Sacramento Magazine Features Regional Highlights Through Annual Reader’s Poll
By Amy Davis | Friday November 13, 2009
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento Magazine’s readers for the ninth consecutive year named Raley’s the Best Grocery Store in the region, and among the top places, faces and spaces in the greater-Sacramento area for the publication’s annual ‘Best Of’ issue for November 2009.
In addition to the honor as the greatest local market, Raley’s continued to take the top spot as the Best Place to Buy Fruits and Veggies – even with farmers markets considered.
We’re proud to say that readers once again identified Raley’s Owner and Co-Chairman, Joyce Raley Teel, as the Best Philanthropist. In October 2009, the Arts and Business Council of Sacramento honored Joyce with her second Individual Leadership award. Currently, she serves as the Honorary Campaign Chair of the Crocker Art Museum’s historic expansion project and has been instrumental in raising funds to make the expansion a reality in Sacramento. Joyce is also lead donor of the E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts – named in honor of her mother — which will serve four of the region’s premiere arts groups, the Sacramento Ballet, California Musical Theatre, the Sacramento Opera and the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to regional recognition, the company continues on its steady path as an industry leader in areas consumers care about:
Sustainability: Raley’s is the first and only retailer in California – and just second in the nation – to achieve the highest honor from the U.S. EPA’s GreenChill Partnership. Gold-Level Certification recognizes retailers for innovative green refrigeration technology. To date, three of the company’s sites (in Petaluma, San Jose and Tracy, Calif.) have earned Gold-Level Certification – the only three to achieve this honor on the entire West Coast.
Corporate Giving: Raley’s ranked Number One in the Sacramento Business Journal’s list of Corporate Philanthropy – Direct Giving for 2008, with major donations totaling to $8.04 million company-wide. Additionally, the Raley’s Quality of Life Card program alone has donated over $10 million to local schools and youth education organizations. Through Food For Families, the company has raised in excess of $22 million and 12 million pounds of food to serve local food banks since the program began as a holiday food drive in 1986.
Customer Service: Raley’s continues to rank among the nation’s top supermarket chains, according to readers of the leading, national consumer magazine. In 2009, Raley’s ranked third nationally alongside Florida-based Publix and received highest possible marks for customer service. Raley’s is the highest ranked full service supermarket chain in its Northern California and Northern Nevada market areas.