Albertsons 1950

Always the innovator, Joe was among the first to foresee the advantages of locating food stores in modern shopping centers sprouting up in suburban areas. In 1951, Albertson's opened its largest store, a whopping 60,000 square feet of retail space. It was the first of a few experimental combination food and drug stores to be built in the fifties.

By the mid 1950s, Albertson's was well established in its four-state territory of Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The Company continued to build supermarkets at an accelerated pace in selected communities. The corporate headquarters was established adjacent to the original Boise store. Specialized departments for advertising and public relations, administration, accounting, legal affairs, real estate planning and architecture were created.

To supply stores with well-prepared managers, the Company began an extensive training program to give selected personnel a complete course in storewide operations. By 1957, Albertson's renewed drug operations with the purchase of a small drug store. Thus beginning a trend that continues in today's operation, incorporating drug stores into Albertson's Food Centers.

A most significant decision regarding the future of Albertson's was made in 1959. The Company went public with its first stock offering to develop more capital for operations and to establish a market value for the business. At the end of the 50s, Albertson's operated 62 supermarkets, five drug units and one department store. Together, they generated nearly $70 million in sales with almost $1.8 million in profits.