QFC: Difference between revisions

{{Use mdy dates|date=JulyMay 20152023}}

* Christopher A. Sinclair (Chairman[[chairman]] & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])

| services =

| parent = [[Kroger]]

'''Quality Food Centers, Inc.''', better known as '''QFC''', is an American [[supermarket]] chain based in [[Bellevue, Washington]], east of [[Seattle]]. It is a subsidiary of [[Kroger]] and has 62 stores are in western [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and northwestern [[Oregon]], primarily located in the [[Puget Sound region]] and [[Portland metropolitan area, Oregon|Portland–Vancouver metropolitan area]].

Jack Croco began his career in the grocery business in the 1940s in [[Boise, Idaho]], working for [[New Albertsons|Albertsons]]. By 1950, he had become the district manager in the Northwest and was responsible for opening the first Albertson's stores in the [[Seattle]] area. Soon afterward in 1955, Croco opened his own grocery store in Bellevue, called Lake Hills Thriftway.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

The grocery concernchain that would come to be named QFC in 1963<ref name=Times_110797/> was founded in 1955 with the first store at 6600 [[Roosevelt, Seattle|Roosevelt]] Way N.E. in [[Seattle]]<ref name=Times_110797/> by a group headed by Vern Fortin, the former president of [[Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakeries]] and founder of Vernell's Fine Candies. Croco merged his store with QFC in 1960, and remained involved in the company until his death in 1991 at the age of 65,<ref>{{Cite news|title=QFC Grew from 4 Stores to Major Chain|last=Gorlick|first=Arthur|date=November 8, 1997|work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]|page=A4}}</ref> though in 1986 he sold QFC to Seattle investment firm Sloan, Adkins & Co.,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1986/8601020285.asp|title=QFC Grocery Stores to be Sold|last=Ramsey|first=Bruce|date=January 18, 1986|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 21, 2009|page=A3}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> which [[Initial public offering|took QFC public]] in 1987.<ref name=Times_110797/>

[[Christopher A. Sinclair]] became the CEO in 1996; the following year, QFC purchased the Uddenberg grocery company, which operated Thriftway and Stock Market stores throughout western Washington. In late 1997, QFC was sold to Portland-based [[Fred Meyer]],<ref name="Times_110797">{{cite news|url=httphttps://communityarchive.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19971107&slug=/2570906/fred-meyer-to-buy-qfc|title=Fred Meyer to Buy QFC|last=Moriwaki|first=Lee|date=November 7, 1997|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|access-date=May 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809183855/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19971107&slug=2570906|archive-date=August 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=bgmvss>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jk5WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4-sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6136%2C1914446 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |last=McCall |first=William |title=Fred Meyer's big move shows firm's strength, stamina |date=November 8, 1997 |page=5B}}</ref> and several months later in May 1998, Kroger announced its intention to acquire Fred Meyer (and QFC),<ref name="Times 102098">{{cite news|url=httphttps://communityarchive.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19981020&slug=/2778731/attention-shoppers-weve-been-sold---again----as-grocery-giants-take-over-customers-fret-about-choice|title=Attention Shoppers: We've Been Sold — Again|last1=Matassa Flores|first1=Michele|date=October 20, 1998|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=May 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809184326/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19981020&slug=2778731|archive-date=August 9, 2018|url-status=live|last2=Heim|first2=Joe}}</ref><ref name=grobot>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HWNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4_EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2914%2C8588173 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=(staff and wire reports) |title=Grocery buyout |date=October 20, 1998 |page=A6}}</ref><ref name=wcgch>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z8owAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-wMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1746%2C1943627 |work=Toledo Blade |location=(Ohio) |agency=''(New York Times)'' |title=Kroger to acquire West Coast grocery chain |date=October 20, 1998|page=1}}</ref><ref name=twbdd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-tNRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Zm8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6052%2C9766080 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=(Bloomberg News) |last=Dunn |first=Christine |title=Kroger in $12 billion deal to buy Fred Meyer |date=October 20, 1988 |page=D1}}</ref><ref name=gtaims>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XvdGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I_gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4921%2C4462399 |work=The Day |location=(New London, Connecticut) |agency=Associated Press |last=Nolan |first=John |title=Grocery team aims to compete with Wal-Mart |date=October 20, 1998 |page=B5}}</ref> which was approved a year later. The Roosevelt store operated until 2012; it closed on May 5 to make way for construction of the [[Roosevelt station (Sound Transit)|Roosevelt light rail station]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140617223623/http://www.roosiehood.com/2012/04/make-room-for-light-rail-roosevelt-qfc-closure-just-weeks-away/ Make room for light rail: Roosevelt QFC closure just weeks away] ''Roosiehood'', April 19, 2012</ref>

Over the years, QFC has expanded aggressively through acquisitions. When [[The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company|A&P]]<!-- Supermarkets--> abandoned the Seattle area in 1974, QFC took over several locations. They expanded to surrounding counties in the 1990s by acquiring and renaming Olson's Food Stores, Johnny's Food Centers, Stock Market Grocery Stores, and several Thriftway stores. Between 1990 and 1996, thirty stores were acquired from eleven<!-- different--> independent grocery chains.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Growing QFC Will Buy 25 Supermarkets|date=November 13, 1996|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|page=B8}}</ref> Among them was Olson's Foods, a [[Lynnwood, Washington|Lynnwood]]-based chain with twelve existing stores and four new stores in development.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wieland Nogaki |first=Sylvia |date=March 3, 1995 |title=QFC completes Olson's purchase after short delay |page=E1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Reed's Super Valu in Port Hadlock and Stock Market Foods in [[Port Townsend]] were acquired in 1997,<ref name="PI 052097">{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1997/9705200079.asp|title=QFC Plans Expansion with Two New Food Stores Near Olympia|last=P-I Staff|date=May 20, 1997|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 21, 2009|page=B4}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="PI 042997">{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1997/9704290042.asp|title=Reed's Super Valu Bought by QFC; Employees to Stay|last=P-I Staff|date=April 29, 1997|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 21, 2009|page=B5}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and the company also expanded into Oregon in the Portland metrometropolitan area.<ref name="PI 051797">{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1997/9705180185.asp|title=QFC Plans to Enter Market In Portland With Two Stores|last=P-I Staff|date=May 17, 1997|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 21, 2009|page=B8}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Philanthropy and controversylabor relations==

In 1996, Stuart Sloan, former owner and chairman of QFC, promised to spend at least $1 million a year for the next eight years to overhaul one of [[Seattle Public Schools]]'s most challenged schools, T.T. Minor Elementary. The funds were donated in addition to public dollars and helped to pay for uniforms, smaller class sizes and a year-round schedule, though the manner in which the funds were applied sparked controversy.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1997/9705140088.asp|title=Donation to School Criticized by League|last=Shukovsky|first=Paul|date=May 14, 1997|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 21, 2009|page=B1}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Rethinking Sloan's Graciousgracious Giftgift Toto Schoolschool|date=May 16, 1997|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|page=A14}} {{Dead link|date=March 2018}}</ref>

*[http{{official website|https://www.qfc.com/ QFC homepage]}}