(Updated January 2026)

We began publishing our Top 10 Grocers list in 2019. It takes time to compile new lists as the work depends on fiscal year close dates as well as some good old-fashioned research. This page hosts our most recent update to the list. These figures rely on data published by industry sources (e.g. SN, Progressive Grocer) as well as Forbes, Statista and other publicly available sources.  We are aware that there are lots of Top 10 lists and some may disagree with how we classify retailers. We do our best to rank these retailers with the precision of a cat herding competition. We think we got the big boys all listed here but please let us know if you think we missed something. For more context, please see the Notes/Findings section below the list for methodology and caveats.

1. WALMART INC. – Walmart continues to lead the U.S. grocery market, accounting for over a quarter of all grocery sales nationwide. In fiscal year 2025, Walmart U.S. reported total net sales of about $462 billion, of which nearly 60% (~$276 billion) came from the grocery category. Its membership warehouse arm Sam’s Club contributed an additional ~$60 billion in grocery sales. Combined, Walmart and Sam’s Club generated roughly $336 billion in U.S. food and grocery revenue in the latest fiscal year. Operating more than 5,200 stores across the country, Walmart’s extensive footprint and massive grocery volume solidify its position as the nation’s largest food retailer by far.

2. THE KROGER CO. – Kroger operates over 2,750 stores under two dozen banners, including Kroger, Ralphs, Harris Teeter, Dillon’s and many others. The company maintains various formats – from traditional supermarkets to multi-department “Marketplace” stores and price-impact warehouse stores. In FY2023, Kroger’s total sales were approximately $150 billion, the bulk of which (roughly 85%) came from grocery/food categories. (Kroger’s business is diversified, with significant contributions from its pharmacy (~$13 billion annually) and fuel (~$18.6 billion) segments as well.) This broad mix makes Kroger the largest traditional supermarket operator in the U.S. by revenue. Notably, a planned merger between Kroger (the #2 grocer) and Albertsons (#4) – announced in 2022 – was terminated in Dec 2024 after regulators and courts blocked the deal (see Notes below).

3. COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION – In the U.S., Costco sells grocery products both under national brands and its private “Kirkland Signature” label, through ~585 warehouse clubs and online. Costco’s U.S. net sales totaled an estimated $176 billion in FY2023. According to Costco’s reports, the Fresh Foods, Dry Grocery (Food & Sundries) and related categories make up about 55–56% of the company’s sales. By that measure, Costco’s U.S. grocery revenues in FY2023 were roughly $97 billion. This membership-based warehouse model offers groceries in bulk and at low margins, which has propelled Costco to be the nation’s #3 grocer by overall sales (and even #3 by grocery-specific sales, behind Walmart and Kroger).

4. ALBERTSONS COS. INC. – Albertsons is the second-largest traditional supermarket chain in America. In FY2023 (year ended Feb. 2024), Albertsons reported revenues of $79.24 billion across its ~2,300 stores operating under banners such as Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Vons, Acme and others. (For FY2024 ending Feb. 2025, Albertsons’ revenue ticked up to about $80.4 billion.) The company had proposed a merger with Kroger to further scale up against larger rivals, but that deal was ultimately scrapped in late 2024 due to antitrust challenges. As a standalone, Albertsons remains a major player in many regions, especially on the West Coast, Northeast, and parts of the Midwest.

5. PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS INC. – Publix is an employee-owned grocery chain based in Florida, with a strong presence across the Southeastern U.S. Publix’s sales reached $59.7 billion in FY2024, a 4.6% increase over the prior year. It currently operates 1,434 stores in the Southeast (as of the end of 2024). Publix consistently ranks among the top U.S. grocers by volume, thanks to its devotion to customer service and a loyal regional customer base. The chain’s footprint is concentrated in Florida (over 60% of its stores) but also spans several neighboring states. Publix is frequently noted as the largest employee-owned company in the country and one of the most profitable grocers on a per-store basis.

6. AHOLD DELHAIZE (USA) – The Dutch retail group Ahold Delhaize owns several major U.S. supermarket banners, including Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Giant-Carlisle, and Giant-Landover. Collectively, Ahold Delhaize USA operates 2,048 grocery stores across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. For the full year 2023, Ahold’s U.S. net sales were €54.5 billion (up 1.8%), which is about $59.2 billion in USD. This puts Ahold Delhaize on par with Publix in terms of U.S. grocery revenue. (Notably, the U.S. division contributes roughly two-thirds of the parent company’s global revenue.) Facing intense competition, Ahold’s U.S. brands have focused on improving their omnichannel offerings (e.g. Stop & Shop’s online ordering, Food Lion’s 45-quarter streak of comp sales growth) to hold their ground in their respective markets.

