Editing Albertsons (section)

===2001–2004 restructuring===
On July 18, 2001, Larry Johnston, the new chairman and CEO of Albertson's, announced it would close 165 "underperforming" stores spread across 25 states, cut jobs, and reduce its newly created operating divisions. The first change was that the Utah, Idaho, and Big Sky (Montana) division were merged back into Intermountain, while Oregon, Washington, and the Inland Empire (eastern Washington and Northern Idaho) division would be consolidated back into a single Northwestern division. Albertsons sold its freestanding Osco Drug stores in the northeastern states to [[Jean Coutu Group]], a [[Canada|Canadian]] drug store company (those stores were re-branded as [[Brooks Pharmacy]] after the sale was completed in January 2002). In 2001,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/878393/Albertsons-plans-to-sell-80-New-England-drugstores.html?pg=all|title=Albertson's plans to sell 80 New England drugstores|date=December 7, 2001|work=[[Deseret News]]|access-date=March 25, 2017|archive-date=March 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326225453/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/878393/Albertsons-plans-to-sell-80-New-England-drugstores.html?pg=all|url-status=dead}}</ref> the short-lived Des Moines stores would close as well<ref>"Albertson's plans to close all 3 metro-area groceries"
''Des Moines Register'' – Des Moines, Iowa
Subjects: Business closings
Author: Bergstrom, Kathy
Date: October 3, 2001
Start Page: D.1
Section: BUSINESS
Abstract (Document Summary)
The Des Moines area stores closing are at 100 Army Post Road and 3400 E. 33rd St. and in Urbandale at 3799 86th St. Albertson's said it would seek a buyer for the locations of the stores, the firm's only supermarkets in Iowa.</ref> and Albertsons began to issue Albertsons Preferred Savings Cards for all of its stores.

The following year, three more divisions were closed entirely:

* '''San Antonio''': Having been in San Antonio since the Skaggs Albertsons days, at the time Albertsons was ranked as the area's number two grocer by market share, compared to [[H-E-B]]'s top position in the market. At the time of the withdrawal, the 44-store H-E-B chain held a commanding 61 percent market share, while Albertsons held a 15 percent market share. Albertsons had held the third position at the time Kroger exited the market in mid-1993 when it closed its 15 area stores. Then, H-E-B's 37 area stores held a 43.2 percent market share, Kroger's 15 area stores a 13.7 percent share, and Albertsons's 10 stores a 13.1 percent share. The remaining stores in the San Antonio division, primarily in the [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] area, became part of the Dallas division.<ref name=memphisbiz>{{cite news|last1=Milligan|first1=Tara|title=Albertson's saying good-bye to Memphis; closing, selling Seessel's stores|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2002/03/11/daily27.html|newspaper=Memphis Business Journal|access-date=June 12, 2016|date=March 13, 2002|archive-date=June 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624213619/http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2002/03/11/daily27.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The last store in South Texas to close, a store in [[Victoria, Texas]], was closed in October.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=20021002&id=6BdZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eEYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4818,153269&hl=en|title=The Victoria Advocate - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=March 10, 2017|archive-date=July 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720072239/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=20021002&id=6BdZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eEYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4818,153269&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''Mid-South''': In 2002, Albertsons shuttered its Mid-South division by selling its Seessel's supermarket chain in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to [[Schnucks]] and stores in [[Mississippi]] to [[Brookshire's]]. The Albertsons-branded stores in the Nashville area, most of which had previously been Bruno's stores under the Foodmax banner, were sold to either [[Publix]] (marking its entry into the market) or Kroger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2002/07/01/story3.html|title=Publix: Grocer's buying spree not over in Middle Tennessee|website=Bizjournals.com|access-date=16 May 2018|archive-date=March 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331030628/http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2002/07/01/story3.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''Houston''': After entering the market in the early 1990s, the troubled Houston division would be gone too, with Albertsons closing its 43 area stores, with most reopening as Kroger or [[Randalls]] (acquired with Safeway in 2015 and subsequent return to Houston), with 2 of them becoming [[H-E-B]] stores. The Louisiana stores from that division joined the Florida division (though they would move to the Dallas division soon after), while the stores in the [[Bryan–College Station]] area became part of the Dallas division.<ref name=memphisbiz/> The [[Greater Houston]] distribution center near [[Katy, Texas|Katy]], built in 1996<ref name="fundinguniverse.com"/> was sold to [[99 Cents Only Stores]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.progressivegrocer.com/departments/nonfoods/99-cents-only-stores-open-texas?nopaging=1|title=99 Cents Only Stores Open in Texas – ''Progressive Grocer''|website=Progressivegrocer.com|date=June 23, 2003 |access-date=March 10, 2017|archive-date=March 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312053619/http://www.progressivegrocer.com/departments/nonfoods/99-cents-only-stores-open-texas?nopaging=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

