus|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=July 27, 2020|last=Kang|first=Jaewon|access-date=July 27, 2020|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727234629/https://www.wsj.com/articles/albertsons-books-higher-sales-amid-coronavirus-11595852513?mod=business_lead_pos6|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, the company finally went public in June 2020 after years of delays.
<ref>{{Cite news|last=Terlep|first=Jaewon Kang and Sharon|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/albertsons-prepares-for-an-ipo-again-11578941243|title=Albertsons Prepares for an IPO, Again|date=2020-01-13|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2020-03-06|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=March 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306171934/https://www.wsj.com/articles/albertsons-prepares-for-an-ipo-again-11578941243|url-status=live}}</ref> The potential [[Initial public offering|IPO]] for the company could be valued at around $19 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/albertsons-reportedly-preparing-ipo-after-failing-multiple-times-grocery-cerberus-2020-1-1028814011|title=Grocery giant Albertsons is reportedly preparing to go public after failing multiple times in the past {{!}} Markets Insider|last=Reinicke|first=Carmen|date=2020-01-13|website=markets.businessinsider.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217152925/https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/albertsons-reportedly-preparing-ipo-after-failing-multiple-times-grocery-cerberus-2020-1-1028814011|archive-date=February 17, 2020|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref><ref>[https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1646972/000119312520065176/d817604ds1.htm Form S-1 of Albertsons Companies Inc.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621083219/https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1646972/000119312520065176/d817604ds1.htm |date=June 21, 2020 }}, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6, 2020.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Driebusch|first1=Corrie|last2=Kang|first2=Jaewon|date=2020-06-18|title=Albertsons Kicks Off Roadshow, Setting Up IPO for Next Week|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/albertsons-looks-to-price-ipo-between-18-and-20-a-share-11592514861|access-date=2020-06-19|archive-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619175650/https://www.wsj.com/articles/albertsons-looks-to-price-ipo-between-18-and-20-a-share-11592514861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Repko|first=Melissa|date=2020-06-26|title=Albertsons CEO says grocery operator's IPO is 'a great accomplishment' amid coronavirus pandemic|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/albertsons-ceo-says-ipo-is-a-great-accomplishment-amid-coronavirus-pandemic.html|access-date=2020-06-26|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627173748/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/albertsons-ceo-says-ipo-is-a-great-accomplishment-amid-coronavirus-pandemic.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During the time of going public, one more division change was announced when the Mid-Atlantic Division was created by combining Eastern and ACME Markets, and based out of ACME's headquarters in Malvern, PA <ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-01|title=Safeway/Eastern, Acme To Merge HQ To Create Mid-Atlantic Division|url=https://www.foodtradenews.com/2020/07/01/safeway-eastern-acme-to-merge-hq-to-create-mid-atlantic-division/|website=foodtradenews.com|language=en-US|access-date=August 6, 2020|archive-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412180210/https://www.foodtradenews.com/2020/07/01/safeway-eastern-acme-to-merge-hq-to-create-mid-atlantic-division/|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2020, Albertsons submitted a winning bid for the [[Kings Food Markets]]/[[Balducci's]] chain. These will be merged into the Mid-Atlantic Division.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-14|title=Acme Markets wins bid to buy 27 Kings, Balducci's stores|url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/acme-markets-wins-bid-buy-27-kings-balducci-s-stores|website=Supermarket News|language=en|access-date=October 16, 2020|archive-date=October 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017191040/https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/acme-markets-wins-bid-buy-27-kings-balducci-s-stores|url-status=live}}</ref>