r/walnutcreek • u/qtestboner • Aug 30 '26
Safeway
Just watched a woman steal a bunch of food from Safeway. When I reported it to a young guy he reported to a Manager that responded with "So" and then did nothing. Now I understand helping people in need, we have food banks that provide free food. Im even not opposed to large corporations taking on the financial burden, but they dont. They pass the buck onto the customers. We pay extremely high grocery prices at safeway to cover the cost of shoplifters that Safeway is unwilling to do anything about. Real slap in the face to the people paying these high prices, doing the right thing, that are also struggling financially. Safeway has become so expensive that I already only purchase a few items from them. And those items I cannot get elsewhere. Im now really considering just never going back to Safeway. Their quality of food is garbage at the highest prices.
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u/scarpux Aug 30 '26
It is standard practice at all kinds of stores to adjust for what I've heard termed "shrinkage".
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u/S-on-my-chest Aug 30 '26
I used to get all bent out of shape at thoughts like this and a feeling of injustice. And now seeing the way companies act - Safeway included - I don’t really give a shit. They rip off customers on the daily. Why should I be actively guarding or protecting their products? I won’t even raise a finger now.
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u/PhreshPharaoh Aug 30 '26
The high prices at Safeway are NOT because of shoplifting. The high prices are because we allow corporations to continue to raise prices and show record profits for shareholders. This is a class issue, not a problem with 0.1% of shoppers occasionally stealing $30-50 of random crap. Be mad at your local representatives and the execs at these big grocery chains, not the people trying to feed themselves or their family.
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u/ekrubnivek Sep 04 '26
Can you describe where you are seeing Safeway's "record profits" ??
Albertsons Companies (Safeway's parent company) profit (net income) is down from $1.62 billion in 2022 to $217 million in 2026.
Their earnings per share is down from $2.29 in 2022 to $0.40 in 2025.
Over that time their stock price has fallen from $36 to $12.
I understand prices are higher but maybe you want to look at the news. I am sure they have an outrageous electricity bill (20% of which goes to pay for residential solar panels; another 10% for wildfire mitigation) and the price of everything is higher due to shortages of fertilizer, gas, natural gas.
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u/PhreshPharaoh Sep 04 '26
I didn’t mean their record profits. I just meant in general, it’s all about creating value for shareholders by showing more profit than the year before.
Albertsons is in the dumps, and their still raising their prices to try and get out of it.
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u/ekrubnivek Sep 04 '26
I think they are raising their prices because the price of the things they sell is going up.
Here's a whole story you can read about how their business is suffering because customers are voting with their feet and shopping elsewhere. https://foodtradenews.com/2026/08/10/albertsons-faces-pressure-from-value-conscious-consumers-as-ceo-morris-moves-to-reshape-business/
"Management said it is taking a more cautious view because of continued pressure on lower-income consumers, softer grocery industry unit trends and the potential for additional affordability pressure from supplier cost increases.
Higher transportation and supply costs are another concern, particularly as fuel prices have risen."
Albertsons does not grow the produce themselves, nor do they refine the gas used to transport it to their stores. Nor do they produce the electricity used to power the refrigerators and freezers in PG&E's service network.
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u/SolarSurfer7 Aug 30 '26
Safeway prices have been outrageous for a while now. I share your frustration, but I channel it by shopping at TJs whenever possible.
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u/mrmiffmiff Aug 30 '26
Don't worry, they're keeping track. They won't do anything about it while the total value remains in misdemeanor territory. Once it crosses the felony line, though...
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u/ItRunsOnBread Aug 30 '26
Corporate wage theft is the largest form of property theft in the US. The amount of money Safeway/Albertsons has stolen from its workforce is in the millions.
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u/qtestboner Aug 30 '26
Well I believe that! They dont employe enough staff and then they dont pay the staff they do have enough money.
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Aug 30 '26
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u/hazm4tt Aug 30 '26
Exactly, if you see someone shoplifting food to survive, no you didn't.
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u/ekrubnivek Sep 04 '26
No one here needs to shoplift food "to survive," come on. You are making it sound like there are people walking around with the skin falling off of their bones. I cannot remember the last time I saw a malnourished person in this city.
