Vons is a southern California supermarket chain and a division of Safeway Inc. It is headquartered in Arcadia, California, and operates stores under the Vons and Pavilions banners.

History

Beginning
Charles Von der Ahe opened a 20-foot wide store named Von'sGroceteria in downtown Los Angeles, California, in 1906. The business had grown to 87 stores by 1928, when he sold the operation toMacMarr Stores. MacMarr was acquired by M.B. Skaggs' Safeway in 1930. In 1932, his sons Theodore and Wilfred restarted the Von's Grocery Company.

In 1948, Von's opened a pioneering store which offered self-service, pre-packaged produce, meat, and deli items. By 1958, it had doubled in size to 27 stores, the third-largest grocery chain in theGreater Los Angeles Area In 1960 it acquired the sixth-largest, competitor Shopping Bag, a merger that was challenged by the Federal Trade Commission on antitrust grounds. In 1966 the United States Supreme Court ruled against Von's in United States v. Von's Grocery Co. (384 U.S. 270), forcing a re-divestiture of the stores, which were eventually sold to Fisher Foods. The Von der Ahe family sold the chain to Household Finance Corporation in 1969. In 1970, Vons had 128 stores, making it the 2nd largest supermarket chain in southern California behind Safeway.

1980s-1990s
 

 
Exterior of the Vons store inHollywood, Los Angeles, California

In 1984, Vons was named official supermarket of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

In 1984, William Davila was named Chairman and CEO of Vons, the first Mexican American to be CEO of an American supermarket chain. Prior to his appointment, Davila worked for 37 years at Vons before becoming CEO. He opened Tianguis, catering to Hispanic consumers, and was well received as the company's television spokesman, starring in commercials in both English and Spanish during his tenure. He retired in 1999.

In 1986, Household spun off Vons Companies in a leveraged buyout. To recapitalize itself, Vons merged with Detroit, Michigan-based Allied Supermarkets and sold off its assets outside California. Vons was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1987.

Also in 1986, Vons introduced Pavilions, a "combination store" concept which offered a wider variety of upscale products as well as pharmacy and other non-food products and services. Some stores that were smaller were branded Pavilions Place.

In 1988, Safeway withdrew from southern California and southern Nevada and sold most of its stores to Vons in exchange for an ownership stake. In April 1997, Safeway exercised its option to acquire control of the company, and Vons has since operated as a subsidiary. Most of the Safeway brands and advertising campaigns are used by the Vons stores.

The Charles Von der Ahe Library was the main library of Loyola Marymount University (LMU) until the Fall of 2009 when the new William H. Hannon Library was opened. In the new library there is a Von der Ahe suite located on the third floor. Its construction was made possible by a 1957 gift from the Von's Foundation. Wilfred Von Der Ahe's three sons, Bill, Chuck, and Tom all graduated from Loyola University. Three of Tom Von Der Ahe's children are also alumni and currently his oldest granddaughter, Megan attends LMU. Chuck Von Der Ahe's son, Wil Von der Ahe, is also an alumnus of LMU's predecessor, Loyola University Los Angeles. Wil Von Der Ahe's daughter, Brookie Von Der Ahe attends Boston College.

Lifestyle Branding
On April 18, 2005, Safeway began a $100 million brand re-positioning campaign labeled "Ingredients for life." This was done in an attempt to differentiate itself from its competitors, and to increase brand involvement. Steve Burd described it as "branding the shopping experience".
The launch included a redesigned logo, a new slogan "Ingredients for life" alongside a four-panel life icon to be used throughout stores and advertising, and a web application called "FoodFlex" to improve consumer nutrition. Many locations are being converted to the "Lifestyle" format. The new look was designed by Michigan-based PPC Design. In addition to the "inviting decor with warm ambiance and subdued lighting", the move required heavy redesign of store layout, new employee uniforms, sushi and olive bars, and the addition of in-store Starbucks kiosks (with cupholders on grocery carts). The change also involved differentiating the company from competitors with promotions based on the company’s extensive loyalty card database. At the end of 2004 there were 142 "Lifestyle" format stores in the United States and Canada, with plans to open or remodel another 300 stores with this type of theme the following year. "Lifestyle format" stores have seen significantly higher average weekly sales than their other stores. By the end of 2006, shares were up proving that this rebranding campaign had a major impact on sale figures.

Vons Pharmacy

Pharmacy Service
The professionalism of Vons Pharmacists goes beyond preparing prescriptions. We are experienced health consultants and will be happy to:
 Explain medications for you and provide written information.

Inform you on how to use them safely and effectively. Answer any questions you may have about compatibility with your current medications. Discuss possible side effects.

 Assist in selecting over-the-counter products on any productsin our store's entire health and beauty section.
 Offer immunization services for flu, tetanus and other conditions for adults on a walk-in or appointment basis.
 Provide computerized records of purchases for insurance or income tax purposes.
 Save you money on quality, FDA approved generic drugs which often save you up to 60% compared to brand names.
 And all our services are done with total confidentiality.

Information is the best medicine
What Everybody Should Know About Their Medicines.
The name of the medicine and what it is supposed to do.
How and when to take it and for how long.
What foods, beverages, other medicines and activities to avoid while taking the medicine.
Potential side effects and what to do if they occur.
What to do if you miss a dose.
Proper storage instructions.

Make every minute count
We know your schedule can be hectic. At Vons, you can do your shopping while we fill your prescriptions.
You can refill prescriptions 24 hours a day by phone using the telephone number of your local Vons Pharmacy. Or you can order your refill online at Vons.com in just a few easy steps.

Transferring prescriptions is just as easy. Any Vons pharmacist will be happy to do this when you bring in your old medication bottle.
Our pharmacy accepts
Most Insurance Plans.
Medicare Part B.
Worker's Compensation.

Treating Minor Illnesses
Minor illness has a habit of striking at the wrong time. When there is work to be done at the office or at home, the last thing you want is a bad cold, sore throat or headache dragging you down. Fortunately, solutions are as close as our Pharmacy. Our trained pharmacists can advise on the proper use of both prescription and over-the-counter medicines. They'll answer any questions you have about choosing the right medicines and give advice on treating everyday illness.