PLEASANTON, Calif., April 18, 2013 – Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAWK), a majority owned subsidiary of Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 10,000,000 shares of Class A common stock at $23.00 per share. The shares are expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on Friday, April 19 under the ticker symbol “HAWK.” The offering consists solely of shares offered by existing stockholders, including Safeway Inc. In addition, certain of the selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 shares of Class A common stock at the initial public offering price.

The selling stockholders will receive all of the net proceeds from the offering.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank Securities are acting as joint book-running managers, with Goldman, Sachs & Co. serving as the global coordinator for the offering. Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Credit Suisse,Piper Jaffray , Raymond James , and Wells Fargo Securities are acting as co-managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2013. This offering is being made solely by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at: (866) 471-2526, or by email to: prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; BofA Merrill Lynch, Attention: Prospectus Department, 222 Broadway, New York, NY10038, by email to: dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com; Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at: (800) 831-9146; Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Attention: Prospectus Group, 60 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, by telephone at: (800) 503-4611, or by email to: prospectus.cpdg@db.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Blackhawk is a leading prepaid payment network utilizing proprietary technology to offer a broad range of gift cards, other prepaid products and payment services in the United States and 18 other countries.

SOURCE Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.

PLEASANTON, Calif., April 8, 2013 – Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), today announced that it is filing an amended registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with an initial public offering, or IPO, of 10,000,000 shares of Blackhawk’s Class A common stock (with an additional 1,500,000 shares subject to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares) at an estimated offering price of $20 to $22 per share.  The IPO will consist solely of shares to be offered by existing stockholders, including Safeway Inc.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank Securities will serve as joint-bookrunning managers, with   Goldman, Sachs & Co. serving as the global coordinator for the proposed offering.  Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Credit Suisse, Piper Jaffray , Raymond James and Wells Fargo Securities will serve as co-managers for the proposed offering.  The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus.

A copy of the preliminary prospectus may be obtained from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at: (866) 471-2526, or by email to: prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; BofA Merrill Lynch, Attention: Prospectus Department, 222 Broadway, New York, NY 10038, by email to:dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com; Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY  11717, by telephone at: (800) 831-9146 ; Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Attention: Prospectus Group, 60 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, by telephone at: (800) 503-4611, or by email to: prospectus.cpdg@db.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.  These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.  This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

Blackhawk is a leading prepaid payment network utilizing proprietary technology to offer a broad range of gift cards, other prepaid products and payment services in the United States and 18 other countries.

SOURCE Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.

PLEASANTON, Calif., March 18, 2013 — Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), today announced that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering, or IPO, of Blackhawk’s Class A common stock.  The IPO will consist solely of shares to be offered by existing stockholders, including Safeway Inc. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet been determined.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. will serve as joint-bookrunning managers, with Goldman, Sachs & Co. serving as the global coordinator for the proposed offering.  Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Credit Suisse, Piper Jaffray , Raymond James and Wells Fargo Securities will serve as co-managers for the proposed offering.  The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus.

A copy of the preliminary prospectus, when available, may be obtained from:

• Goldman, Sachs & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at: (866) 471-2526, or by email to: prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com
• BofA Merrill Lynch, Attention: Prospectus Department, 222 Broadway, New York, NY 10038, by email to:dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com
• Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at: (800) 831-9146
• Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Attention: Prospectus Group, 60 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, by telephone at: (800) 503-4611, or by email to: prospectus.cpdg@db.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.  These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.  This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

Blackhawk is a leading prepaid payment network utilizing proprietary technology to offer a broad range of gift cards, other prepaid products and payment services in the United States and 18 other countries.

SOURCE Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.

Pleasanton, CALIF. – March 12, 2013 – Blackhawk Network, Inc., a leading prepaid payment network headquartered in Pleasanton, California, announces the grand opening of its new service center in the South Meadows area of Reno, Nevada, which will support a number of Blackhawk Network functions, including call center support, customer service, fraud risk, IT and technology support and more. The grand opening ceremony will feature Reno Mayor Bob Cashell and take place at the new facility on March 12, 2013 at 12 p.m.

