Share-Based Employee Compensation (Tables)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Mar. 22, 2014

Dec. 28, 2013

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Summary of weighted-average assumptions used to value grants, by year

The weighted-average assumptions used to value Safeway’s grants of stock options through the first quarter, by year, are as follows:

	2014	2013
Expected life (in years)	6.25	6.25	-	6.50
Expected stock volatility	27.9%	33.0%
Risk-free interest rate	2.0%	1.3%
Expected dividend yield during the expected term	2.8%	3.8%

The following weighted-average assumptions used, by year, to value Safeway’s grants are as follows:

	2013					2012					2011
Expected life (in years)	6.25		–	6.5		6.25		–	6.5				6.5
Expected stock volatility	31.6	%	–	33.0	%	30.6	%	–	33.9	%	29.8	%	–	34.1	%
Risk-free interest rate	1.1	%	–	2.1	%	0.9	%	–	1.3	%	1.5	%	–	2.7	%
Expected dividend yield during the expected term	3.5	%	–	4.0	%	2.8	%	–	3.7	%	2.2	%	–	2.7	%