If you have an Albertsons (or Safeway) in your area, you may have noticed there's a newsstand near the carts at the front.
It's not filled with the local newspaper. It's the weekly ad filled to the brim with deals, sales, seasonal items and more!
As an employee of the Intermountain Division, my teammates and I work together to create the big, beautiful and complex ad per Albertsons' wishes.
Each market area and its unique quirks must be taken into consideration - there can be dozens of different versions for one week to accommodate them all!
Some pages of the ad are purely online and are only found on the website or within the app. Here I will focus on the ones that are printed.
Throughout the year, the ad adapts to suit the season, taking on themes when appropriate, celebrating holidays and sporting events with fun decorative art and deals on products perfect for the occasion. The ad may look rigid and structured on the surface, but is surprisingly flexible, adjusting to fit the current needs of each department and market demand.
This is to illustrate both the similarities and differences between the two banners, Albertsons and Safeway.
Both follow the same layout template, but each has certain qualities that distinguish them.
The Broadway and Market Street locations have their own special style. Both stores are more stylish in design and more robust in what they offer. From a wider range of products (including a dedicated international section) to expanded specialty departments (butcher block, deli, bakery, produce, cheese, alcohol and more) to a food court with full bar and seating area. The Broadway store in downtown Boise, Idaho was the pilot for the even larger Market Street in Meridian. The ad follows a more styled branding guideline unique to these stores.
Mid-2024, the Broadway & Market Street ad condensed down to half its previous size.
The purpose of which was to focus entirely on what is in season and local to the area, and it is successfully doing so.
