Safeway vs. King Soopers

Safeway and King Soopers are two popular grocery stores. Maybe you’ve shopped at both, or you might not have experience with either.

Before you shop at one store or the other, consider their similarities and differences. Then, you can determine which store is better for you.

How Do Safeway and King Soopers Compare?

Safeway and King Soopers both offer good deals on grocery items. However, Safeway has more items to choose from and has more stores in more states. On the other hand, King Soopers generally has lower prices and has fewer recalls.

Of course, where you shop can depend on your location. If you have access to both, consider the differences in detail.

Store Brand Pricing

One of the first things you might wonder is which store is cheaper. Of course, both stores carry popular brand name items. To get an idea of the price difference, consider the store brand at Safeway and King Soopers.

In general, the King Soopers brand is cheaper than the Safeway brand. The one exception is when it comes to dairy products. So if you tend to spend a lot on milk or cheese, Safeway might come out on top.

But everything else, from baked goods to personal care items, cost less at King Soopers. Think about everything you buy to determine which store might offer you a lower cost overall.

Number of Products

Both stores carry thousands of brands and products. That means you should be able to find what you want no matter where you choose to shop.

However, Safeway carries about five times as many products as King Soopers (50,000 to 10,000). Both are in the 10s of thousands, but Safeway wins this category.

Of course, the types of products also matter. King Soopers tends to carry more local items, for example, so you can support your community. And there may be more items at King Soopers that you want, whether they’re local or not.

Product Recalls

Having a lot of products doesn’t automatically make Safeway a better store. You should also think about the number of product recalls each store has. According to one source, Safeway has recalled 11 foods and beverages.

King Soopers has had to recall one animal and vet product, one drug, and eight foods and beverages. That means the store has recalled 10 items in total. But don’t just look at the numbers; consider the percentage of products overall.

Safeway may have recalled 11 items, but that’s out of 50,000 (or 0.022%). On the other hand, King Soopers has recalled 10 out of 10,000 items (or 0.1%). That means King Soopers has a recall rate that’s almost five times higher than Safeway.

Locations

Another thing to consider is where each store is. King Soopers has over 100 stores across four states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico). However, Safeway has over 900 stores in 17 states and DC.

Residents in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico can access both stores. Otherwise, you’ll have to go with the grocery store that’s closest to you.

Sure, you can move to a city or state with the store you prefer. But that’s a pretty odd reason to want to move somewhere new. If you’re looking to move, in general, though, you may want to consider the available stores to narrow down the places where you might live.

Rewards Program

A lot of grocery stores have rewards programs, and Safeway and King Soopers are no exception. You can join the Safeway rewards program for free and earn a point for every dollar you spend at the store.

After 100 points, you’ll earn a reward, such as free groceries or lower gas prices. You’ll also get a free birthday treat, digital coupons, and other benefits.

If you want to shop at King Soopers, you’ll have to pay $59 a year for their rewards program. The perks include lower gas prices and free grocery delivery. Overall, Safeway has the better program since it’s free and comes with more benefits.

Working There

You might want to consider what it’s like to work at each grocery store. When it comes to the CEO, culture, perks, and professional development, Safeway comes out on top. But King Soopers is better for diversity.

All of these ratings come from employees. For better or worse, a lot of the categories are only a few points apart, so neither company is significantly better or worse to work for.

If you live near both stores, you can apply to both. Then, be sure to ask about certain things in your interview. That can help you get an idea of which company you might want as an employer.

Safeway and King Soopers

If you live close enough to both stores, you can shop at Safeway and King Soopers. In fact, that might be a good way to help you save money.

You could get most of your items from King Soopers since it’s usually cheaper. But you can save your milk and cheese products for your Safeway trip.

How Does Safeway Compare to King Soopers?

Safeway has more products and locations than King Soopers. It also has a free rewards program that has more perks. But the second store usually offers lower prices and has recalled fewer total items. Consider shopping at both places if you can to take advantage of the best parts of each.