7. H-E-B – H-E-B Grocery (officially The H.E. Butt Grocery Co.) is a Texas-based regional chain that has achieved outsized success. This privately owned company’s revenue was estimated at $46.5 billion in 2024, up from roughly $43.6 billion in 2023. H-E-B has over 435 stores in total (including a few in Mexico), with the vast majority in Texas. It operates a variety of formats – from neighborhood supermarkets to giant H-E-B Plus stores – and also owns the upscale Central Market banner. Despite its limited geographic reach, H-E-B’s sales volume makes it the 7th-largest grocery retailer in the nation. The company is known for fierce customer loyalty in Texas (often outperforming national chains in those markets) and for its community and charitable initiatives.

8. AMAZON (Online and Physical Stores) – We were previously hesitant to rank Amazon on our list because much of its ~$600 billion total revenue is not from groceries. However, Amazon’s role in food retail continues to expand. Amazon now operates Amazon Fresh grocery stores and Amazon Go convenience stores in addition to owning Whole Foods Market (acquired in 2017). Whole Foods alone had about $16 billion in sales in 2017 and has grown since under Amazon. The e-commerce giant does not break out grocery-specific revenue, but by one industry analysis Amazon (including Whole Foods and all grocery formats) held roughly a 5% share of the U.S. grocery market in 2023 – implying on the order of tens of billions of dollars in annual food and beverage sales. (Amazon’s own press releases have noted over $100 billion in combined “groceries and household essentials” sales in 2024, although that figure includes non-food items.) Due to this lack of transparency, we place Amazon near the lower end of the top 10. It’s worth noting that Amazon’s physical grocery footprint stands at over 530 Whole Foods stores (plus dozens of Amazon Fresh/Go stores), and its online grocery delivery/pickup services reach most of the U.S. via Amazon.com and Prime. Amazon’s grocery impact – around $25–50 billion by various estimates – is significant even if it’s a small fraction of Amazon’s total business.

9. TARGET CORPORATION – Target has made significant investments in its food and grocery business over the past decade, particularly through its SuperTarget hypermarket format and the expansion of private-label food brands. In FY2024, Target’s food & beverage category sales were about $24 billion. This represents roughly 22% of Target’s $106+ billion total revenue. (By comparison, Target’s grocery sales were $22.5 billion in 2022, about 21% of the total.) Target operates ~1,950 stores nationally, and while not a traditional supermarket chain, its scale in grocery is large enough to rank in the top 10. Target has focused on fresh produce, meat, and dairy offerings in remodelled stores, and it has rolled out curbside pickup and same-day delivery (via Shipt) for groceries. These efforts have helped Target remain a top-ten grocer, though its grocery market share (roughly 4–5%) still trails the pure grocery players.

10. MEIJER INC. – Meijer is a privately-held Midwestern retailer credited with pioneering the “supercenter” concept (combining a full supermarket and general merchandise under one roof). Meijer operates 268 supercenters and grocery stores across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. The company’s annual revenue was about $21.95 billion in 2023 (and has been estimated around $21–22 billion in 2024). Meijer stores are typically very large and offer everything from groceries and fresh produce to apparel and electronics. While Meijer’s store count is much smaller than Walmart’s or Kroger’s, its high-volume supercenter model makes it one of the top 10 grocery sellers in the U.S. by revenue. Meijer continues to expand gradually (entering new markets like Northeast Ohio and Wisconsin in recent years) and maintains a strong presence in its core states, often dominating local grocery share alongside Walmart.

Honorable Mention – ALDI (U.S.): Aldi is rapidly climbing the ranks of U.S. grocers. This Germany-based discount supermarket chain now has over 2,400 stores in the United States (making it the third-largest grocer by store count). Aldi’s U.S. revenues have grown more than 8-fold in the past 20 years, from about $3 billion to an estimated $27 billion in grocery sales today. In 2023, Aldi announced the acquisition of approximately 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys supermarkets in the Southeast; it plans to convert roughly 220 of those to the Aldi format while another portion will continue operating under the Winn-Dixie banner (via a resale to a separate investor group). Once integrations are complete, Aldi’s annual U.S. sales will be even higher – likely placing it in the top 10. (Even without counting the Winn-Dixie stores, Aldi’s ~$20+ billion pre-acquisition revenue nearly rivaled Meijer and Target’s grocery sales.) Aldi’s no-frills, low-price model (primarily selling private-label goods in smaller footprint stores) has resonated with cost-conscious shoppers, helping it double its customer base share in recent years. We anticipate Aldi will firmly secure a top-10 spot in the near future, if not already, thanks to its ongoing expansion and acquisitions.

