In 1939, Joe Albertson, a former Safeway district manager, took $5,000 he saved and $7,500 he borrowed from his wife’s Aunt Bertie, and partnered with L.S. Skaggs to open his first Albertsons store on 16th and State Streets in Boise, Idaho. Joe knew the keys of running a really great store, and it was all about working hard for the customers: give them the products they want, at a fair price, with lots of tender, loving care. Joe was innovative, too. He had one of the first in-store magazine racks in the country along with a scratch bakery and fresh ice cream made in-store. He worked hard, seven days a week, on his vision to build his company, and through his inspiring work ethic and tireless
determination to run the best store, the first store thrived. Just two years later, he had opened two other stores in neighboring communities and grew the fledgling company’s sales to over $1 million by the end of 1941.

Today, Albertsons operates as a banner of Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. With both a strong local presence and national scale, the company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners. Albertsons Companies is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2017 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support. These efforts helped millions of people inthe areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach.