Wal-Mart's the 1: all traditional operators now trail the world's largest retailer on PG's annual list of the country's 50 biggest supermarket chains. (America's 50 Largest Supermarket Chains).

The time has come, as everyone knew it would. Wal-Mart, which through its four formats had already been selling more groceries than anyone in America, is now the country's biggest supermarket operator. According to estimates by TDLinx, the Bentonville, Ark. retailing giant's supermarket operations are racking up about $4 billion more in annual sales than former top dog Kroger.

Wal-Mart jumped from the No. 4 spot on last year's Super 50 list on the strength of its ever-expanding supercenter and Neighborhood Market business. In compiling the list, TDLinx, a sister VNU company of PROGRESSIVE GROCER, measures sales through supermarkets as defined by the industry standard of $2 million or more in annual sales. Grocery stores owned by companies on the list that fall below that number are not included in the sales or store count figures, nor are other formats, like discount stores and warehouse clubs, that sell groceries.

Kroger's fall to the second spot pushed Safeway and Albertsons to third and fourth place, respectively. All the companies on last year's top 10 are still there, although A&P dropped behind Supervalu to 10th place and is less than $100 million in supermarket sales ahead of No. 11 H.E. Butt.

Among wholesalers that operate supermarkets, Supervalu was alone in moving up on the list. Fleming, which filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition last month, Nash Finch, and Spartan Stores all dropped a bit. Roundy's, whose retail success encouraged a Chicago investment firm to buy the company last year, held steady at 36th place.

Elizabeth, N.J.-based Wakefern Food Corp. made the list for the first time--in 38th place--propelled there by its acquisition of 27 ShopRites from Big V Supermarkets. The retailer-owned cooperative won a court fight to buy the stores from bankrupt Big V, the largest ShopRite operator, and keep the volume from going to another wholesaler.

Wal-Mart appears to have bumped a number of chains down the list from last year's positions. Many of those that lost ground are in areas where Wal-Mart is expanding, especially the Southeast and Upstate New York. As the mega-retailer continues to follow its aggressive growth plan, a good percentage of the operators it goes up against are likely to keep experiencing declining sales and store counts.

The biggest jump up the ladder was by Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, which went from 27th place last year to 21st on the current list. The upscale purveyor of natural and organic foods has been steadily expanding and is now approaching 150 stores. Arch-rival Wild Oats Market, which was 46th last year, didn't make the new list.

Besides Wild Oats and Big V, most of whose stores now show up under Wakefern, last year's No. 49, Eagle Food Centers in Milan, Ill., which filed Chapter 11 last month, and No. 50, King Kullen of Westbury, N.Y., have dropped off the list.

New to the roster this year is Target Corp., the Minneapolis discount store operator that has been rapidly increasing its grocery business. Target came in at No. 27 and--with Kmart's dire financial straits pushing its attention away from supermarket-type merchandise--is starting to be viewed as possibly the next big competitive threat to the traditional industry.

The other additions, besides Wakefern, are No. 49 Foodarama Supermarkets of Freehold, N.J. and No. 50 Inserra Supermarkets of Mahwah, N.J., both ShopRite operators.

If things have been up and down for the chains at the middle and the bottom of the list, they've been no less so for the leaders. Over the last year their fortunes have ranged from the steady and optimistic growth at Publix and Supervalu to Safeway's labor troubles at two of its divisions to the management shakeup at A&P to the financial scandal that's rocking Ahold. The PG editorial staff's recaps of what's gone on at the nation's 10 biggest supermarket companies in the last 12 months follow:

1. Wal-Mart

THERE ARE FEW LISTS that Wal-Mart isn't at the top of these clays, and now that includes PROGRESSIVE GROCER'S Super 50. The world's biggest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., has already topped the Fortune 500 ranking of the nation's largest companies for the second consecutive year.

In the supermarket industry, WalMart is a hefty competitor with its supercenter format, as well as its smaller Neighborhood Market grocery stores, which are still being refined but promise to be a challenge. The retailer has successfully crafted a low-price image and ultra-efficient distribution system that is the envy of its competition. It continues to expand an already strong presence across the United States and has plans to open 200 supercenters, 55 conventional discount stores, 40 to 45 Sam's Clubs, and up to 25 Neighborhood Markets in 2003.

Wal-Mart is also making its presence felt around the globe. It is now considered the leading retailer in Canada and Mexico. In addition, it owns Asda, a leading retailer. in the United Kingdom, and operates stores in South America, Asia, and Europe. Whether Wal-Mart can make a go of the challenging German market remains to be seen.

--Jenny McTaggart

2. Kroger

KROGER MAY BE A GIANT, but the Cincinnati-based grocer certainly does not move slowly. Its 2,481 stores operate under nearly two dozen banners, from warehouse-style Foods Co. to the multi-department Fry's Marketplace, and the chain has been quick to implement innovations in design, merchandising, and technology to give it an edge over tough competition.

For 2002, Kroger held the No. 1 or No. 2 share in 41 of its 48 major markets, increasing its share in 27 of them--and it accomplished this while competing against a total of 849 supercenters, 603 of them WalMart's.

How is Kroger doing this? By doing a lot of different things well and cost-effectively. Last year the chain cut costs by $306 million with a plan that centralized procurement for certain categories, a strategy that allows the company to narrow the price gap with discount retailers and extend a price advantage against traditional competitors in most markets.

"We're certainly not going to be the lowest-priced operator in the market," said c.e.o. Joseph Pichier during a March earnings conference call. "But we go to market in a different way from the discount operators, with greater service, stronger private label, expanded perishables, and strong natural foods. Our offering is different, and people look at the whole basket.

"And when you factor all of that in, we have a pretty good idea what the gap is at which we will maintain our enhanced share against discount operators generally, and also where the full force of our merchandising and price program will attract customers from the remaining competitors that do not have our market share."

