Category Archives: Supermarket competition

Supermarket competition

Bigger And Better?

A recent SupermarketNews article reported Kroger and Albertsons plan to merge in a deal valued at $24.6 billion.

According to the piece, the merger will combine two of the country’s largest supermarket retailers, “creating a national company with 4,996 stores, 66 distribution centers, 52 manufacturing plants, 2,015 fuel centers and more than 710,000 associates across 48 states and the District of Columbia.”

 The merged entity also would be the fifth-largest retail pharmacy operator, with 3,972 pharmacy locations.

Given the histories of these two organizations, we’d expect the merger will result in a “bigger and better” solution!

Supermarket competition, Top Grocery Retailers, Uncategorized

2022 Top 50

SupermarketNews (SN) recently announced their list of top retailers, which is compiled by SN and TIGD, a leading UK-based analysis and insight organization for the food and consumer goods industry.

You can review their findings in an online gallery, which “showcases the rankings based on sales of the Top 50 food and grocery retailers and wholesalers in the U.S. and Canada, including supermarkets, mass merchandisers, dollar stores, convenience stores and drugstores.”

In the announcement, SN noted that sales figures were based on reports from public retail companies and, in cases of privately owned companies, IGD estimates.

You can access the SN Top 50 Retailers gallery here.

Customer Service, Supermarket competition

Supermarkets Among America’s Best Retailers

A recent SupermarketNews article reported several supermarkets have been recognized as being among the country’s best retailers.

Based on a survey of more than 10,000 U.S. consumers who have shopped in-person inside retail stores in the past three years, Newsweek’s 2022 America’s Best Retailers list ranks companies according to five criteria:

  • Products
  • Customer service
  • Atmosphere
  • Accessibility
  • Shop layout

In addition, the survey also asked about the likelihood of the respondent to recommend a retailer to friends and family. Overall, over 150,000 evaluations were collected on retailers in 39 categories. The top three to 10 retailers (based on category size) receiving the highest scores in each category were recognized as America’s Best Retailers for 2022.

Wegmans Food Markets, Publix Super Markets, and Harps Food Stores garnered the top ratings for supermarkets, followed by Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market.

Top finishers in the discount supermarket chains list included Trader Joe’s, 99 Cents Only Stores, and Aldi.

Read the full article… 

Grocery shopping trends, Supermarket competition, supermarket competitive edge

Albertsons Named SupermarketNews Retailer of the Year!

In a recently posted announcement, SupermarketNews has named Albertsons Cos., the nation’s second-largest supermarket operator, as its Retailer of the Year for 2020.

“The past year has seen Albertsons successfully go public, spur growth and innovation in strategic areas such as e-commerce and private brands, and refresh its store base, among other initiatives,” the article stated.

The piece went on to identify key results of the chain’s efforts, which included improved customer loyalty and market share gains.

Read the full article…

Customer Service, Supermarket competition, supermarket customer service and loyalty

Surprise Ranking for Top 3 Retailers in the U.S.!

We all know that Walmart and Amazon are “the” major retailers in America and, as noted in a recent msn.com article, they were rated first and second, respectively, in Kantar Consulting’s ranking of the top 50 U.S. retailers of 2018.

What was surprising, though, was the identity of the third-place winner. America’s third-biggest retailer is a grocery store!

Possibly you’ve already surmised that the third-place finisher on the list of top retailers in the country is Kroger! As the article states, lots of folks say that shopping at Kroger is a pleasure! The chain consists of just over four thousand stores in 42 states, and its headquarters are in Cincinnati. It is a low-priced grocery store that’s most popular in mid-western, mid-Atlantic, and southeastern states.

But of all things, Kroger is known most for its high level of customer service. It’s nice to see an organization that is customer-focused also be among the top in their trade!

Customer service and loyalty, Supermarket competition, Uncategorized

Best Supermarkets in 2019?

A recent article published by msn.com rated America’s “best” supermarkets.

With more than 66,000 supermarkets and other grocery stores in the U.S according to the U.S. Census, competition between chains has never been more fierce, the article said.

