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 Safeway Stores Inc. reported a 69% decline in profit for the fiscal third quarter, 
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but said 
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operating improvements were masked by unusual gains in the year-earlier period.
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 The Oakland grocery retailer,
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 closely held since a $4.2 billion leveraged buy-out in 1986,
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 said 
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profit for the three months 
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ended Sept. 9 
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was $7.1 million,
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 compared with $23 million a year earlier.
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 But it said 
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the year-earlier results included gains of $23.5 million from divestitures.
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 Sales rose 4.2% to $3.31 billion from $3.2 billion.
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 For the nine months,
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 the company said 
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profit fell 49% to $23.5 million from $46 million in the year-earlier quarter, 
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which included divestiture-related gains of $50.6 million.
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 Sales increased 5.5% to $9.81 billion from $9.3 billion.
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