Joint venture

Safeway entered the Northern Ireland market in 1996, by forming a joint venture between Safeway (UK) and Sir Anthony O'Reilly's Fitzwilton Group, owners of the Wellworths supermarket chain. Larger Wellworths stores became part of this joint venture, with smaller stores being sold to the Musgrave Group and rebranded Wellworths-Supervalu.^[1]

Despite only partial ownership by Safeway UK, stores were operated as any other Safeway outlet in the UK, offering a full range of Safeway own-label products and produce local to Northern Ireland.

Taking full ownership

In 2002, Safeway (UK) took full ownership of the group.^[2]

Morrisons takeover

Following Morrisons' takeover of Safeway UK in March 2004, Safeway stores in Northern Ireland continued to operate under the Safeway name, while Safeway stores in Great Britain were gradually re-branded as Morrisons stores. Safeway did, though, switch to Morrisons' packaging in Northern Ireland and started to phase out Safeway own brand products in favour of the Morrisons label.

It was becoming apparent, however, that Morrisons did not see a long-term future in Northern Ireland. Despite this, Morrisons continued with plans to open a supermarket in Bangor, County Down, the last new Safeway store to open in the UK, and the only one opened after the Morrisons takeover.

Sale of Irish interests

Along with a number of other former Safeway UK interests, Morrisons disposed of its interests in Northern Ireland in 2005.

On 6 June 2005, 12 of the 13 outlets were acquired by Asda for £73.6 million.^[3] The stores, (which included their Bangor store), changed to the ASDA brand over the course of the next year.

On 2 November 2005, Morrisons announced the sale by Safeway Stores (Ireland) Limited of its remaining store at Downpatrick, Northern Ireland to Mr John Miskelly and Mrs Helen Miskelly. The store had gross assets of £14,745,388. The sale was completed on 19 November 2005.

The way the sales were structured means that the legal entity Safeway Stores (Ireland) Limited was not actually sold to Asda Stores Limited, but remains as a dormant wholly owned subsidiary of Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC, through its subsidiary Safeway Limited (formerly Safeway plc).