QFC
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Supermarket |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder | Vern Fortin |
| Headquarters | Bellevue, Washington , United States |
Area served | Western Washington and northwestern Oregon |
Key people | Christopher A. Sinclair (former CEO) |
| Products | Grocery stores |
| Parent | Kroger |
Quality Food Centers, Inc., commonly known as QFC, is a supermarket chain based in the United States with its main office located in Bellevue, Washington. It operates as a subsidiary of Kroger and manages 62 stores throughout western Washington and the northwestern region of Oregon, primarily catering to customers in the Puget Sound region and the Portland–Vancouver metropolitan area.
History
Jack Croco began his career in the grocery industry during the 1940s at Albertsons in Boise, Idaho. By 1950, he had advanced to become district manager for the Northwest and was responsible for launching Albertsons stores in Seattle. In 1955, Croco opened Lake Hills Thriftway in Bellevue. The enterprise that evolved into QFC was originally established in 1955 at 6600 Roosevelt Way N.E. by Vern Fortin, who had previously served as president of Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakeries. Croco merged his store with QFC in 1960 and continued his involvement until his passing in 1991. In 1986, he sold QFC to Seattle-based investment firm Sloan, Adkins & Co., which then took the company public in 1987.
Christopher A. Sinclair assumed the role of CEO in 1996. During his tenure, QFC acquired the Uddenberg grocery company in 1997, broadening its footprint through Thriftway and Stock Market outlets across western Washington. Later that same year, Portland’s Fred Meyer purchased QFC. In May 1998, Kroger announced its intent to acquire Fred Meyer along with QFC; this acquisition was finalized in 1999.
The original Roosevelt location closed in 2012 to allow for construction of the Roosevelt light rail station. Additionally, a Fred Meyer store at Seattle’s Broadway Market was converted into a QFC outlet in 2004.
Expansion
QFC’s growth has been driven by targeted acquisitions, beginning in 1974 when it took over several former A&P stores within Seattle. Throughout the 1990s, the chain expanded into adjacent counties by purchasing Olson's Food Stores, Johnny's Food Centers, Stock Market Grocery Stores, and multiple Thriftway locations. From 1990 to 1996 alone, QFC acquired thirty stores from eleven independent grocery chains, including Olson's Foods—a Lynnwood-based chain operating twelve stores with four more under development at that time. Additional purchases included Reed's Super Valu in Port Hadlock and Stock Market Foods in Port Townsend during 1997. That same year marked QFC’s entry into Oregon with stores opening within the Portland metropolitan area.
Under CEO Stuart Sloan during the 1980s, QFC repositioned itself as a premium grocery retailer by incorporating higher-end products. The company went public through an IPO in 1987. In the mid-1990s, QFC ventured into Southern California by acquiring Hughes Family Markets; these locations maintained their original branding before many were eventually sold to Ralphs (which Kroger later acquired). In 2019, a new flagship store spanning 50,000 square feet opened in downtown Kirkland with a focus on organic offerings. A proposed rebranding effort to rename the chain "the Q" in 2018 was ultimately abandoned.
In 2022, Kroger announced plans to purchase rival Albertsons; this transaction would have necessitated divesting most of QFC’s 59 stores to preserve market competition. However, the Federal Trade Commission blocked the merger in 2024, ensuring that QFC remains part of Kroger’s holdings.
Philanthropy and labor relations
In 1996, Stuart Sloan, who formerly served as owner and chairman of QFC, pledged to allocate a minimum of $1 million each year for eight years to enhance T.T. Minor Elementary within Seattle Public Schools. These contributions were intended to complement public funding by supporting initiatives such as school uniforms, reduced class sizes, and a year-round academic calendar, although their use sparked some debate.
The workforce at Fred Meyer and QFC is predominantly unionized under UFCW Local 3000. In 2020, following the union's distribution of Black Lives Matter pins, Kroger's management banned employees from displaying them. In May 2023, a judge from the National Labor Relations Board determined that this prohibition was a breach of federal labor regulations.