23 Kroger Statistics, Facts and Trends You Need to Know!
One of the world’s largest retailers, Kroger was a bright spot in the creation and growth of the grocery chain in the United States in the 20th century.
You may not be shopping at a Kroger brick-and-mortar store, but chances are you’ve contributed to the company’s windfall in some way.
So, if you want to know about Kroger and its history, including its services and offers? Read on to learn 23 stats and trends about Kroger — its history, emerging trends and more.
23 Kroger Statistics, Facts and Trends
1. Kroger was founded in 1883
“royal tea”
With $372 of his life savings, he started the business as The Great Western Tea Co., which became the Kroger Grocery and Baking Co. in 1902. In just 18 years, it has more than 5,500 outlets.
2. Kroger is the 18th largest company in the United States
The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, currently operates a variety of retail locations, including convenience stores and supermarkets.
Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the United States and the second largest retailer after Walmart. It is also the 18th largest company in the country.
3. 3,003 stores and counting
As of this writing, Kroger operates in 34 different US states and has more than 3,000 locations — 3,003, to be specific — across the country.
Kroger operates within the United States and currently has no overseas stores.
Even so, it remains the second largest supermarket chain in the world. Therefore, 100% of Kroger’s sales share comes from the United States.
4. Kroger Competitors
As a grocer, some of the company’s main competitors are Walmart, Costco, Albertsons Companies, Amazon, Publix Super Markets, and Sprouts Farmers Markets.
5. Market share of US food and beverage purchases.
Kroger accounts for 8.9% of all food and beverage purchases in the U.S.
That brought the company’s total US sales to $132.5 billion, while its operating profit was $2.25 billion.
6. Nonperishables are the highest-selling category in Kroger stores
As the largest grocery chain in the U.S., it’s no surprise that Kroger generates 36% of its revenue from non-perishable food, its biggest sales category.
7. Subsidiaries and brands
Kroger, the largest grocery store chain in the United States, has the following subsidiaries:
- Dillon
- food 4 less
- Fry’s
- Fred Meyer
- spoon king
- ralphs
- Qualified Financial Commission
- Harris Teeter
- Smith’s
8. Kroger’s focus on quality control
In 1930, Kroger was the first grocery store chain to adopt product quality monitoring and rigorous product testing standards.
By the 1970s, Kroger was the first store to introduce electronic scanning and formal consumer research into grocery stores.
9. Kroger is the most popular grocery store in America
In a poll of more than 200,000 interviews, Kroger topped the grocery category in 2017 with a 53% favorable rating.
10. Key Stakeholders in Organic Market
Kroger’s branded organic line – Simple Truth, is a private label with sales exceeding the annual sales of many supermarket chains in the United States
Simple Truth alone had $1.5 billion in sales in 2015, according to Food Business News.
11. Kroger Store Division
Kroger’s stores include:
- 2,619 supermarkets
- 782 convenience stores
- 326 jewelry stores
Its operating base also includes 37 food processing manufacturing plants and 36 distribution centers to supply stores.
With these locations, Kroger has 1.617 million square feet of retail space in the United States, equivalent to as many as 280,000 NFL football fields.
12. Kroger is America’s Favorite Natural Gas Retailer
Kroger has been selling natural gas since 1983, but has offered the fuel at its marts since 1998.
As the third largest gas station operator in the United States, Kroger operated more than 2,000 gas stations in 37 states in 2014.
13. Innovation and Invention
We all know that the modern grocery store was invented by Kroger — starting with selling bread and other staples as well as general groceries so customers didn’t have to shop at different stores to get everything they needed.
14. Kroger Fine Jewelry District
Did you know that Kroger runs a jewelry department? The Fred Meyer Jewelers and Littman Jewelers brands have 323 jewelry stores in 30 US states.
These stores are likely to be located within a shopping mall, or even at some point within a food store.
15. Kroger is the fifth largest drugstore in the United States
Kroger operated 1,947 pharmacies in 2013, growing to 2,111 in 2014.
It is known for dispensing pharmacies, selling prescription drugs and providing primary care by nurse practitioners.
This happens within the company’s brand, Little Clinics.
16. Kroger’s Fleet
As of 2013, Kroger had a fleet of 2,770 tractor semis and 10,500 semis.
The aim is to keep up with its store supply. The Kroger fleet makes 3,300 deliveries per day and drives about 329 million miles in the same year.
17. Location and Distribution of Kroger Stores in the United States
California has the most Kroger locations, with 335 grocery-focused stores. It has the second largest store in Ohio, home of Kroger, where it operates 212 stores.
Texas ranks third with 203 stores. Florida has the fewest Kroger supermarkets, with just one Harris Teeter store.
18. Kroger has 435,000 employees nationwide
Kroger has more than 3,000 stores nationwide with 435,000 employees and is growing every year.
19. Kroger’s AI digital tools
A notable trend in the grocery industry recently was the news that Kroger has launched an artificial intelligence-based digital tool that recommends recipes based on photos of food.
It’s part of an effort by retailers to turn to technology and make meal prep and shopping incredibly easy.
20. Grocery Trends According to Kroger
In anticipation of key trends in grocery store and retailer offerings, Kroger said making comfort foods like mac and cheese and white cheddar, quick-cooking risotto and more is here to stay.
It’s about how the client has adapted to the challenge over the past year. It also shows how many people already make cooking at home part of their daily routine.
According to the analysis, more than half of Kroger shoppers claim to try different flavors at home.
As a result, beverage and food products will get a boost. It will also include benefits like better digestion, improved energy levels, cognitive health and stress management.
21. Kroger launches NOWstalgia
As demand grows for foods and flavors that evoke childhood memories, Kroger has added new items to its grocery store shelves that can mesmerizingly evoke nostalgic flavors.
along with nostalgia, Kroger aims to give its customers a way to share food memories in a new podcast.Customers can now stream nostalgia On Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.
22. The Kroger-Ocado partnership
In 2019, Kroger announced plans to build a robot-powered fulfillment center that will begin operations in 2021.
As such, it will get a new boost in processing e-commerce orders.
23. Kroger’s flexibility and ability to adapt to change
Despite the rapidly changing nature of the grocery industry, Kroger has maintained its dominance over the years.
It meets the needs of millions of hungry people through continuous delivery and service, making it a well-known brand that provides consumers with the best experience through manufacturing, inventory, inspection, marketing, delivery or management.
To learn more about Kroger, you can check out our related posts on Is Kroger a Franchise, Kroger Shoplifting Policy, and Kroger Dog Policy.
in conclusion
Despite Kroger’s involvement in various initiatives, it hasn’t stopped, as it remains committed to its purpose of “nourishing the human spirit.” There is also continuity in the seamless shopping experience it offers under different brands.
