Groceteria.com

Recently I discovered that a nearby library had a near-complete collection of Consumer Reports magazines going all the way back to 1949. These magazines are a treasure trove for learning about the products of the past.

The July 1993 issue contained a comparison test of hot dog brands...and the highest-recommended store brand was Safeway. But one thing immediately jumped out to me on the page: The package picture had the circle-S symbol on it. In 1993. Over a decade after this logo had ostensibly been retired!

Store chain "reimagings" are complex and protracted undertakings...and it's rare for a "clean" logo transition to happen overnight, or even in a single year. I can't imagine that this was the only Safeway product that lingered into the 1990s with the old logo. But what else may have followed suit?

I remember a number of products still having the circle S logo in the early 90s. Spices and some dairy products were among them.

Another thing I remembered about the same time was that they came out with a new Cragmont logo, which did not last long, maybe a year or two at the most, until the Safeway Select soft drinks replaced them.