--Joseph Tarnowski

3. Safeway

A SUPERMARKET SURE BET is Safeway. The third-largest food retailer after Wal-Mart and Kroger, the chain has built a reputation for quality and efficiency. Its Safeway Select private label is one of the strongest in the business, incorporating a wide range of products renowned for their quality. Many are manufactured in the company's own plants. The newest entries include luncheon meats, frozen self-rising pizza, whole bean coffee, and women's hosiery.

Safeway operates approximately 1,700 stores, in the U.S. and Canada, and it holds a 49 percent interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V., a food and general merchandise retailer in western Mexico. In addition to its namesake banner, Vons and Pavilions stores in Southern California; Randalls and Tom Thumb in Texas; Carr's in Alaska; Dominick's in Chicago; and Genuardi's in the Philadelphia area are all part of the Safeway family.

But there has been some family discord. After highly publicized union troubles, Dominick's has effectively been disowned; it was listed as a discontinued operation as of Dec. 28, and is in the process of being sold.

Rumors are rampant that Genuardi's may be next, as the one-time family-owned institution has become a popular target of union organizers. According to market observers, Genuardi's has seen its quality and reputation suffer. Many analysts believe Safeway bought Genuardi's to serve as a bridge between Safeway-banner operations in Baltimore and Washington, and its desire to jump into the Northeast, possibly through an acquisition of Pathmark. That never happened; some believe it was headed off by instability in the stock market. As of mid-April, Safeway's stock was trading around $20 a share, down more than 50 percent from its 52-week high of $45.14.

--Richard Turcsik

4. Albertsons

ALBERTSONS HAS MADE no secret about its intentions: to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 player in every market where it does business. Since 2001, when General Electric veteran Larry Johnston was brought in to rebuild the chain's management team, it has begun exiting unprofitable markets while initiating significant cost-cutting measures.

The Boise, Idaho-based retailer is now pared down to 11 operating divisions with just under 1,600 stores across the United States. Major markets include Northern and Southern California, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Kansas City. In the Southwest, the company is aggressively rolling out its Albertsons-Osco food-and-drug combo stores, which analysts have called the best in the industry. Its other banners include Albertsons, Jewel, and Acme.

Albertsons has identified fuel centers as a key growth tactic, and it now has around 270 of them.

--Jenny McTaggart

5. Ahold USA

AFTER A DECADE in which it spent more than $19 billion acquiring some of the best-known supermarket banners and becoming a major force in U.S. retailing, Netherlands-based Royal Ahold N.V. saw the foundations of its empire begin to crack. The first public sign came on Feb. 24, when the retailer announced details of an accounting scandal connected to its U.S. Foodservice subsidiary in Columbia, Md.

The acquisition of the foodservice distributor three years ago moved Ahold USA outside its core retail sector for the first time and made it the nation's only player coveting the bases of retail and foodservice. But what initially appeared to be a royal flush has turned into a royal mess since the revelation that U.S. Foodservice overstated 2001 and 2002 profits by half a billion dollars.

Immediately following the report, Ahold sent its Netherlands-based c.e.o. and c.f.o. packing, while the company's accountants, Deloitte & Touche, denied any responsibility for the problem.

Then the world's third-largest supermarket company said it would restate earnings for 2000, 2001, and 2002 because of accounting irregularities related to how U.S. Foodservice used manufacturer promotions and rebates to inflate its profits.

Less than two weeks after the scandal came to light, Ahold pledged some of its most valuable assets--Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Inc., Bi-Lo, and its native flagship, Albert Heijn--as collateral to secure a one-year, $3.4 billion credit line from five U.S. and Dutch banks. Analysts now believe it is unlikely the company will sell its most prized possessions, and predict Ahold will instead continue on a previously stated mission to divest non-core and underperforming assets.

With its stock price getting pounded, Ahold announced plans to sell off its operations in four South American countries to help cut its crippling debt load. Those properties include Disco SA, the troubled Argentine unit where top management resigned in late February under a cloud of ethics allegations.

The plot thickened further last month when the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department widened their investigations by requesting information from at least six major food manufacturers: Sara Lee, ConAgra, Tyson, Kraft Foods, General Mills, and H.J. Heinz.

Additionally, the company faces inquiries by Euronext Amsterdam, the Dutch arm of the European stock exchange, and several shareholder suits claiming that Ahold materially misrepresented its market value.

While information continues to trickle our, speculation abounds in the U.S. and international retailing communities about how far Ahold's woes will ultimately reach and whether its management and core businesses are strong enough to overcome the adversities.

Meg Major

6. Delhaize America

DELHAIZE AMERICA, the U.S. division of Brussels-based retailer Delhaize Group, continues to strive for growth with its three distinct banners: Food Lion, Hannaford Bros., and Kash n' Karry Food Stores. The challenge is particularly difficult in the Southeast, however, where overstored markets and heated competition have forced the company to close 41 underperforming Food Lion stores this year.

Other cost analysis measures being implemented at Food Lion--the company's biggest chain--include cutting 400 jobs from the corporate office, distribution centers, and field management. Still, the company says it plans to go ahead with 45 new store openings this year in more promising markets. It is trying several new prototypes, including a rounded design, and maintains an emphasis on low prices and quality produce.

Last year Delhaize Group streamlined the senior executive ream at Delhaize America to more easily share expertise among its U.S. banners. Rick Anicetti was promoted to c.e.o. at Food Lion, while former Food Lion c.e.o. Bill McCanless was named vice chairman of Delhaize America. Anicetti and Ron Hodge, c.e.o. of Hannaford Bros., now report directly to Pierre-Olivier Beckers, who has been c.e.o. and president of Delhaize Group since 1999.

