Our Story
always changing for the better
Genuardi's, the Start-Up
The legacy of Genuardi's began in 1920, when Gaspare Genuardi and his wife, Josephine, grew vegetables on a small farm in Norristown, near Philadelphia. They delivered the goods to their neighbors by horse and wagon, and later by Model T truck. Gaspare possessed a strong sense of pride and customer service that has been the cornerstone of Genuardi's success for more than 80 years.
The legacy of Genuardi's began in 1920, when Gaspare Genuardi and his wife, Josephine, grew vegetables on a small farm in Norristown, near Philadelphia. They delivered the goods to their neighbors by horse and wagon, and later by Model T truck. Gaspare possessed a strong sense of pride and customer service that has been the cornerstone of Genuardi's success for more than 80 years.
Gaspare and Josephine were the parents of nine children; five of their sons entered the business and helped to make it grow. In the 1930's, the Genuardi family opened a small corner store, and later a superette. They created a sound reputation for their fine quality produce and their untiring efforts to supply shoppers with just what they wanted. In 1954, they opened the first independently owned supermarket in the Norristown area, dedicated to offering the best, freshest products in an attractive and convenient environment.
Genuardi's Expands
Throughout the next four decades, the Genuardi family continued to expand into the surrounding counties. They built a family of stores that became the largest, most respected, independent supermarket business in the Delaware Valley. In 1990, the third generation of Genuardi family members assumed the leadership of the company. Always looking for new and innovative ideas to improve the shopping experience, Genuardi's added many amenities such as food courts with a wide array of freshly prepared foods, in-store cafés, and in-store banks. In the ten years from 1990 to 2000, the number of stores and employees nearly doubled, as Genuardi's crossed state boundary lines and expanded into the neighboring states of Delaware and New Jersey. During this time, Genuardi's earned many awards, including the prestigious Pennsylvania Family Business of the Year Award, presented by The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Throughout the next four decades, the Genuardi family continued to expand into the surrounding counties. They built a family of stores that became the largest, most respected, independent supermarket business in the Delaware Valley. In 1990, the third generation of Genuardi family members assumed the leadership of the company. Always looking for new and innovative ideas to improve the shopping experience, Genuardi's added many amenities such as food courts with a wide array of freshly prepared foods, in-store cafés, and in-store banks. In the ten years from 1990 to 2000, the number of stores and employees nearly doubled, as Genuardi's crossed state boundary lines and expanded into the neighboring states of Delaware and New Jersey. During this time, Genuardi's earned many awards, including the prestigious Pennsylvania Family Business of the Year Award, presented by The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The Legacy Continues
In December 2000, the Genuardi family announced the sale of Genuardi's Family Markets to Genuardi's Inc. of Pleasanton, California. The transaction was finalized in February 2001. Safeway Inc., a Fortune 50 company, operates more than 1,700 stores across the United States and Canada, and is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. Its stock is traded on the New York stock exchange under the symbol SWY. Today, as a division of Safeway, Genuardi's continues to operate on the same basic principles that have been the foundation of the company since its humble beginnings in 1920: quality products, freshness, great value, and legendary customer service. Under Safeway's ownership, Genuardi's remains committed to providing a pleasant shopping experience for all customers. More than 6,500 team members operate 40 Genuardi's stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Good Neighbor Policy
Giving back to the communities where we do business has been a cornerstone of Genuardi's cultural heritage. In 1976, the Genuardi's Community Cash Back Program was established as a means for Genuardi's to support the local communities throughout our marketing areas. Since the program's inception, Genuardi's has donated more than $24 million to more than 3,000 non-profit organizations. The funds have helped to support the good deeds of numerous groups such as schools, churches, synagogues, libraries, scout troops and fire companies. In the fall of 2002, Safeway enhanced this program by introducing Genuardi's Community Cash Back powered by eScrip. Members of enrolled groups need only to swipe their Genuardi's club card at the register to earn valuable funds for their chosen organization. To learn more about this program, visit Community Caring on our web site, and click on Community Cash Back.