If you are relocating to or visiting Monterey County, or if you’re already living here, visiting the Safeway chain of grocery stores will be nearly unavoidable. And with 2025 New Year’s resolutions inspiring ways for us to eat healthier or be thriftier, Safeway lures us more and more.
Safeway is part of the Albertsons group of companies nationwide, with stores that go by names like Jewel-Osco, Tom Thumb, Vons and Safeway. I’ve had a consistent shopping experience at Safeways from Lake Tahoe to Honolulu. You will find these large, liquor-pharmacy-grocery stores throughout Monterey County, in Pacific Grove, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Salinas and Del Rey Oaks (the store I usually visit). Some believe the mythical boundary between “NorCal” and “SoCal” can be found where Safeway ends and Vons begins.
This supermarket giant stocks any item you could possibly need and even some unique local products. But there is plenty a savvy shopper must realize about visiting Safeway stores in Monterey County.
The Good: Freshness and the Safeway App
When your grocery store lies between the Salad Bowl of the World and a bountiful marine ecosystem, the fresh stuff available at the most accessible grocery store in the area is going to be strong. The produce is huge, beautiful and long-lasting and I love experimenting with the rockfish or halibut found in the normal seafood section—often 30% off.
I also am going to do something I never, ever do. If you are relocating to Monterey County or moving to Monterey, I highly recommend downloading and acquainting yourself with the Safeway app. The app has gotten much more streamlined, and you can access your points and coupons by tapping the app or typing in your phone number on the store’s keypad. I usually save at least 30% on my entire grocery order when combining in-store deals and those clipped in the app.
Safeway’s the Bad: Price Inconsistencies
In my experience, I am charged incorrectly at Safeway grocery stores every single time. It is now my habit to skim the receipt before leaving the building because I know I have to visit customer service to get some money back. Unfortunately, customer service is rarely staffed—making me weigh if it’s ultimately worth it to wait for the money I am owed (see: Safeway’s the Ugly).
While this is my personal experience, it is also such a problem with California stores that Albertsons was hit with a $4 million fine in October 2024. This gesture is meant to settle a widespread problem with overcharging and inaccurate weights at Safeway stores.
In July 2024, Albertson’s reported $24.3 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2024, exceeding analyst predictions.
It’s a good idea to pay attention to your receipt when going to Safeway, Albertsons, Vons or any of this chain of supermarket stores for the foreseeable future.
Safeway’s the Ugly: Customer Service
I’m not sure where to begin when describing the customer service experience at Safeway grocery stores. Be prepared to fend for yourself in this store, from discerning the prices of groceries to checking out items. If you must ask for help, I recommend allocating at least 30 minutes for someone to appear.
The conundrum of shopping at Safeways post-pandemic is there is literally no good time to go. If you’re able to go during a downtime, e.g. Monday mornings, there is a good chance only the express lane will be staffed, forcing you to use the self checkout for your entire grocery order. At self-checkout, you must wait for someone with credentials to accept any coupons. And the staffer may or may not do this for you successfully. You MUST ALWAYS double-check your receipt—did I mention that already?
If you go during a busy time, you have the normal annoyances of a bustling grocery store and packed parking lot, but you may have someone to ring up (and maybe bag!) your groceries.
Understaffing and the fair wage crisis is still ongoing in California and across the United States. In July 2024, Albertson’s reported $24.3 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2024, exceeding analyst predictions.
Safeway: The Conclusion
The items available at Safeway are comprehensive and often display the bounty of the local area. I definitely recommend using the Safeway app to its utmost capabilities, before the high quality of the coupons and the rapid accumulation of reward points inevitably declines, as we have seen with mega-corporations like Microsoft and Dunkin’ Donuts.
If you decide to go to Safeway, are buying more than one dozen items, and would prefer to be charged the correct amount for groceries, be sure to allocate more than enough time to complete your Safeway journey. Be aware you may need to budget an extra 30 minutes to: 1) locate a staff person to answer questions about price discrepancies or provide refunds and/or 2) ring up and bag your own groceries.
Leave a Reply