A lot can be learned from Hannaford Bros., the most upscale of Delhaize's U.S. banners, which operates supermarkets throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and in parts of New York and Massachusetts. Two-thirds of its units are combination grocery and pharmacy stores, and all are part of the company's strong Hannaford private label program.

Kash n' Karry offers shoppers in Central Florida low-priced groceries in modern stores that feature European-style deli/bakeries, fresh seafood departments, pharmacies, and floral shops. Delhaize Group is closing one underperforming store this year.

Jenny McTaggart

7. Publlx

THE 120,000-PLUS EMPLOYEE-owners of seventh-ranked Publix Super Markets are poised to see their numbers expand even further with the 69 new supermarkets slated to open this year as part of the Lakeland, Fla.-based chain's aggressive growth strategy.

Based on the most recent appraisal, the value of Publix's stock, which is not publicly traded and is sold only to current associates and members of the board of directors, increased $1.50 to $38.50 per share.

Having cultivated a deeply loyal following among both its associates and customers, Publix says it will spend roughly $600 million on new stores, remodels, warehouses, and other expenses, according to a report it filed in March with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While this year's capital expenditures budget is $36 million less than last year's, it is clear that Publix has no intentions of resting on its laurels as the market leader in its home state.

The fast-growing retailer, known for its outstanding customer service and bright, immaculate stores, also operates combination supermarkets in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and, most recently, Tennessee. According to its annual report, Publix last year opened 76 new units, of which 32 were in Florida, and closed 19 others. Its current store count is 749.

Thus far, Publix has opened four of the seven stores it acquired from Albert-sons in Nashville, where the chain reportedly plans to acquire up to 30 stores over the next few years. The company also operates four Pix gasoline-convenience stores at supermarket locations in Florida, which in addition to gas offer a limited selection of groceries and deli items, as well as prepared fresh foods.

Last summer, Publix also diversified with an investment in Crispers LLC, a 13-unit, Lakeland-based restaurant company targeting health-conscious customers with a broad variety of salads, sandwiches, and soups in a quick-serve format.

Meg Major

8. Winn-Dixie

SOMETIMES, SLOW AND STEADY REALLY DOES WIN THE RACE. While other chains expanded willy-nilly, snapping up just about every supermarket company available, Winn-Dixie Stores of Jacksonville, Fla. flew under Wall Street's radar, with some analysts questioning how long the chain Could remain independent before being absorbed in a merger by one of the Wall Street darlings.

Today, many of those former darlings are imploding, but Winn-Dixie has reinvigorated itself, once again becoming a force to be reckoned with. It has drastically reduced expenses by streamlining the number of divisions, Shuttering weak stores, closing or selling some manufacturing plants, improving customer service, and pulling out of same areas, like Texas and Oklahoma Now Winn-Dixie operates almost 1,100 stores in 12 states, primarily in the Southeast. Stows operate under the Winn-Dixie, Winn-Dixie Marketplace, Thriftway Food & Drug, Sack & Save Foods, and Save Rite banners.

Save Rite is Winn-Dixie's newest format, and it's been credited with helping the chain return to profitability in the competitive Atlanta market. Save Rite provides low prices on a reduced assortment of products, compared to a conventional Winn-Dixie. In many of its conventional stores, Winn-Dixie is placing a greater emphasis on dry grocery and reducing or eliminating foofaraw departments like sushi bars.

Winn-Dixie is taking other steps to regain shopper loyalty. It has introduced a frequent shopper card that offers Baby Club and Pet Club components; in Florida it even has a Wine Club where shoppers can build points for every wine purchase they make.

Many of the improvements are the result of new blood in the management suite. Winn-Dixie has brought in key executives from Price Chopper, Pathmark, Safeway, Kroger, and other chains. They have helped stop the company's downward spiral and are positioning it for growth in the future.

Richard Turcsik

9. Supervalu

THE PAST YEAR FOR SUPERVALU can be described as more of the same--meaning more successful acquisitions, more technology innovations, and more solutions for its customers. Under the leadership of new chairman Jeff Noddle, the company sought to implement business plans that include accelerating the growth of the limited assortment Save-A-Lot format, expanding its store base in key retail markets, and continuing the efficiency initiatives in distribution.

In May of last year, the company completed its acquisition of Deal$--Nothing Over a Dollar, a St. Louis-based retailer specializing in single-price-point general merchandise. The company's 53 stores in eight states are supported by one distribution center in Illinois. The acquisition enabled Supervalu to incorporate more general merchandise items into its Save-A-Lot stores, and to expand the offering of the Deal$ stores with Save-A-Lot merchandise at the $1 price point. Supervalu is developing combination stores that incorporate features of both.

On the technology front, Supervalu created a logistics solution provider organization to pursue growth opportunities within non-traditional logistics management services. Named Advantage Logistics, the business unit will be headed by president Richard Finkbeiner, a former s.v.p. of global services for CS Integrated, Frigoscandia Group.

The company also launched SV Harbor, an Internet portal designed for Supervalu customers, which provides access to information, applications, and other services for retailers.

On the supply chain side, Supervalu selected Foodconnex Worldwide and its partner, Commerce One, to provide a company-wide electronic trading solution for sourcing fresh produce and floral.

"The industry faced a number of issues, and Supervalu was impacted by the same things that our competitors were, but we have a strong business plan in place and keep moving forward to implement our plan through fiscal 2004," says spokeswoman Lynne High. "We will stay the course and keep the business going."