“Blackhawk Network is excited to announce the official opening of its first service center in the United States,” said Bill Tauscher, Blackhawk’s chief executive officer. “Our new facility will deploy state-of-the-art systems and deliver a world-class experience, while boosting the local economy.”

The opening of the Blackhawk service center has generated more than 60 local, full-and part-time employee positions in the Reno area. Blackhawk has a global workforce of more than 700 employees.

“It is exciting to see a company like Blackhawk add a business support center in the Reno/Sparks area. These quality jobs are a great fit for the region and attest to the quality of workforce and competitive business climate that will help Blackhawk be successful here,” said Mike Kazmierski, chief executive officer of the Economic Department Authority of Western Nevada.

Reno Mayor Bob Cashell and Blackhawk Network CEO Bill Tauscher will lead the ribbon cutting ceremony, alongside esteemed guests, officially opening Blackhawk’s service center in the United States. Mayor Cashell and Tauscher will be joined by EDAWN Chair Stephanie Kruse, EDAWN CEO Mike Kazmierski, Washoe County Commissioner, and Blackhawk Network CFO Jerry Ulrich.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading prepaid payment network for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s widest selection of prepaid gift cards from leading consumer, telecom and financial service brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to over 160 million customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, as well as big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores, Internet retailers and mobile channels, including GiftCardMall.com. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network, Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

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TORONTO, ON AND CALGARY, AB (February 20, 2013)– Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd., a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, and Samba Days Gift Experiences today announced discounts on select gift cards for local products and services will be available at 20 flagship Safeway stores in Calgary and Vancouver, while supplies last. The cards, available on stand-alone displays and at checkout lanes, will offer discounts of 20 to 30 percent off face value.

Whether purchased for self-use or as a gift, it’s all about saving money on fine dining, luxury spa treatments, premium hotels and more, from the convenience of your neighborhood grocery store. Unlike some daily deals available online, consumers do not have to be concerned about onerous restrictions such as blackout dates.

“Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd. strives to improve consumers’ quality of life by giving them products and services that add value, convenience and savings to their daily routine,” said Steve Dekker, Managing Director and Group Vice President, Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd. “This partnership with Samba Days puts consumers first, while encouraging them to support local Canadian businesses.”

Consumers in Calgary can choose from a selection of deals including:

• Raw Bar – $75 value for $60, voted Best Seafood restaurant 2012 by Avenuecalgary.com
• Tower Cleaners – $50 value for $35, offers free pick-up and delivery
• Chicago Chophouse – $100 value for $79

Some examples of Vancouver options that will be available are:

• Sabai Thai Spa – $60 value for $45
• Galiano Inn & Spa – $200 value for $150
• Taste Vancouver Food Tours – $78 value for $59

“Samba Days provides the best possible gift experience to consumers, and offering serious value is core to that mission,” said Alex Barseghian, Chief Experience Officer at Samba Days. “By partnering with Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd., we are able to bring the top brands and discounts to this gift card program, providing consumers with not just a great deal, but one that is delivered with the highest quality.”

About Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd.
Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd. is a subsidiary of Blackhawk Network, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Safeway Inc.  Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd. is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products from leading brands, and is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, and specialty stores. For more information about Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd. visit www.blackhawknetwork.com.

About Samba Days
Samba Days is Canada’s largest gift experience company. Combining the convenience of a gift card with memorable experiences in the form of themed gift boxes, these popular packages are sold in over 2,200 retail outlets across Canada, including Safeway, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Rexall. Online, they are offered through Aeroplan, American Express, TD Rewards, Visa Infinite, PetroPoints and at www.sambadays.com. Boxes come in themes such as Adventure, Gourmet, Getaways, Wine and Spas.

