That is completely false. Safeway is 25-40% more expensive for basic items like limes, onions and tomatoes compared to the Mexican market right across the street.

The Mexican market always has 2 butchers, 1-2 cashiers and 1-2 people stocking items. Safeway maybe has 50% more staff for a store that takes up like 10x the amount of space once you add in the parking lot.

Economies of scale would say Safeway should be able to obliterate the smaller store in price but that has never been the case in the 6 years I’ve lived here. They do have more items and longer hours (3 extra hours in the evening with a skeleton crew), but at the prices they demand, you are better off going to the Mexican, Asian and Indian markets while accounting for gas and wear and tear on a car and still have a better experience and overall cost.

Large corporations are just syphons of local money into offshore accounts at this point.