Joseph Tarnowski

10. Great A&P Tea Co.

ONCE THE LEADING U.S. supermarket chain, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. now operates as a multi-regional grocer, with stores under 11 names. In addition to its namesake A&P, the company's banners include Dominion and The Barn in Canada, Farmer Jack in Michigan and Ohio, Super Fresh along the East Coast from New Jersey to Virginia, Kohl's in Wisconsin, Waldbaum's and the Food Emporium in the New York area, and Say-A-Center in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Under the leadership of chairman and c.e.o. Christian Haub, A&P has set its sights on becoming. North America's "supermarket of choice." But first it must contend with a hefty debt load and falling stock prices. To that end, earlier this year the company began selling off several assets. In February, it announced the sale of nine supermarkets in northern New England to Stop & Shop and Big Y Foods for an estimated $80 million. Following that sale, the company unloaded seven Kohl's supermarkets in Madison, Wis. to Copps Corp., a subsidiary of Roundy's, Inc., and announced plans to sell other Milwaukee-area stores.

In March the New England divestitures were concluded with the sale of eight stores in northern New England to GU Family Markers. A&P also is seeking a new owner for its Eight O'Clock coffee subsidiary, whose product is sold in the chain's stores as well as those of other companies. In addition, it is converting some of its older, smaller stores to a new Food Basics limited assortment format, modeled after its successful chain in Ontario.

Meanwhile, the company has restructured its operations to create separate American and Canadian divisions. Its former president and c.e.o., Elizabeth Culligan, was replaced by Brian Piwek, formerly c.e.o. of A&P Canada. Eric Claus was named c.e.o. of the Canadian business. Both Piwek and Claus report to Haub.

German retailer Tengelmann Group owns 57 percent of A&P.

Jenny McTaggart

AMERICA'S 50 LARGEST SUPERMARKET CHAINS

 Estimated
 annual sales
 No. of as of
 supermarkets March 2003
 Company name ($2M+sales) (millions)

