Safeway 2008 Annual Report Download - page 16

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 16 of the 2008 Safeway annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 104

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104

SAFEWAY INC. 2008 ANNUAL REPORT — PAGE FOURTEEN
GROWTH VEHICLES
In addition to enhancing our core supermarket
business, Safeway has been busy generating ideas
to grow our earnings in new ways, utilizing key
competencies and other strengths in our core
business.
One tangible example of these efforts is our gift card
business, operated by our Blackhawk Network
subsidiary. With a network of more than 80,000
stores reaching 165 million consumers each week,
Blackhawk Network is a pioneer in the gift card
business and is the largest provider of third-party gift
cards in North America. It provides cards for more
than 300 brands from companies such as The Home
Depot, Gap, Nordstrom and Bed Bath & Beyond,
and distributes or issues prepaid cards for American
Express, Visa and MasterCard, as well as professional
and college sports and entertainment cards for a
variety of venues. Blackhawk Network also has
offices and operations in Australia, the United
Kingdom and France.
We are also expanding the distribution of our O
Organics and Eating Right brands through the Better
Living Brands Alliance, a consortium of world class
manufacturing and marketing companies formed to
meet demand for organic and wellness foods. These
products are being sold into the food retail and food
service channels. In addition, we plan to capitalize
on our experience in reducing and controlling health
care costs through our Safeway Health company,
and our expertise in real estate development through
our newly formed property development company.
We also continue to explore the potential for a smaller
store than we currently operate.