How to Sell to Safeway & Become a Safeway Vendor

Hey there I’m Karen Waksman, the founder of Retail MBA. Today I want to share some insights, on how you can become a vendor for Safeway. The reason behind this topic is that I’ve been teaching product companies about selling their products to retailers and Safeway is a popular choice especially for those in the food industry looking to get their products onto grocery store shelves.

Private Label Products

Lets dive into Safeway and why its worth considering as a sales opportunity. One key aspect to keep in mind is Safeways emphasis on ‘Private Label’ products. This is something most grocery chains prioritize. We’ll specifically discuss it in relation to Safeway stores.

What does ‘Private Label’ mean? Well when you step into a Safeway store you won’t just find known brands, on the shelves. You’ll also come across products labeled as ‘Safeway Select’ which represents their brand.

They carry Safeway brand names in their store with ‘Safeway Select’ being one of the ones you’ll find there. In terms Safeway has its line of products known as ‘Safeway Select’ available, in their stores.

Now lets dive into what this means. They have something called ‘Private Label.’. What exactly is private label? Essentially it means that Safeway has its range of products. They work with manufacturers who’re willing to sell their products under the Safeway brand name and packaging. So if you have a product that would be a fit for Safeway but haven’t been successful, in approaching their stores you might want to explore the option of selling through their Private Label program!Once you become a vendor, for Safeway they will be more inclined to purchase a variety of products from you.

Advantages of Selling to Safeway

Here are some advantages of selling your product under a label to grocery stores like Safeway;

In case Safeway isn’t interested in your product the option of labeling provides another potential avenue to sell your product to them.
Private label products tend to be bought in quantities by retailers allowing companies to make profits.
You have the flexibility to sell your product as a label at one chain store while also selling the branded version at chain stores. This means you are not limited solely to being a label product.
By utilizing Safeways packaging it may prove easier for you if packaging has been challenging in the past.
Opting for the label route can provide support, for your business while simultaneously growing your branded business.