1 WAL-MART STORES, INC. 1,336 $48,742
 Bentonville, Ark.
 www.wal-mart.com

2 KROGER CO. 2,482 44,782
 Cincinnati, Ohio
 www.kroger.com

3 SAFEWAY, INC. 1,581 29,355
 Pleasanton, Calif.
 www.safeway.com

4 ALBERTSONS, INC. 1,589 28,461
 Boise, Idaho
 www.albertsons.com

5 AHOLD USA, INC. 1,270 25,010
 Chantilly, Va.
 www.ahold.com

6 DELHAIZE AMERICA, INC. 1,445 14,733
 Salisbury, N.C.
 www.delhaize-le-lion.be

7 PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, INC. 749 14,528
 Lakeland, Fla.
 www.publix.com

8 WINN-DIXIE STORES, INC. 1,058 12,646
 Jacksonville, Fla.
 www.winn-dixie.com

9 SUPERVALUE, INC. 582 8,198
 Eden Prairie, Minn.
 www.supervalu.com

10 GREAT A&P TEA CO. 488 7,832
 Montvale, N.J.
 www.aptea.com

11 H.P. BUTT GROCERY CO. 284 7,744
 San Antonio, Texas
 www.heb.com

12 MEIJER 156 6,053
 Grand Rapids, Mich.
 www.meijer.com

13 DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY 185 5,541
 Ft. Lee, Virginia Beach, Va.
 www.commissaries.com

14 SHAW'S SUPERMARKETS, INC. 185 4,125
 West Bridgewater, Mass.
 www.shaws.com

15 PATHMARK STORES, INC. 145 4,117
 Carteret, N.J.
 www.pathmark.com

16 HY-VEE FOOD STORES, INC. 189 4,030
 West Des Monies, Iowa
 www.hy-vee.com

17 ALDI, INC. 775 3,739
 Batavia, Ill.
 www.aldifoods.com

18 GIANT EAGLE, INC. 122 2,950
 Pittsburgh, Pa.
 www.gianteagle.com

19 RALEY'S SUPERMARKETS 134 2,675
 West Sacramento, Calif.
 www.raleys.com

20 WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC. 64 2,491
 Rochester, N.Y.
 www.wegmans.com

21 WHOLE FOODS MARKET 143 2,454
 Austin, Texas
 www.wholefoods.com

22 KMART CORP. 115 2,443
 Troy, Mich.
 www.kmart.com

23 RUDDICK CORP./HARRIS TEETER 142 2,311
 Matthews, N.C.
 ruddickcorp.com

24 STATER BROS MARKETS 156 2,206
 Colton, Calif.
 www.staterbros.com

25 SCHNUCK MARKETS, INC. 102 2,127
 St. Louis, Mo.
 www.schnucks.com

26 GOLUB CORP./PRICE CHOPPER 102 $2,121
 Schenectady, N.Y.
 www.pricechopper.com

27 TARGET CORP. 102 2,018
 Minneapolis, Minn.
 www.target.com

28 PENN TRAFFIC CO. 211 1,970
 Syracuse, N.Y.
 www.penntraffic.com

29 FLEMING COS., INC. 106 1,953
 Lewisville, Texas
 www.fleming.com

30 WEIS MARKETS, INC. 160 1,907
 Sunbury, Pa.
 www.weis.com

31 INGLES MARKETS, INC. 200 1,828
 Asheville, N.C.
 www.ingles-markets.com

32 SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, INC. 114 1,823
 Modesto, Calif.


33 BROOKSHIRE GROCERY CO. 152 1,768
 Tyler, Texas
 www.brookshires.com

34 DEMOULAS/MARKET BASKET 58 1,732
 Tewksbury, Mass.

35 SMART & FINAL, INC. 228 1,693
 City of Commerce , Calif.
 www.smartandfinal.com

36 ROUNDY'S INC. 74 1,530
 Pewaukee, Wis.
 www.roundys.com

37 BASHAS' MARKETS, INC. 137 1,440
 Chandler, Ariz.
 www.bashas.com

38 WAKEFERN FOOD CORP. 51 1,294
 Elizabeth, N.J.
 www.shoprite.com

39 MARSH SUPERMARKETS, INC. 111 1,275
 Indianapolis, Ind.
 www.marsh.net

40 NASH FINCH CO. 112 1,150
 Minneapolis, Minn.
 www.nashfinch.com

41 WINCO FOODS, INC. 38 1,127
 Boise, Idaho
 www.wincofoods.com

42 ALEX LEE, INC./LOWES 107 1,050
 Winston-Salem, N.C.
 www.alexlee.com

43 SPARTAN STORES, INC. 94 978
 Grand Rapids, Mich.
 www.spartanstores.com

44 BIG Y FOODS, INC. 47 970
 Springfield, Mass.
 www.bigy.com

45 MINYARD FOOD STORES, INC. 75 952
 Coppell, Texas
 www.minyards.com

46 K-VA-T FOOD STORES, INC. 86 947
 Abington, Va.
 www.foodcity.com

47 FIESTA MART, INC. 50 936
 Houston, Texas
 www.fiestamart.com

48 HOUCHENS INDUSTRIES, INC. 237 935
 Bowling Green, Ky.


49 FOODARAMA SUPERMARKETS, INC. 23 835
 Freehold, N.J.

50 INSERRA SUPERMARKETS, INC. 21 767
 Mahwah, N.J.



 Square feet Full-time
 selling area No. of equivalent
 Company name (thousands) checkouts employees

1 WAL-MART STORES, INC. 82,106 37,453 428,108
 Bentonville, Ark.
 www.wal-mart.com

2 KROGER CO. 98,616 26,133 196,195
 Cincinnati, Ohio
 www.kroger.com

3 SAFEWAY, INC. 57,781 14,572 107,492
 Pleasanton, Calif.
 www.safeway.com

4 ALBERTSONS, INC. 73,859 15,323 127,295
 Boise, Idaho
 www.albertsons.com

5 AHOLD USA, INC. 49,206 14,989 98,223
 Chantilly, Va.
 www.ahold.com

6 DELHAIZE AMERICA, INC. 43,740 12,015 58,432
 Salisbury, N.C.
 www.delhaize-le-lion.be

7 PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, INC. 31,649 8,020 81,829
 Lakeland, Fla.
 www.publix.com

8 WINN-DIXIE STORES, INC. 43,612 10,391 72,729
 Jacksonville, Fla.
 www.winn-dixie.com

9 SUPERVALUE, INC. 20,187 5,148 30,603
 Eden Prairie, Minn.
 www.supervalu.com

10 GREAT A&P TEA CO. 16,968 5,249 30,280
 Montvale, N.J.
 www.aptea.com

11 H.P. BUTT GROCERY CO. 11,323 3,553 34,180
 San Antonio, Texas
 www.heb.com

12 MEIJER 9,453 4,228 65,929
 Grand Rapids, Mich.
 www.meijer.com

13 DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY 5,926 2,464 11,632
 Ft. Lee, Virginia Beach, Va.
 www.commissaries.com

