In 1912, Sam Seelig opened the first grocery store bearing his name in Los Angeles. By 1922, the Seelig’s chain had grown to 71 stores. When Sam decided to leave the company to enter the real estate business two years later, a contest was held to rename his stores. Safeway won. The name was a reference to the chain’s cash-and-carry policy.
While many grocery stores at the time offered credit, Seelig’s did not, making it the “safe way” to shop and avoid falling into debt. Safeway’s 322 stores merged with M.B. Skaggs’ chain of 428 stores in 1926 and was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1928. Today, the chain has more than 1,000 stores.