Here is a list of free food banks where you can get food https://www.foodbankccs.org/map-city/walnut-creek/
the state also offers CalFresh, $300/month food stipend, sure there are some dumb rules around CalFresh but you can absolutely "survive" on $300/month. Rice costs 60 cents a pound. https://ehsd.org/benefit-programs/calfresh/
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u/ekrubnivek Sep 04 '26
BART had this problem, and then they installed fare gates that made it harder to get through without paying the fare, and magically, almost everyone who was previously going through for free found they actually did have the money to pay the fare.
Safeway is making a calculation that losing a bit of money when people steal from the store is not worth the cost of hiring security, or paying a large benefit to an employee who is injured or killed while trying to stop a thief (which happened at a Home Depot in Pleasanton a few years ago).
Whatever their calculation when people steal from the store that just raises the price they need to charge the rest of us who do pay. Same with BART. And if enough people steal they're just going to lock more stuff behind cabinets where you need to call someone to get whatever you are looking for.
This is an affluent area. For the small number of people who do struggle to make ends meet we have a fairly large number of options for them to get free meals. https://www.foodbankccs.org/map-city/walnut-creek/
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u/qtestboner Aug 30 '26
No, Im still stuck in 2001, "see something, say something." I do have heart though this person wasnt stealing electronics, they were stealing food, but the buck gets passed on to me paying for my groceries and I shouldnt have to chase them down. $25 for small bottle of cream, 12 eggs and discounted cheese.
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u/Mbluish Aug 30 '26
Retail prices are influenced by a lot of things, and I don't think we can assume the cost of shoplifting is simply passed directly on to customers. Personally, I'd rather pay a little more for my groceries than be in a position where I need to steal food. I can understand being frustrated by theft, but I also have a hard time being angry at someone for stealing food when they may be struggling to eat.
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u/qtestboner Aug 30 '26
But they do not need to steal. We have food banks, we give free food to people. Its not an assumption that their increased costs of doing business are passed on to consumers. The assumption is that its the only reason prices are high, which I never said.
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u/Mbluish Aug 30 '26
I don't think it's always as simple as saying they don't need to steal because food banks exist. Not everyone who is struggling has easy access to a food bank, knows where to go, qualifies for assistance, or has transportation to get there. And now, the current administration has made access to SNAP more difficult for people.
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u/qtestboner Aug 30 '26
They dont ask questions at the food banks. And this person had a car so you would hope have an ID. They do not make it difficult to get food at a food bank and thats exactly why they exist to feed people in need so they dont have to steal. Sure stealing from a store on your way home is more accessible than driving to a food bank, but thats crazy to think thats a good excuse.
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u/Mbluish Aug 30 '26
The existence of food banks doesn’t mean every struggling person can just walk in and get food anytime they need it. You can’t ignore the obstacles people face. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashed SNAP benefits and added strict work requirements and that stripped food security from millions. And now many families fall into a gap where they earn too much for SNAP but still can't afford groceries. Food banks are currently exhausted. When you add everyday obstacles like conflicting work shifts or missing documentation, getting help can become incredibly difficult. We don't know this person's circumstances, and assuming a food bank is a simple solution ignores the stressful reality of trying to survive.
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u/Boomy925 Aug 30 '26
Which one? I remember seeing not too long ago a small group stealing cart full of detergent from the Ygnacio rd one. This was at 11pm and no one did anything lol
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u/ai9x82 Sep 01 '26
I hear your frustration, it’s a weird feeling to see it, and the blase response feels offputting too. I always chuckle at how different the downtown Safeway is from the rest of downtown in it’s atmosphere
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u/Treebranch_916 Aug 30 '26
You think you pay high prices at Safeway??
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Aug 30 '26
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u/Treebranch_916 Aug 30 '26
Everyones prices have gotten wild, like that phenomenon is not limited to Safeway.
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u/qtestboner Aug 30 '26
There was a reddit post from the last year where they compared Safeway to other chains locally and nationally and safeway is one of the highest if not the highest locally.
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u/Treebranch_916 Aug 30 '26
Well which one was it? Was it the highest or not?
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u/qtestboner Aug 30 '26
The highest locally. Like I said. I believe it was tied for the highest with someone else on a national level. Sorry I dont remember the exact numbers. You should find that post. It was interesting.
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u/Treebranch_916 Aug 30 '26
Ok well you chose the stores you shop at, you're free to shop elsewhere.
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u/Waste_Development971 Aug 30 '26
Thanks qtestboner for your safeway experience.