14 SHAW'S SUPERMARKETS, INC. 7,106 2,249 16,033
 West Bridgewater, Mass.
 www.shaws.com

15 PATHMARK STORES, INC. 5,573 2,216 14,794
 Carteret, N.J.
 www.pathmark.com

16 HY-VEE FOOD STORES, INC. 7,552 2,432 26,613
 West Des Monies, Iowa
 www.hy-vee.com

17 ALDI, INC. 9,907 3,560 11,869
 Batavia, Ill.
 www.aldifoods.com

18 GIANT EAGLE, INC. 7,074 2,086 13,556
 Pittsburgh, Pa.
 www.gianteagle.com

19 RALEY'S SUPERMARKETS 6,258 1,322 8,897
 West Sacramento, Calif.
 www.raleys.com

20 WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC. 4,979 1,350 12,647
 Rochester, N.Y.
 www.wegmans.com

21 WHOLE FOODS MARKET 2,371 1,292 15,362
 Austin, Texas
 www.wholefoods.com

22 KMART CORP. 5,658 3,044 41,607
 Troy, Mich.
 www.kmart.com

23 RUDDICK CORP./HARRIS TEETER 5,146 1,289 10,312
 Matthews, N.C.
 ruddickcorp.com

24 STATER BROS MARKETS 4,484 1,331 6,005
 Colton, Calif.
 www.staterbros.com

25 SCHNUCK MARKETS, INC. 5,294 1,247 9,557
 St. Louis, Mo.
 www.schnucks.com

26 GOLUB CORP./PRICE CHOPPER 4,496 1,289 8,061
 Schenectady, N.Y.
 www.pricechopper.com

27 TARGET CORP. 6,144 3,216 25,001
 Minneapolis, Minn.
 www.target.com

28 PENN TRAFFIC CO. 7,362 1,597 10,055
 Syracuse, N.Y.
 www.penntraffic.com

29 FLEMING COS., INC. 5,379 1,191 7,090
 Lewisville, Texas
 www.fleming.com

30 WEIS MARKETS, INC. 5,906 1,520 9,397
 Sunbury, Pa.
 www.weis.com

31 INGLES MARKETS, INC. 8,314 1,861 8,704
 Asheville, N.C.
 www.ingles-markets.com

32 SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, INC. 4,582 963 5,598
 Modesto, Calif.


33 BROOKSHIRE GROCERY CO. 5,383 1,379 7,912
 Tyler, Texas
 www.brookshires.com

34 DEMOULAS/MARKET BASKET 2,340 682 6,043
 Tewksbury, Mass.

35 SMART & FINAL, INC. 3,659 936 2,889
 City of Commerce , Calif.
 www.smartandfinal.com

36 ROUNDY'S INC. 4,192 898 6,184
 Pewaukee, Wis.
 www.roundys.com

37 BASHAS' MARKETS, INC. 4,194 995 6,405
 Chandler, Ariz.
 www.bashas.com

38 WAKEFERN FOOD CORP. 1,779 670 4,491
 Elizabeth, N.J.
 www.shoprite.com

39 MARSH SUPERMARKETS, INC. 3,442 888 7,036
 Indianapolis, Ind.
 www.marsh.net

40 NASH FINCH CO. 3,744 858 6,697
 Minneapolis, Minn.
 www.nashfinch.com

41 WINCO FOODS, INC. 2,176 589 3,597
 Boise, Idaho
 www.wincofoods.com

42 ALEX LEE, INC./LOWES 3,463 857 5,054
 Winston-Salem, N.C.
 www.alexlee.com

43 SPARTAN STORES, INC. 3,034 741 5,177
 Grand Rapids, Mich.
 www.spartanstores.com

44 BIG Y FOODS, INC. 1,996 591 3,645
 Springfield, Mass.
 www.bigy.com

45 MINYARD FOOD STORES, INC. 2,876 708 4,582
 Coppell, Texas
 www.minyards.com

46 K-VA-T FOOD STORES, INC. 2,399 704 4,380
 Abington, Va.
 www.foodcity.com

47 FIESTA MART, INC. 1,993 518 3,960
 Houston, Texas
 www.fiestamart.com

48 HOUCHENS INDUSTRIES, INC. 3,160 1,126 4,490
 Bowling Green, Ky.


49 FOODARAMA SUPERMARKETS, INC. 1,150 421 2,855
 Freehold, N.J.

50 INSERRA SUPERMARKETS, INC. 969 356 1,831
 Mahwah, N.J.




 Top banner names
 Company name (no. of stores)

1 WAL-MART STORES, INC. Wal-Mart Supercenter (1,285)
 Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market (51)
 www.wal-mart.com

2 KROGER CO. Kroger (1,030)
 Cincinnati, Ohio Ralphs (298)
 www.kroger.com Kroger Superstore (156)

3 SAFEWAY, INC. Safeway (893)
 Pleasanton, Calif. Vons Market (195)
 www.safeway.com Dominick's Finer Foods (98)

4 ALBERTSONS, INC. Albertsons (1,152)
 Boise, Idaho Jewel Osco (187)
 www.albertsons.com Acme Market (135)

5 AHOLD USA, INC. Bi-Lo (294)
 Chantilly, Va. Super Stop & Shop (293)
 www.ahold.com Giant Food Store (267)

6 DELHAIZE AMERICA, INC. Food Lion (1,184)
 Salisbury, N.C. Kash n' Karry (137)
 www.delhaize-le-lion.be Hannaford Food & Drug (87)

7 PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, INC. Publix Super Market (749)
 Lakeland, Fla.
 www.publix.com

8 WINN-DIXIE STORES, INC. Winn-Dixie (553)
 Jacksonville, Fla. Winn-Dixie Marketplace (425)
 www.winn-dixie.com Save Rite (58)

9 SUPERVALUE, INC. Save A Lot (294)
 Eden Prairie, Minn. Cub Foods (81)
 www.supervalu.com Shoppers Food Warehouse (42)

10 GREAT A&P TEA CO. Farmer Jack Supermarket (109)
 Montvale, N.J. A & P (84)
 www.aptea.com Super Fresh Food Market (77)

11 H.P. BUTT GROCERY CO. H.E. Butt Food Store (206)
 San Antonio, Texas H-E-B Pantry Foods (71)
 www.heb.com H.E. Butt Central Market (7)

12 MEIJER Meijer Supermarket (156)
 Grand Rapids, Mich.
 www.meijer.com

13 DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY DECA Commissary (185)
 Ft. Lee, Virginia Beach, Va.
 www.commissaries.com

14 SHAW'S SUPERMARKETS, INC. Shaw's Supermarket (119)
 West Bridgewater, Mass. Shaw's Super Store (39)
 www.shaws.com Star Market (25)

15 PATHMARK STORES, INC. Pathmark Supermarket (145)
 Carteret, N.J.
 www.pathmark.com

16 HY-VEE FOOD STORES, INC. Hy-Vee (189)
 West Des Monies, Iowa
 www.hy-vee.com

17 ALDI, INC. Aldi (584)
 Batavia, Ill. Trader Joe's Market (191)
 www.aldifoods.com

18 GIANT EAGLE, INC. Giant Eagle Market (122)
 Pittsburgh, Pa.
 www.gianteagle.com

19 RALEY'S SUPERMARKETS Raley's Supermarket (83)
 West Sacramento, Calif. Nob Hill Foods (26)
 www.raleys.com Bel Air Market (18)

20 WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC. Wegmans Food Market (64)
 Rochester, N.Y.
 www.wegmans.com

21 WHOLE FOODS MARKET Whole Foods Market (128)
 Austin, Texas Bread & Circus Market (11)
 www.wholefoods.com Harry's Whole Foods (3)

22 KMART CORP. Super Kmart Center (115)
 Troy, Mich.
 www.kmart.com

23 RUDDICK CORP./HARRIS TEETER Harris Teeter Supermarket (141)
 Matthews, N.C. Harris Teeter Express (1)
 ruddickcorp.com

24 STATER BROS MARKETS Stater Bros Market (156)
 Colton, Calif.
 www.staterbros.com

25 SCHNUCK MARKETS, INC. Schnuck Market (97)
 St. Louis, Mo. Logli Supermarket (5)
 www.schnucks.com

26 GOLUB CORP./PRICE CHOPPER Price Chopper Supermarket (102)
 Schenectady, N.Y.
 www.pricechopper.com

27 TARGET CORP. SuperTarget Center (102)
 Minneapolis, Minn.
 www.target.com

28 PENN TRAFFIC CO. P&C Super Market (69)
 Syracuse, N.Y. Big Bear (54)
 www.penntraffic.com Bi-Lo Market (42)

29 FLEMING COS., INC. Rainbow Food Store (61)
 Lewisville, Texas Food 4 Less (24)
 www.fleming.com Yes!Less (17)

30 WEIS MARKETS, INC. Weis Market (131)
 Sunbury, Pa. Mr. Z's Food Mart (17)
 www.weis.com King's Supermarket (6)

31 INGLES MARKETS, INC. Ingles Supermarket (197)
 Asheville, N.C. Best Food (2)
 www.ingles-markets.com Savemore Supermarket (1)

