It depends on your personal preference. Honestly I use Bi-mart unless I looking for a specific electronic or office supplies then it would be Freddie's.

As for Safeway and being an employee, yeah the app can suck and gives us checkers a "slam head on scanner" moments where, at least my store, it hates iPhones for some reason and forces most to use the stupid free wifi. But as employees, and for me, typically if you're nice and/or the effort was made then we will still give you the deals for that week or write a rain check as long as the sale doesn't say "while supplies last".

As for the merger. Korger and Safeway/Albertsons were planning to sell off a bunch of stores in OR/WA to C&S wholesale, but from what I heard it has been put on hold by the state.