Contact
Christina Witz
MWW for Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd.
213.405.3797
cwitz@mww.com

Kelly Shipman for Samba Days
Marketing & Communications
Samba Days Gift Experience
905 362 4200 x275
kellys@sambadays.com

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New York, NY and Pleasanton, CA – November 13, 2012 – Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payment products, and Univision, the leading media company serving Hispanic America, today announced an agreement making the Univision MasterCard® Prepaid Card available in select grocery outlets in California and Texas.

“We are delighted to be working with Blackhawk Network, a leader in the prepaid space,”  said Scott Scovel, Vice President and General Manager Univision Direct,  Univision Communications Inc. “Their great network, coupled with our unique product and powerful media reach, will enable us to bring even more value and convenience to the Hispanic community.”

This will mark the first time that the Univision MasterCard Prepaid Card will be available for purchase at retail. Customers can now easily purchase the card off the store rack during their grocery shopping. Until now, the cards were only made available for purchase online and by phone.

“Univision is one of the most reputable companies providing exceptional services and products to the Hispanic community, and we are honored to distribute its card through our extensive network of retail partnerships,” said Talbott Roche, President, Blackhawk Network. “This new relationship is another example of the growth we are witnessing in the prepaid category as consumers are better understanding the benefits of using prepaid products to take control of their finances, while making their money go farther.” 

Consumers purchasing the card will receive a culturally relevant, safe and cost-effective alternative to cash and low-balance checking accounts. The card reduces the inconvenience and costs related to cashing checks, prevents over-drafting and associated fees, and it enables consumers to better track and manage spending by providing them with the ability to monitor when and where they make purchases with the card. The Univision MasterCard Prepaid Card can also be used anywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted, including online purchases and bill payment.

In conjunction with this launch, Univision will be adding a new feature to its cards, which will make it even easier for Univision card-members to add cash to their cards. Univision has joined Blackhawk Network’s REloadit™ program, which allows customers to easily reload their prepaid card during their regular visit to the grocery store and to other merchants who offer REloadit. The REloadit pack retails for just $3.95.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card, telecom and financial service brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to over 160 million unique customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores, Internet retailers and mobile channels, including GiftCardMall.com. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

About Univision Communications Inc.

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Its assets include Univision Network, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 88% of U.S. Hispanic households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network, as well as Univision tlnovelas, a new 24-hour cable network dedicated to novelas, Univision Deportes Network, a new 24-hour cable network dedicated to sports, ForoTV, a new 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to news, and an additional  suite of six cable offerings – De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson, Telehit and Clásico TV; Univision Studios, which produces and co-produces reality shows, dramatic series and other programming formats for the Company’s platforms; Univision Television Group, which owns and/or operates 62 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio group which owns and/or operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Interactive Media, a network of national and local online and mobile sites including Univision.com, which continues to be the #1 most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. online Hispanics, Univision Móvil, a longstanding industry-leader with unique, relevant mobile products and services, and Univision Partner Group, a specialized advertising and publisher network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit Univision.net.

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PLEASANTON, CA – November 15, 2012 – Wrapp and Blackhawk Network have entered into a multi-year agreement that will connect Wrapp’s social gifting app with Blackhawk Digital, Blackhawk Network’s digital platform.    Under the agreement, Blackhawk’s network of egift-enabled national and local retailers will have access to Wrapp’s friend-to-friend marketing platform, and Wrapp will be able to sell those retailers’ gift cards to users of the Wrapp mobile app.

“Combining Wrapp’s mobile app with our retail network means this holiday season people can gift a digital gift card to an online friend from their retailer of choice,” said Talbott Roche, president of Blackhawk Network.  “The powerful combination of Wrapp’s mobile and social reach on Facebook with Blackhawk Digital’s network of retailers provides consumers with the best possible online gift giving experience, bar none.”

Said Wrapp CEO and Co-founder Hjalmar Winbladh, “Blackhawk’s network of retailers is nothing short of awesome, and their platform has made it super fast and easy for us to integrate. By combining forces, our users get the best choice of retailers possible to always have that perfect gift.”