32 SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, INC. Save Mart Store (73)
 Modesto, Calif. Food Maxx Store (32)
 S Mart Foods (9)

33 BROOKSHIRE GROCERY CO. Brookshire Food (124)
 Tyler, Texas Super I Foods (28)
 www.brookshires.com

34 DEMOULAS/MARKET BASKET Market Basket (58)
 Tewksbury, Mass.

35 SMART & FINAL, INC. Smart & Final (187)
 City of Commerce , Calif. Cash & Carry (41)
 www.smartandfinal.com Mountain (15)

36 ROUNDY'S INC. Pick 'N Save Store (48)
 Pewaukee, Wis. Copps Foods Center IGA (21)
 www.roundys.com Orchard Market (3)

37 BASHAS' MARKETS, INC. Bashas' Market (78)
 Chandler, Ariz. Food City (51)
 www.bashas.com AJ's Fine Foods (7)

38 WAKEFERN FOOD CORP. ShopRite Supermarket (36)
 Elizabeth, N.J. Price Rite (15)
 www.shoprite.com

39 MARSH SUPERMARKETS, INC. Marsh Supermarket (67)
 Indianapolis, Ind. LoBill Foods (34)
 www.marsh.net O'Malia's Food Market (8)

40 NASH FINCH CO. Econofoods (52)
 Minneapolis, Minn. Sunmart Foods (36)
 www.nashfinch.com Buy N Save (9)

41 WINCO FOODS, INC. WinCo Foods (38)
 Boise, Idaho
 www.wincofoods.com

42 ALEX LEE, INC./LOWES Lowes Food Store (104)
 Winston-Salem, N.C. Just Save Foods (3)
 www.alexlee.com

43 SPARTAN STORES, INC. Food Town (39)
 Grand Rapids, Mich. Glen's Market (23)
 www.spartanstores.com Family Fare Supermarket (13)

44 BIG Y FOODS, INC. Big Y Supermarket (47)
 Springfield, Mass.
 www.bigy.com

45 MINYARD FOOD STORES, INC. Minyard Food Store (30)
 Coppell, Texas Carnival Food Store (26)
 www.minyards.com Sack'N Save Foods (19)

46 K-VA-T FOOD STORES, INC. Food City (85)
 Abington, Va. Super Dollar Market (1)
 www.foodcity.com

47 FIESTA MART, INC. Fiesta Mart (50)
 Houston, Texas
 www.fiestamart.com

48 HOUCHENS INDUSTRIES, INC. Save A Lot (200)
 Bowling Green, Ky. Houchens Market (31)
 IGA Foodliner (2)

49 FOODARAMA SUPERMARKETS, INC. Foodarama ShopRite (23)
 Freehold, N.J.

50 INSERRA SUPERMARKETS, INC. ShopRite Supermarket (21)
 Mahwah, N.J.



 Chief trading areas
 by Census region
 Company name (no. of stores)

1 WAL-MART STORES, INC. West South Central (335)
 Bentonville, Ark. South Atlantic (324)
 www.wal-mart.com East South Central (195)

2 KROGER CO. Pacific (653)
 Cincinnati, Ohio East North Central (499)
 www.kroger.com Mountain (388)

3 SAFEWAY, INC. Pacific (854)
 Pleasanton, Calif. Mountain (293)
 www.safeway.com West South Central (138)

4 ALBERTSONS, INC. Pacific (590)
 Boise, Idaho Mountain (316)
 www.albertsons.com West South Central (212)

5 AHOLD USA, INC. South Atlantic (486)
 Chantilly, Va. Mid Atlantic (335)
 www.ahold.com New England (216)

6 DELHAIZE AMERICA, INC. South Atlantic (1,234)
 Salisbury, N.C. New England (88)
 www.delhaize-le-lion.be East South Central (84)

7 PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, INC. South Atlantic (736)
 Lakeland, Fla. East South Central (13)
 www.publix.com

8 WINN-DIXIE STORES, INC. South Atlantic (727)
 Jacksonville, Fla. East South Central (233)
 www.winn-dixie.com West South Central (80)

9 SUPERVALUE, INC. South Atlantic (201)
 Eden Prairie, Minn. East North Central (133)
 www.supervalu.com West North Central (68)

10 GREAT A&P TEA CO. Mid Atlantic (249)
 Montvale, N.J. East North Central (140)
 www.aptea.com South Atlantic (41)

11 H.P. BUTT GROCERY CO. West South Central (284)
 San Antonio, Texas
 www.heb.com

12 MEIJER East North Central (148)
 Grand Rapids, Mich. East South Central (8)
 www.meijer.com

13 DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY South Atlantic (55)
 Ft. Lee, Virginia Beach, Va. Pacific (40)
 www.commissaries.com West South Central (21)