For the purposes of this list, supermarkets were defined as brick-and-mortar grocers, grocery stores, membership-only warehouse clubs, and nationwide department store retailers that have supermarkets within their retail locations. In addition, only those supermarkets with outposts in multiple states and more than five locations total were considered.

Judgments were made according to the following criteria:

Stock: A wide range of brands and offerings, including organic, locally sourced, artisanal, local favorites, international foods, and private label.

Services/Departments: Departments, including butcher, deli, bakery, and pharmacy.

Innovation: Delivery options, mobile apps, and staying on top of the latest trends.

Customer Service: Efficient checkout and self-checkout, easy returns/exchanges, loyalty programs, and personal touches like baggers who take groceries to the car.

Appearance and cleanliness: Brightly lit displays, tidy shelves, clutter-free aisles, and scuff-free floors.

Contribution to the community: Creating local jobs, working with local farmers and suppliers, and helping the less fortunate.

The top ten selections on msn’s list were:

  • Publix
  • Wegmans
  • Aldi
  • Likl
  • Trader Joes
  • Whole Foods
  • Harris Teeter (branch of Kroger)
  • Costco
  • Super Target
  • Kroger

    • Customer service and loyalty, Grocery shopping trends, On-line food shopping, Supermarket competition

    Walmart Setting the Pace for Online Grocery?

    Our previous post indicated that Amazon was the clear leader in online grocery shopping. However, a recent SupermarketNews article said that “Walmart’s heavy investment in e-commerce is paying off, and the retail giant could top Amazon in online grocery market share by the end of this year.”

    The data was based on a Deutsche Bank Securities report, which said Walmart  had been shifting focus and growth strategies in the direction of e-commerce, and that the chain has plans to bring online grocery delivery to 100 metropolitan areas — covering 40% of U.S. households — by the end of 2018 through its own services and third-party providers.

    Read the full article…

    On-line food shopping, Process improvement, Shopping Experience, Supermarket competition, supermarket customer service and loyalty

    Forbes Was Right: 4 Ways Your Grocery Store Might Change this Year

    This past December Forbes published an article suggesting we should expect to see more changes at the grocery store this year as the industry adapts to various competitive pressures and emerging shopping habits.

    “The last year has been a trying one for supermarkets that face not only changing technology and consumer demands but heightened competition on price,” the article said.

    The article predicted four key trends for 2018, which were:

    1. More online shopping options
    2. Mobile payment acceptance
    3. Meal kits
    4. In-store drinking and dining

    At the half-way-or-so point, it seems these predictions are on track. And clearly all four predictions focus on improving processes as well as customer service and the shopping experience!

    Guess we can all stay-tuned to see if these trends continue…

     

    Customer Service, Customer service and loyalty, Process improvement, Supermarket competition, Supermarket management

    Customers King at Kroeger?

    A recent SupermarketNews article reported that Kroger has launched a new improvement initiative to accelerate changes in assortments and better customer service.

    While Kroeger has been in the news lately for considering the sale of its convenience stores, the new  “Restock Kroger” improvement initiative seems to be the bigger story. It will involve “an accelerated and more data-driven effort around pricing, personalized communications with customers, and a revamp of product assortments,” the article said.

    “We will change the way people eat in the U.S.,” said Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO. “If you are eating, we want to serve you. Unless you are eating in a white tablecloth restaurant, we want to be able to provide that meal for you.”

    Read the full article… 

    Customer engagement, Customer Service, Customer service and loyalty, Process improvement, Supermarket competition

    “Checkout-less” Supermarkets: What’s Old is New?

    The Seattle Times recently published an interesting and entertaining  article, which referenced the announcement made late last year by Amazon.com regarding the launch of an experimental convenience store in downtown Seattle where customers could skip the checkout line.

    While the concept was presented as futuristic and technologically innovative,  a French retail chain, Monoprix, took issue with that depiction.

    As the video showcased within the article explains (in a clever and somewhat humorous way), “Monoprix’s “Livraison à domicile +,” is their 10-year-old service that also allows shoppers skip the checkout lines – via a different form of innovation.

    What’s old is new!