If you were counting on playing Safeway Monopoly this month, you are out of luck. According to Coupons in the News, after 13 contests, millions of dollars in cash and prizes, and a bazillion little paper game pieces (we’re still getting the blue ink off our fingers), Safeway is hitting the pause button on Monopoly Shop, Play, Win for 2022.
“Unfortunately, we will not be offering the Monopoly game this year in our stores,” an Albertsons (owner of Safeway) spokesperson confirmed to Coupons in the News, without offering any specifics about why.
The story goes on to say that the conversion during the pandemic to an all-digital format left a bad taste with customers, many of whom didn’t have access to computers or smartphone technology to play.
Reports Coupons in the News, “In other words, Albertsons is well aware that a lot of people who once eagerly awaited the annual contest, kind of hated it last year.”
Many players, including those who read the MHOTC Monopoly post, made their feelings know in comments.
Wrote one, “It’s so not cool to have a game where everybody can’t play. Better not to have it at all than exclude people. Pay attention corporate execs —- believe it or not everybody in the world DOES NOT HAVE cell phones that can download apps!!! Some folks like it was said before, do not even have cell phones but still enjoy a little fun like playing the Monopoly game offered. Come on guys, I think we can do better than this.”
“The game this year was the worst experience I’ve had. I worked so hard to get the $25 cash gift only to find it was gone by the time I accrued enough tokens for it! ALL the cash prizes were gone. I certainly don’t want taco seasoning and waffles! Let the tokens rot. I won’t be playing next year as I’ll be shopping at H‑E‑B. Also, so many of the items I won never went to my account so I couldn’t claim them. This game sucks!!!” said another.
And finally…” have a disabled young man that played this game and now it’s computerized! I was about to send all the play pieces, that I have collected to him but to find out now, it’s all done on the computer! What if a lot of older people and etc. don’t have excess to computers?? I am so disappointed, as my son is…He so enjoyed it but now he can’t play…Thanks, Safeway for not thinking!!”
So no passing go or collecting $200 for 2022. But take heart Mile High Cheapskates, reports are that Albertsons/Safeway plans to retool the game and bring it back for 2023.
betty says
Only your website and coupons in the news are reporting that the game is not happening. Where did you get your information? There aren’t any articles at all about this anywhere on the internet.
Laura says
Betty, the folks at Coupons in the News confirmed this with Albertson’s which owns Safeway. I don;t think it has sunk in yet to most that Monopoly usually starts in March and that there are no displays or game cards this year. I think most of the newspapers and other media just don’t care that it isn’t happening, but MHOTC wanted our readers to know because we felt it was newsworthy.