Notes/Findings:

  • Ranking Criteria: This list ranks companies by their U.S. food and grocery sales, not necessarily total corporate revenue. We focus on retailers for whom grocery is a primary business (>50% of sales). For instance, Walmart is included (even though it sells general merchandise) because grocery accounts for about 60% of its U.S. revenue. Conversely, major retail players like CVS Health or Walgreens (which have huge total revenues) are not listed, since only a small fraction of their sales are grocery items.

  • Amazon’s Position: Some industry lists have placed Amazon as the #2 grocery retailer based on its overall size. However, Amazon does not disclose how much of its revenue comes from groceries, and much of its business is in non-food categories (e-commerce, AWS cloud, etc.). We have thus taken a conservative approach by ranking Amazon lower down. It’s worth noting that Amazon’s grocery presence is growing – by one estimate, Amazon (including Whole Foods) had ~5% of U.S. grocery market share in 2023. If true, that would translate to $50–60 billion in annual grocery-related sales (which would actually rival Albertsons). Amazon’s own figure of $100+ billion in “grocery and household essentials” gross sales includes a broad range of products, so it’s not directly comparable to other grocers’ food-only revenues. In summary, Amazon is a major grocery player but its lack of transparency and its diversified business make direct comparisons tricky.

  • Private Companies: Several top U.S. grocers are privately held, meaning they don’t publicly report financials. We have included them using the best available estimates. Publix, for example, publishes quarterly financial reports despite being private (so our Publix figures are exactcorporate.publix.com). H-E-B and Meijer are estimated via sources like Forbes and industry analysts (Forbes listed H-E-B’s 2024 revenue at $46.5B; Meijer’s 2023 revenue was about $22B). Aldi is another private company; its U.S. sales aren’t officially disclosed, but industry analysis put Aldi (USA) around $27B in 2024, especially after acquiring Southeastern Grocers’ banners. We include Aldi as an honorable mention since exact integration timing affects whether it cracks the “top 10” by year-end 2024.

  • Fiscal Year Timing: Grocery retailers have different fiscal year calendars. For example, Walmart’s FY2025 ended January 31, 2025, covering most of 2024; Kroger’s FY2023 ended January 2024, etc. We’ve used the most recent full-year data available (as of Dec. 2025) for each company, whether that’s FY2023 or FY2024 results. In cases where calendar 2024 is complete for a company (e.g. Publix), we’ve included those updated numbers. Small timing differences do not materially affect the rankings.

  • Merger Updates: The proposed Kroger–Albertsons merger would have combined the #2 and #4 grocers. Regulators raised serious antitrust concerns, and in December 2024 the deal was officially terminated. The two companies have since continued independently – and even engaged in legal disputes post-breakup (Albertsons has sued Kroger for damages, and Kroger counter-sued, each blaming the other for the deal’s failure). Another M&A note: Southeastern Grocers (parent of Winn-Dixie, etc.) was partly acquired by Aldi in 2023, as mentioned, and the remainder was sold to a private consortium in 2024. These dynamic changes reflect how even the grocery industry’s largest players are pursuing consolidation to gain scale against Walmart’s dominance.

  • Market Share Concentration: Despite the size of these top 10 grocers, the U.S. grocery industry is still relatively fragmented. Even Walmart, with its $300+ billion in food sales, holds about 21–29% of the national grocery market share (depending on the market definition). The top five grocers combined (Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Albertsons, and Amazon or Publix) likely account for around half of U.S. grocery spending. This fragmentation has been gradually decreasing as larger players (including non-traditional ones like dollar stores and e-commerce) capture more share. The Solomon Partners analysis cited above shows non-traditional grocery retailers now represent ~63% of grocery sales, versus 37% for traditional supermarkets. This underscores why companies like Kroger felt the need to attempt mergers – scale is increasingly important in a low-margin business like food retail.

  • Sources: All figures and factual statements have been sourced from company financial reports or reputable industry publications. Key sources include annual reports/filings (Walmart, Kroger, etc.), Supermarket News Top 75 and analysis (e.g. Scott Moses’ Groceryshop presentation), Progressive Grocer and Grocery Dive reports (for Publix, Ahold Delhaize, Target, etc.), and Forbes/private company rankings (for H-E-B, Aldi, Meijer). We have cited these throughout the list for transparency. Please note that estimates for private firms and Amazon have a margin of error, but they are cross-checked against multiple sources for reasonableness.

  • Traditional supermarkets face challenges from the blurring of channels however traditional, regionals still matter and the industry is still bound to the regional landscape.