Additionally, the distribution center in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], (home of the Great Plains division) was sold to [[Fleming Companies]], though no stores were closed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/fleming-buys-albertson-s-facility/article_0582aae0-9b25-5aa1-b813-669f00160de9.html|title=Fleming buys Albertson's facility|work=tulsaworld.com|date=March 20, 2002 |access-date=March 25, 2017|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726204944/https://tulsaworld.com/archives/fleming-buys-albertson-s-facility/article_0582aae0-9b25-5aa1-b813-669f00160de9.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Great Plains division stretched all the way into [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/albertsons-inc-introduces-two-stores-under-one-roof-in-omaha-76057547.html|title=Albertson's, Inc. Introduces Two Stores Under One Roof in Omaha|website=Prnewswire.com|access-date=March 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326225749/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/albertsons-inc-introduces-two-stores-under-one-roof-in-omaha-76057547.html|archive-date=March 26, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The sale of the distribution center included a distribution deal for Fleming to continue to supply Oklahoma and Omaha.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fleming-strikes-major-supply-agreement-with-albertsons-76531232.html|title=Fleming Strikes Major Supply Agreement with Albertson's|website=Prnewswire.com|access-date=March 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326225740/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fleming-strikes-major-supply-agreement-with-albertsons-76531232.html|archive-date=March 26, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After stabilizing the company's finances and consolidating divisions in 2004, Albertsons acquired [[Shaw's Supermarkets]] and [[Star Market]] from [[Sainsbury's]] for $2.5 billion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/27/business/albertsons-buying-shaw-s-new-england-grocery-chain.html|title=Albertsons Buying Shaw's, New England Grocery Chain|first=Constance L.|last=Hays|date=March 27, 2004|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 23, 2017|archive-date=September 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923095907/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/27/business/albertsons-buying-shaw-s-new-england-grocery-chain.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Albertsons also purchased [[Bristol Farms]] for $135 million.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fixmer|first1=Andy|title=Albertson's Plans Upscale Push With Bristol Farms Expansion|url=http://www.greifco.com/articles/lg-labj-121304.pdf|website=Greif & Co.|publisher=Los Angeles Business Journal|access-date=June 12, 2016|date=December 13, 2004|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011062818/http://www.greifco.com/articles/lg-labj-121304.pdf|archive-date=October 11, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> During the same time, Albertsons exited the markets of Omaha,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mobile.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/business/company-news-albertson-s-to-exit-omaha-shedding-21-stores.html|title=ALBERTSON'S TO EXIT OMAHA, SHEDDING 21 STORES|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 18, 2004|last1=((News))|first1=Bloomberg|access-date=March 25, 2017|archive-date=March 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326140123/https://mobile.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/business/company-news-albertson-s-to-exit-omaha-shedding-21-stores.html|url-status=live}}</ref> where it closed or sold 21 stores, and [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]], where it closed seven, selling four to [[A&P]], which converted them to Sav-A-Center.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/17/business/company-news-albertsons-to-close-all-of-its-stores-in-new-orleans.html|title=ALBERTSONS TO CLOSE ALL OF ITS STORES IN NEW ORLEANS|date=April 17, 2004|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 23, 2017|archive-date=September 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923095957/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/17/business/company-news-albertsons-to-close-all-of-its-stores-in-new-orleans.html|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Albertsons 4.JPG|thumb|A typical Albertsons in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]], [[Idaho]], in June 2007 (Store #162)]]