Groceteria.com

Hi Gang,

I believe that the current Albertsons logo dates from 1976. Thus, I would like you to dig out any possible history on the logos of Albertsons since the company's 1939 founding.

I know that the white "Western-style" font on blue signage would date from about 1964 to 1976. This same signage was also in red, on a white background, from about 1959 to 1964.

Ben (StoreLiker2006)

This photo is black and white, but for what it's worth, here's a 1957 or '58 Albertson's in Tacoma;
http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/i ... 05509PM592

[quote="justin karimzad"]This photo is black and white, but for what it's worth, here's a 1957 or '58 Albertson's in Tacoma;
http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/i ... 05509PM592 [/quote]

Now that signage (in regards to the photo from the link you provided) was different altogether. It read on the top, "Albertson's Food Center." I do not know how many had existed like that in Portland, OR when new.

I remember the Western style logo on the albertsons in Montebello. Each letter was in its own box. They also had a shopping cart logo if i can remember correctly. The store was closed around 1987.

I have a photo of the Western-style text up in the "non-Safeway marina type buildings" thread but will post it again here, an example from Chain Store Age's July 1960 issue, in Bountiful, Utah:

Here's the grand opening ad for the store you've mentioned in Lakewood (Tacoma): http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/LaitKHbs ... ,+Lakewood

You'll see that the logo they used in their print advertising through the mid '60s was a sort of brush script. By the way, this store had an enormous pole sign in the parking lot that could be seen for blocks. (Actually, it was so big it was supported with two poles). It was still there in 2002 (it's now gone) -- you can see it casting a long shadow in the upper center of this photo: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... 47.1701000.

Albertson's pulled out of Tacoma in the late '60s and didn't re-enter the market until the early '80s. Clover Park Community College (later Fort Steilacoom CC and now Pierce College) actually started in this old Albertson's store in 1967 -- locals derided the school as "Albertson's U." The other two stores (70th & Pacific and Sixth & "M") both became Food King locations.

My question is -- are there any Albertson's still operating with the "Big A"/Western-style signage? I doubt it, as it seems Albertson's did a much more thorough job eliminating any trace of that logo compared with Safeway and the occasional Circle S that has managed to survive.

tkaye wrote: My question is -- are there any Albertson's still operating with the "Big A"/Western-style signage? I doubt it, as it seems Albertson's did a much more thorough job eliminating any trace of that logo compared with Safeway and the occasional Circle S that has managed to survive.

Safeway also had the circle S logo for much longer (1950s to 1982), and the thinner lettering (1960s to 1982). AND, Safeway's most recent Circle S was actually in San Jose in 1997 (at the former bowling alley), whereas Albertsons has used its current logo since the 70s. (Also, Safeway has retained Circle S logos on at least one lifestyle store, the marina at 3350 Mission in SF.)

There was an Albertson's in Visalia using this "Western" style signage until the early part of this decade when the store was demolished for a new construction store.

Jeff wrote:I remember the Western style logo on the albertsons in Montebello. Each letter was in its own box. They also had a shopping cart logo if i can remember correctly. The store was closed around 1987.

Yup...I indeed remember the Montebello location signage...including the shopping cart logo.

Daniel wrote:There was an Albertson's in Visalia using this "Western" style signage until the early part of this decade when the store was demolished for a new construction store.

You mean this one, yes:



There's another exterior shot and also some interior pictures of that store on my rather skeletal Albertsons page:

http://www.groceteria.com/stores/albertsons.html

The Albertsons in Visalia looked like Montebello's on the inside with that logo.

The store in Temple City still has that interior.

I believe Albertsons abandoned their Marina-roofed store architectures around the same time Safeway did away with theirs... around 1970, if I am not mistaken.

It read on the top, "Albertson's Food Center." I do not know how many had existed like that

What was really odd about the Pierce County Albertson's prior to 1976 is how different they were compared to the King County locations.

Even when the stores were changed to the arch format (similar to Safeway's marina stores) in the 1960s, the singage was different. Most of the stores in King County had the Albertsons spelled out letter for letter on each pole in two different fonts. One was the western font using plastic letters covering flourescent lighting fixtures and the other was a smaller more standard font in neon lighting spelled out letter for letter on each pole.

In Pierce County though I know one store didn't even label the front of the store at all (somewhere west of Tacoma on the hill used to be a thrift if it is still around) and then there was one in Puyallup that had the Box Boy logo on the poles (another logo used in the 60s). In fact when AG took over the store they didn't even change the sign.

One difference between Albertson's and Safeway was Albertson's could always build the same store on the outside but there was always something different about each individual store in some way (except for the bakery). I don't think that was the case with Safeway. Some didn't have a bakery but that was about it and was always the familiar "S" logo on the sides of the building.

The Albertsons "symbol" was first used in the 70's at some point, then their script in the 80's. This based on the history section of the old Albertsons website. Information on Albertsons history is hard to find. I read somewhere that Albertsons entered the Houston market in 1990, but other sources say 1995, and they always had the current logo there. Also, I have a Hot Wheels Albertsons truck dated 1991. That was a common Hot Wheels truck design that was copyrighted in 1991 though. I even have a Woolworth model that was released not long before Woolworth went under (1997).

Another 1960s photo of an Albertson's in Bellevue WA:

http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/ ... OX=1&REC=1

This one had the red Western-style logo at the time, so I would assume it to be an early 60s store. The store is actually still standing (and was still an Albertson's in 1987, but I don't know how much longer it remained after that) and is currently a Cost Plus World Market store.