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Major US Grocery Retailers
This list covers the major grocery retailers operating across the United States — the national chains that shape the industry and the strong regional operators whose influence in their home markets earns them a place alongside the giants. As the original version of this page noted, “major” is not only about size: a retailer’s impact…
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Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc., doing business as Publix, is an employee-owned American supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a private corporation that is wholly owned by present and past employees and members of the Jenkins family. Publix operates throughout the Southeastern United States, with locations in…
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Kroger
Kroger was founded in 1883 when Barney Kroger invested his life savings of $372 to open a grocery store at 66 Pearl Street in downtown Cincinnati. From its inception, the company pioneered a vertical integration model that combined grocery retail with in-house bakeries and meat departments—a format that later became standard in American supermarkets. In…
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Southeast Grocery Chains
The Southeast is the most distinctive grocery region in the country, defined above all by Publix — the employee-owned Florida giant that anchors the market — and by a deep bench of long-standing Southern chains that have kept national players at bay more successfully than in almost any other region. It stretches from Virginia and…
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Martin’s Food Markets
Martin’s Food Markets is a supermarket banner based in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, originating from a small chain founded in Hagerstown, Maryland, which Giant-Carlisle purchased in 1968. The banner operates in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, serving both suburban and rural communities. Martin’s stores offer a full range of grocery services…
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Save-A Lot
Save A Lot was founded in 1977 by Bill Moran as an alternative to larger supermarkets, with the first store opening in Cahokia, Illinois. Moran remained with the company until his retirement in 2006. The chain is headquartered in St. Ann, Missouri, in Greater St. Louis. At the root of the company’s growth strategy is…
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MOM’s Organic Market
MOM’s Organic Market was founded by Scott Nash in 1987, starting as a home delivery business out of his mother’s garage with an initial investment of $100. The first sale was delivered on July 2, 1987, to a customer in Rockville, Maryland. The chain has grown to become one of the nation’s premier organic grocery…
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Redner’s Markets
Redner’s Markets is a privately held, employee-owned American supermarket chain headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, wholly owned by present and past employees and members of the Redner family. The company operates primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region, competing on a combination of aggressive everyday low pricing, efficient warehouse-style operations, and a strong commitment to employee ownership that…