The agreement between Wrapp and Blackhawk recognizes that purchasing gift cards online for friends, family and colleagues continues to be one of the most popular ways of gift giving.  And for retailers and marketers, gift cards are one of the most effective tools to acquire customers and drive shoppers online into physical retail stores.

This holiday season 60% of Americans want to receive gift cards, up from 58% last year, according to the 2012 holiday consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight for the National Retail Federation.

To start sending gift cards to friends and family, download the Wrapp mobile app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play, or use the web app at www.wrapp.com.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card, telecom and financial service brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 160 million customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores, Internet retailers and mobile channels, including GiftCardMall.com. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

About Wrapp

Wrapp is the social gifting service for celebrating friends with sponsored and paid gift cards from top brands. Wrapp allows friends to contribute to the gift cards for group gifting, and makes them fun and easy to give, receive and redeem using mobile devices and the web. Founded in 2011, Wrapp is based in Stockholm and San Francisco. Celebrate friends every day at www.wrapp.com.

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PLEASANTON, CA – November 13, 2012 – Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, today announced the launch of Blackhawk Digital. Blackhawk Digital makes offering e-gifts and prepaid cards online easy for startups, ecommerce companies, payment companies, marketers and others.

Through Blackhawk Digital, Blackhawk Network’s large network of national and local retailers has been integrated into a fully-featured e-gifting platform. Companies can leverage the increasing use of social media, digital wallets, and other digital payment apps and services to effectively deliver e-gift and prepaid card powered offerings. The platform supports sales, marketing and consumer engagement tools that connect today’s multi-channel shopper to one of the largest networks of retail brands.

“We are finding that branded retail products and services that provide ready access to funds are the most valuable engagement tool for directly driving brand loyalty, digital marketing and sales,” said Talbott Roche, president, Blackhawk Network. “Blackhawk Digital is like buying a Customer Relationship Management system already filled with new business contacts. Companies can immediately develop the products, services and marketing campaigns they need to reap the benefits of prepaid digital commerce.”

With a platform that integrates leading retail brands with a strong financial infrastructure and set of developer tools, Blackhawk Digital provides a complete solution to manage the unique opportunities that prepaid products and retailer marketing services provide to digital products. The patent-pending service offers social commerce oriented online and mobile services compatible with all smartphone and developer platforms, simplifying integration for digital marketplace partners while providing access to the market’s leading network of retailers. It also allows customers to get real-time balance updates, manage and register multiple cards in one place, pay and buy with the mobile app and receive promotional offers.

Blackhawk Digital’s services and APIs are currently adaptable for inclusion in all digital commerce platforms.

For more information, visit www.blackhawknetwork.com .

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card, telecom and financial service brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 160 million customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores, Internet retailers and mobile channels, including GiftCardMall.com. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

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PLEASANTON, CA, October 16, 2012 – Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, announced its President of International, Dan Dmochowski, was named the winner of a Silver Stevie® Award in the Executive of the Year, Financial Services category in the Ninth Annual International Business Awards.

Blackhawk Network, which has significantly expanded globally, today operates in 18 countries across 70,000 selling stores, with additional countries expected to launch this year. The company, which operated in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific at the beginning of 2011, recently launched in Germany and Brazil. Blackhawk Network’s prepaid products and solutions can be found internationally in the world’s leading retailers.

“Dan’s leadership has directly led to the expansion and success of Blackhawk Network’s global business, and I am pleased that the business community has recognized his efforts,” said Bill Tauscher, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Blackhawk Network. “The company has created and executed strategies internationally that provide consumers in new markets access to valuable prepaid products and solutions.”

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The 2012 International Business Awards received over 3,200 submissions from over 50 nations and territories. A panel of more than 300 executives worldwide selected the Ninth Annual Stevie Award winners.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products from leading brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 165 million unique customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores and Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network’s business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.