King Soopers and Safeway are very popular supermarket chains in the United States. Not only do they have dozens of locations, but they sell hundreds of thousands of products each year. But, as a grocery shopper, which one do you choose?
In other words, which one should you shop at? Most shoppers will choose the grocery store that has the cheapest prices, has the highest product quality, or offers the most product variety.
So, to help you decide between these two stores, I looked at these factors and more! Keep reading to see if either King Soopers or Safeway is right for you!
Which is Better: King Soopers or Safeway? In terms of price, King Soopers is more affordable across many shopping categories. Additionally, they also have better product quality. Safeway does have much more product variety though, giving shoppers more options to pick from.
Is King Soopers More Expensive Than Safeway?
As mentioned above, price is one of the biggest decision factors when it comes to where a shopper will buy from. Most grocery shoppers will likely shop at the store that is the most affordable. So, between King Soopers and Safeway, which one is the cheapest?
I gathered the prices of a variety of common store brand products across the most common shopping categories to give you the best idea as to which one is the most affordable.
| Category | King Soopers Brand | Safeway Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | |
| Cleaners | ✓ | |
| Others | ✓ |
So, which one is cheaper? Based on prices for their store brand items, it seems that across multiple shopping categories, King Soopers is cheaper than Safeway.
So, if you prioritize buying your groceries at the most affordable location, then King Soopers is your spot.
Product Quality: King Soopers vs Safeway
Another factor that people consider when deciding between grocery stores is product quality. Shoppers want to make sure that the produce and products that they are purchasing are held to quality standards.
I decided to take a look at how many FDA recalls each store had in recent years. This is an indicator of which store has the highest quality products. In other words, the higher the amount of recalls, the lower the quality of products.
| Category | King Soopers Recalls | Safeway Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 1 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 1 | 0 |
| Food And Beverages | 8 | 11 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
After looking at the FDA recalls, it seems that King Soopers has had 10 recent recalls, and Safeway has had 11. While close, it seems that Safeway has slightly lower quality food in comparison to King Soopers.
Product Variety: King Soopers vs Safeway
Both King Soopers and Safeway are considered supermarkets, which means that they sell very similar types of products, but which one sells more?
Some shoppers like stores who offer a wide variety of products. So, I took a look to see how many total products each of these stores offer.
| Total King Soopers Products | Total Safeway Products |
| 10,000 Products | 50,000 Products |
After looking at how many products each store has, it is clear that Safeway offers significantly more product variety than Safeway. So, if you are someone who enjoys shopping and looking at different types and brands of food, Safeway is your best bet.
Which Has More Locations: King Soopers or Safeway?
In terms of customer reach, the store that has the most locations is likely to have the most brand awareness and customers. So, I looked at how many locations each store has and how many states they are in.
| King Soopers | Safeway |
| 2 States | 9 States |
| 118 Stores | 902 Stores |
Safeway is significantly larger in terms of their customer reach. They have about 7.5 times the amount of stores compared to King Soopers. This shows how much more dominant Safeway is when compared to King Soopers.
Which One Should You Shop At: King Soopers vs Safeway?
When to shop at King Soopers: If you are a shopper that likes to purchase high quality products, while simultaneously saving money, King Soopers is the grocery store you should go to. They are the cheapest when it comes to a majority of products, and they have a better reputation with fewer recalled items.
When to shop at Safeway: If you like product variety, then you should consider shopping at Safeway. Although they are more expensive and have a higher amount of recalled products in recent years, they still are a strong competitor.