Safeway Raises $2 million for Tsunami Disaster Relief

    Business Editors

    PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 2005--Safeway (NYSE:SWY) raised $2 million in the first week of its store fundraising campaign to help survivors of the tsunami disaster in South Asia. On December 31, 2004, the company began raising funds at stores in the U.S. and Canada to benefit the disaster relief efforts of the Red Cross and UNICEF -- two organizations at the forefront of bringing aid to the survivors. The fundraising will continue through January 31, 2005.
    The $2 million raised in the first week of the campaign will be sent to the Red Cross and UNICEF to help provide food, medical supplies, clean water and other necessities to the people in the effected areas of South Asia.
    Company officials expressed appreciation to customers and employees for their enormous outpouring of support. The Safeway employees in stores and support facilities will have their contributions matched with a donation by the Safeway Foundation.

    About Safeway

    Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates 1,815 stores in the United States and Canada and had annual sales of $35.6 billion in 2003. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.

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CONTACT: Safeway Inc. Teena Massingill, 925-467-3810 Brian Dowling, 925-467-3787

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL CANADA ASIA PACIFIC INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SUPERMARKETS RETAIL SOURCE: Safeway Inc.

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