COVER STORY
stores, including one near Philadelphia where customers can order conventional products from an automated storage area by scanning QR codes in the store. 9. Kroger The nation’s largest conventional super- market chain is entering a new era under the leadership of its newly appointed CEO, Walmart veteran Greg Foran. Observers say he has a lot a work to do, but he’s starting from a strong position. In addition to its industry-leading footprint, Kroger also has a well-developed loyalty program and a world-class private-label assortment. Its ecommerce operations, although currently in transition as the retailer scales back its partnership with Ocado, appear to be gaining traction with consumers as Kroger focuses on third- party delivery from the company’s fleet of store locations. Foran is expected to focus on execution of the basic fundamentals, according to industry observers. “Clean stores, fast, friendly service at the right price,” Jose Tamez, managing partner at Austin-Michael, an executive search firm focused on the retail and wholesale grocery channels, told Supermarket News. According to customer feedback com- piled by research firm dunnhumby for its
Retailer Preference Index report, custom- ers appreciate Kroger’s loyalty program, including the personalized deals and fuel discounts. “I love that the app shows me discounts that make sense for my shopping habits—it feels like you’re paying attention to what I actually need instead of just pushing random deals,” said one customer. Customers also appreciate how easy it is to use Kroger’s app, and they applaud the quality of the retailer’s private labels and its broad assortment that enables one-stop shopping. Kroger ranked well above average in dunnhumby’s report in the ease of shop- ping online, the ease of using the mobile app and for having technology that creates a better shopping experience. 10. Walmart Walmart has upped its grocery game, especially when it comes to perishables, and consumers have taken notice. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer, now under the leadership of newly appointed CEO John Furner, also maintains a strong price perception among consumers and has become a viable rival to Amazon on the ecommerce front. Executives repeatedly highlighted tech- nology advancements during its recent
fourth-quarter earnings call with analysts, where the company reported U.S. comp- store sales growth, excluding fuel, of 4.6%. Ecommerce sales in the quarter increased 27% over year-ago levels. Full-year ecom- merce sales surpassed $150 billion for the first time, with growth of nearly 25%. As Walmart has increasingly gone head- to-head with Amazon for a share of the ecommerce pie, it has also ramped up its fast-delivery offering (defined as under three hours), which saw growth of 60% in the past year. It is also investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), including both behind the scenes as a productivity tool for workers and in customer-facing applications, exem- plified by Sparky, the retailer’s AI-powered shopping assistant. Customers who use Sparky build orders that are 35% larger than those who do not, the company told analysts. Walmart also continues to see strong growth in its Walmart+ membership ser- vice, which provides free delivery from stores for orders totaling $35 or more and free shipping from Walmart’s website, among other benefits. The company is expected to continue its strong focus on innovation and technology under Furner’s leadership, according to observers.
2026 Super50 Supermarkets (11-50)
38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 37.
Bashas’
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.
24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.
Brookshire Grocery Co. Albertsons (Safeway/Albertsons combined)
Meijer Target
Safeway Price Chopper/Market 32
SuperValu banners (e.g., Cub, Shop & Save) Fairway Market Save-Mart Heinen’s Grocery IGA The Fresh Market
Giant Eagle H-Mart
Wegmans Food Markets Costco Next
Rouses Markets Harris Teeter
Hy-Vee BJ’s Wholesale Club
Woodman’s Market Cub Foods
ShopRite Lidl US
Market Basket (New England)
FreshDirect
Jewel-Osco
King Soopers Tops Friendly Markets Fred Meyer (Kroger) Stater Bros. Markets
Sprouts Farmers Market Grocery Outlet Save A Lot Giant Food/Stop & Shop
Price Rite Associated Food Stores Raley’s Family of Fine Stores Piggly Wiggly
24 SUPERMARKETNEWS.COM SPRING 2026
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