14 SHAW'S SUPERMARKETS, INC. New England (185)
 West Bridgewater, Mass.
 www.shaws.com

15 PATHMARK STORES, INC. Mid Atlantic (141)
 Carteret, N.J. South Atlantic (4)
 www.pathmark.com

16 HY-VEE FOOD STORES, INC. West North Central (178)
 West Des Monies, Iowa East North Central (11)
 www.hy-vee.com

17 ALDI, INC. East North Central (342)
 Batavia, Ill. Pacific (119)
 www.aldifoods.com Mid Atlantic (117)

18 GIANT EAGLE, INC. East North Central (71)
 Pittsburgh, Pa. Mid Atlantic (46)
 www.gianteagle.com South Atlantic (5)

19 RALEY'S SUPERMARKETS Pacific (113)
 West Sacramento, Calif. Mountain (21)
 www.raleys.com

20 WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC. Mid Atlantic (64)
 Rochester, N.Y.
 www.wegmans.com

21 WHOLE FOODS MARKET Pacific (37)
 Austin, Texas South Atlantic (34)
 www.wholefoods.com New England (16)

22 KMART CORP. East North Central (43)
 Troy, Mich. South Atlantic (17)
 www.kmart.com West South Central (14)

23 RUDDICK CORP./HARRIS TEETER South Atlantic (138)
 Matthews, N.C. East South Central (4)
 ruddickcorp.com

24 STATER BROS MARKETS Pacific (156)
 Colton, Calif.
 www.staterbros.com

25 SCHNUCK MARKETS, INC. West North Central (60)
 St. Louis, Mo. East North Central (30)
 www.schnucks.com East South Central (12)

26 GOLUB CORP./PRICE CHOPPER Mid Atlantic (73)
 Schenectady, N.Y. New England (29)
 www.pricechopper.com

27 TARGET CORP. West South Central (30)
 Minneapolis, Minn. West North Central (26)
 www.target.com South Atlantic (16)

28 PENN TRAFFIC CO. Mid Atlantic (136)
 Syracuse, N.Y. East North Central 161)
 www.penntraffic.com South Atlantic (7)

29 FLEMING COS., INC. West North Central (42)
 Lewisville, Texas West South Central (31)
 www.fleming.com Mountain (14)

30 WEIS MARKETS, INC. Mid Atlantic (137)
 Sunbury, Pa. South Atlantic (23)
 www.weis.com

31 INGLES MARKETS, INC. South Atlantic (178)
 Asheville, N.C. East South Central (22)
 www.ingles-markets.com

32 SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, INC. Pacific (114)
 Modesto, Calif.


33 BROOKSHIRE GROCERY CO. West South Central (148)
 Tyler, Texas East South Central (4)
 www.brookshires.com

34 DEMOULAS/MARKET BASKET New England (58)
 Tewksbury, Mass.

35 SMART & FINAL, INC. Pacific (198)
 City of Commerce , Calif. South Atlantic (15)
 www.smartandfinal.com

36 ROUNDY'S INC. East North Central (74)
 Pewaukee, Wis.
 www.roundys.com

37 BASHAS' MARKETS, INC. Mountain (135)
 Chandler, Ariz. Pacific (2)
 www.bashas.com

38 WAKEFERN FOOD CORP. Mid Atlantic (38)
 Elizabeth, N.J. New England (13)
 www.shoprite.com

39 MARSH SUPERMARKETS, INC. East North Central (111)
 Indianapolis, Ind.
 www.marsh.net

40 NASH FINCH CO. West North Central (93)
 Minneapolis, Minn. East North Central (13)
 www.nashfinch.com Mountain (6)

41 WINCO FOODS, INC. Pacific (28)
 Boise, Idaho Mountain (10)
 www.wincofoods.com

42 ALEX LEE, INC./LOWES South Atlantic (107)
 Winston-Salem, N.C.
 www.alexlee.com

43 SPARTAN STORES, INC. East North Central (94)
 Grand Rapids, Mich.
 www.spartanstores.com

44 BIG Y FOODS, INC. New England (47)
 Springfield, Mass.
 www.bigy.com

45 MINYARD FOOD STORES, INC. West South Central (75)
 Coppell, Texas
 www.minyards.com

46 K-VA-T FOOD STORES, INC. East South Central (65)
 Abington, Va. South Atlantic (21)
 www.foodcity.com

47 FIESTA MART, INC. West South Central (50)
 Houston, Texas
 www.fiestamart.com

48 HOUCHENS INDUSTRIES, INC. East South Central (172)
 Bowling Green, Ky. South Atlantic (37)
 Mid Atlantic (12)

49 FOODARAMA SUPERMARKETS, INC. Mid Atlantic (23)
 Freehold, N.J.

50 INSERRA SUPERMARKETS, INC. Mid Atlantic (21)
 Mahwah, N.J.

SOURCE: TDLINX

RELATED ARTICLE: Super 50 methodology and notes

PROGRESSIVE GROCER'S SUPER 50 is derived from the database of Wilton, Conn.-based TDLinx for supermarkets selling a minimum of $2 million apiece per year. Stores selling under $2 million operated by Super 50 chains are not included in the calculation of the total number of stores or total sales volume.

Although supercenters are considered supermarkets, a substantial portion of their business is in merchandise not typically sold in Supermarkets. Therefore, only their sales of supermarket-type merchandise are included in these calculations. In the case of a mass merchandiser like Wal-Mart, for example, about 40 percent of total supercenter sales are shown. Revenue from clothing, computers, appliances, and numerous other types of merchandise is not counted.

Wholesale membership clubs are not considered supermarkets, and their sales are not included. If they were, the top three operators--Sam's, Costco, and BJs--would all make the list because 50 to 60 percent of their lines are supermarket-comparable.

The data is collected from a range of public and private sources, Some data is modeled from averages believed to be the best available, in order to present as complete a picture as possible. Square footage figures given are for selling area in stores and do not represent gross leaseable area or include warehouse space.

The numbers for full-time equivalent employees represent the sum of all a company's full-time employees plus half of its part-timers.

Chains in the Super 50 account for a total of $324.3 billion in sales, or 65.1 percent of all supermarket sales. They operate a combined 18,173 supermarkets, 55.1 percent of the nation's total.

Walter Heller

Article Details

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Author:	Weir, Tom
Publication:	Progressive Grocer
Article Type:	Industry overview
Geographic Code:	1USA
Date:	May 1, 2003
Words:	6173
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