Albertsons
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.
Amazon
Our Leadership Principles aren't inspirational wall hangings. These Principles work hard, just like we do. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they're discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer's problem, or interviewing candidates.
Big 5
Big 5 Sporting Goods is one of America's top retailers of name brand sporting goods and accessories. As of November 13, 2018, Big 5 had 434 locations spread throughout 11 western states and you can find a convenient location near you using our Store Locator.
We provide a full-line product offering in a traditional sporting goods store format that averages approximately 11,000 square feet. Our product mix includes athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as a broad selection of outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, winter and summer recreation and roller sports.
Big Lots
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Big Lots, Inc. is a community retailer operating more than 1,400 Big Lots stores in 47 states, dedicated to friendly service, trustworthy value, and affordable solutions in every season and category – furniture, food, décor, and more. Our stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BIG. We’re committed to being the big difference for a better life by delivering unmatched value through surprise and delight, building a best place to work culture, rewarding shareholders with consistent growth, and doing good as we do well. Live Big. Save Lots.
Costco
The company's first location, opened in 1976 under the Price Club name, was in a converted airplane hangar on Morena Boulevard in San Diego. The company found it could achieve far greater buying power by serving small businesses and a select audience of non-business members. With that, the growth of the warehouse club industry was off and running. In 1983, the first Costco warehouse location opened in Seattle. Costco became the first company to grow from zero to $3 billion in sales in less than six years. When Costco and Price Club merged in 1993 to become PriceCostco, it had 206 locations generating $16 billion in annual sales.
Our operating philosophy has remained simple: Keep costs down and pass the savings on to our members. Our large membership base and tremendous buying power, combined with our never-ending quest for efficiency, result in the lowest possible prices for our members. Since resuming the Costco name in 1997, the company has grown worldwide. During the past fiscal year (ended September 3, 2017), total sales were $126.1 billion. For additional information, request a Costco Story and/or a My Costco Services guide when you visit any Costco membership counter.
Fred Myer
First and foremost, Fred G. Meyer was a retailer with a great idea: One-Stop Shopping. But he was more than that. He was also a philosopher, semanticist and teacher the Wall Street Journal once described as "the last of the great American entrepreneurs."
Fred G. Meyer (originally Frederick Grubmeyer) came to Portland, Oregon in 1908 when he was 22 years old. Drawing on his experience working for his family’s grocery business, Mr. Meyer began selling coffee from a horse-drawn cart to workers at farms and lumber camps. As he watched and listened to his Customers (always a proper noun to Mr. Meyer), he began planning a completely new kind of store.
In 1922, Mr. Meyer opened the first Fred Meyer store in Portland at the corner of SW 5th & Yamhill. Mr. Meyer’s vision was to give Customers more reasons to shop in his store than in any other. Before he opened his new store, Customers went to separate shops for meat, produce, cheese and other goods. Mr. Meyer placed these all under one roof and put an expert in charge of each area, setting the stage for the Fred Meyer stores we know today – stores that average 150,000 square feet and carry more than 225,000 items. Mr. Meyer’s ideas still appeal to Customers because our service, selection, quality and prices still save people time and money. With food, health & beauty care, clothes, home products, electronics and more under one roof, you can get more shopping done in one stop than at any other store.
Kroger
In 1883, Barney Kroger invested his life savings of $372 to open a grocery store at 66 Pearl Street in downtown Cincinnati. The son of a merchant, he ran his business with a simple motto: “Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself.”
It was a credo that would serve The Kroger Co. well over the next 130 years as the supermarket business evolved into a variety of formats aimed at satisfying the ever-changing needs of shoppers.
With nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states under two dozen banners and annual sales of more than $121.1 billion, Kroger today ranks as one of the world’s largest retailers.
Many aspects of the company’s business today trace their roots to Mr. Kroger’s early efforts to serve his customers. Consider two specialty departments that today are regular fixtures in the company’s supermarkets – bakeries and meat and seafood shops. In the early 1900s, most grocers bought their bread from independent bakeries. But Mr. Kroger, always pursuing quality as the key ingredient for profit, recognized that if he baked his own bread, he could reduce the price for his customers and still make money. So, in 1901, he became the first grocer in the country to establish his own bakeries. He was also the first to sell meats and groceries under one roof.
Mr. Kroger also spied the promise of increasing his income by manufacturing the products he sold. It began in that first Kroger store on Pearl St. When farmers came to town with their produce, he bought far more cabbage than he could expect his customers to buy. He took the cabbage home to his mother who, following her favorite recipe, turned it into tangy sauerkraut that proved hugely popular with his German customers.
Price Smart
A strategically focused, volume-driven and entrepreneurial membership merchandise and services leader delivering quality, value and low prices to the rapidly emerging consumer class in Central America, the Caribbean and Asia.
Currently our warehouse clubs can be found in the following countries: Colombia (7), Costa Rica (7), El Salvador (2), Guatemala (3) Honduras (3), Nicaragua (2), Panama (7), Aruba (1), Barbados (1), Dominican Republic ( 4 ), Jamaica (1), Trinidad and Tobago (4), and U.S. Virgin Islands (1).
We know that you always have a choice when it comes to shopping, and that's why we have created an experience like no other.
Walmart
What started small, with a single discount store and the simple idea of selling more for less, has grown over the last 50 years into the largest retailer in the world. Each week, nearly 265 million customers and members visit our more than 11,200 stores under 55 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. It’s all part of our unwavering commitment to creating opportunities and bringing value to customers and communities around the world.