Vons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Vons Companies, Inc. | |
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| Type | Grocery |
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| Founded | 1906 (Los Angeles, California) |
| Headquarters | Arcadia, California |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
| Website | www.vons.com |
Vons (formerly Von's) is a Southern California supermarket chain, and is a division of Safeway Inc. It is headquartered in Arcadia, California.
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[edit] History
Charles Von der Ahe opened a cash and carry store named Von's Groceteria in downtown Los Angeles, California, in 1906. The business had grown to 87 stores by 1928, when he sold the operation to McMarr Stores (itself acquired by M.B. Skaggs' Safeway in 1930). In 1932 his sons Ted and Wilfred re-entered the business, founding the Von's Grocery Company.
In 1948, Von's opened a pioneering store which offered self-service (i.e., pre-packaged) produce, meat, and deli items. By 1958, it had doubled in size to 27 stores, the third-largest grocery chain in the Greater Los Angeles Area.[1] In 1960 it acquired the sixth-largest, competitor Shopping Bag Food Stores, a merger that was challenged by the Federal Trade Commission on antitrust grounds. In 1966 the United States Supreme Court ruled against Von's in United States v. Von's Grocery Co. (384 U.S. 270), forcing a re-divestiture of the stores. The Von der Ahe family sold the chain to Household Finance Corporation in 1969.
[edit] 1980s, 1990s
In 1984, Vons was named official supermarket of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
In 1986 Household spun off Vons Companies in a leveraged buyout. To recapitalize itself, Vons merged with Detroit, Michigan-based Allied Supermarkets and sold off its assets outside California. Vons was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1987.
Also in 1986, Vons introduced Pavilions, a "combination store" concept which offered a wider variety of upscale products as well as pharmacy and other non-food products and services.
Safeway withdrew from Southern California in 1988 and sold most of its stores to Vons in exchange for an ownership stake. In April 1997, Safeway exercised its option to acquire control of the company, and Vons has since operated as a subsidiary. Most of the Safeway brands and advertising campaigns are used by the Vons stores.
The Charles Von der Ahe Library is the main library of Loyola Marymount University (LMU).[2] Its construction was made possible by a 1957 gift from the Von's Foundation. Will Von der Ahe was an alumnus of LMU's predecessor, Loyola University Los Angeles.
[edit] References
- FindLaw.com: United States v. Von's Grocery Co. (384 U.S. 270)
- FundingUniverse.com: The Vons Companies, Inc.
- " Safeway merger opening new chapter in Vons saga," Supermarket News, April 21, 1997.
[edit] External links
| Corporate Directors: Steven Burd | Paul Hazen | Janet E. Grove | Mohan Gyani | Robert I. MacDonnell | Douglas F. Mackenzie | Rebecca A. Stirn | William Y. Tauscher | Raymond G. Viault | |
| Chains: Carrs | Dominick's | Genuardi's | Pak 'n' Save | Pavilions | Randall's | Safeway Food & Drug | Simon David | Tom Thumb | Vons | |
| Website: Safeway |
