Alpha Beta

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This article is about the former chain of supermarkets. For the search-tree technique, see alpha-beta pruning. For the alphabet whose first two letters are alpha and beta, see the Greek alphabet

Alpha Beta was a chain of California supermarkets started by Albert and Hugh Gerrard. Alpha Beta began as a system of organizing the groceries in the store in alphabetical order. They took this idea to their flagship grocery store, Triangle Grocerteria, in 1915. Two years later, in 1917, they opened their first Alpha Beta store in Pomona, California.

The operation would then be bought by American Stores in 1961. Skaggs Drug Centers would buy American Stores in 1979 and would assume the American Stores name. Combined food and drug stores in Alpha Beta territory were re-branded Skaggs Alpha Beta. In 1984, American Stores would buy Jewel, which had owned Osco Drug since 1961. In 1984, all 34 Alpha Beta stores in Arizona were sold to ABCO Foods, but the stores continued to operate under the Alpha Beta name.^[1] . In Tucson, Alpha Beta-branded stores changed to ABCO-branded stores around 1989.

Some Alpha Beta stores went well beyond the range of wares normally found in supermarkets. In 1980, a Cupertino, California, Alpha Beta store sold Bohsei color TV's (for under $200 USD); Atari 400 and 800 computers, and other surprising goods.

To consolidate the names of some of its subsidiaries under one title with nationwide recognition, American Stores renamed some of its Skaggs Alpha Beta stores to Jewel-Osco in mid-September 1991. American replaced the Skaggs Alpha Beta name with that of Jewel-Osco on all 76 stores in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas. (Only months later, Albertsons would buy some of the freshly renamed stores in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.)

Most remaining Alpha Beta stores in the United States were taken over by Lucky Store brands, which in turn became Albertsons, then became Lucky again. Most stores in Southern California were acquired by Ralphs.

In its later years, its popular slogan was "Tell a Friend."

Through the mergers, the Alpha Beta name ceased to exist by September 1995.