Regional grocers and club stores hold their own against national names

The National Retail Federation’s annual Top 100 Retailers list ranks retailers based on U.S. sales. Walmart remains in the top spot, followed by Amazon, Costco, Kroger and The Home Depot. This series takes a look at power players in select retail categories. Power players are retailers in this Top 100 list with 2025 U.S. sales equal to or greater than 10% of the sales of the category leader. 

When it comes to the grocery category, national retailers top NRF’s Top 100 Retailers list. But regional players also posted strong showings on the rundown, compiled by Kantar and based on 2025 U.S. sales.

The Kroger Company continues to lead the category in retail sales, with $154.6 billion. But H.E. Butt Grocery, or H-E-B, which operates almost exclusively in Texas, posts per-store sales of $119.3 million, more than double Kroger ($56.6 million).

“The good growth of regional grocers proves they’ve got more of a footprint for expansion,” says Mark Mathews, NRF’s chief economist and executive director of research.

While not traditional grocers, clubhouse stores certainly are taking a bite out of the grocery segment. Dave Marcotte, senior vice president with Kantar, notes that Costco functions outside the United States as primarily a grocery company with weekly shoppers. In certain regions of the U.S., trips are far less frequent and focused primarily on stocking up.

BJ’s also fits the grocery store model, as does Sam’s Club, particularly outside the United States. Costco is the second largest retailer in Canada and is soon expected to take the top spot there, Marcotte says.