Barnegat Genuardi's Store For Sale

The Genuardi's supermarket on West Bay Avenue is for sale.

Safeway, Inc., the supermarket chain's parent company, announced Thursday it would sell 16 Pennsylvania Genuardi's locations to Giant Food Stores and either close or sell off the remainder of the company's stores in the Philadelphia market, which includes southern New Jersey.

The Barnegat location is among those stores which will be put up for sale; it is not part of the Giant deal.

"We have made the decision to exit the greater Philadelphia market, including four stores in New Jersey, and focus our resources in those operating areas where we have a stronger presence," said Steve Neibergall, President of Safeway's Eastern Division, in a statement Thursday. "We will be working with the purchasers to ease the transition for our store employees and making efforts to facilitate continued employment for as many of them as possible."

The Barnegat store will continue to operate while Safeway works with potential buyers, the company said in a statement.

Safeway operates 1,681 stores in the United States and western Canada, the company said. The Genuardi's chain dates back to 1920 when Gaspare and Josephine Genuardi opened a market near their farm in Norristown, Pa.