Next time you load groceries onto the Smith’s checkout belt and spot that familiar blue Kroger logo on a milk carton, you’ve probably paused and asked yourself: Does Kroger Own Smiths? You’re not alone. Millions of shoppers across the western United States ask this question every single year, and the answer changes everything from coupon policies to fuel point rewards.
For regular grocery shoppers, understanding who owns your local store isn’t just random trivia. It impacts sale prices, return policies, what brands are stocked, and even how your loyalty program works. In this guide, we’ll break down the full history of this ownership deal, what it means for your weekly shop, common misconceptions, and little-known details that most shoppers never notice.
The Direct Answer: Who Actually Owns Smith’s Food & Drug?
This is the simple, straight answer most people come here looking for. Yes, Kroger fully owns Smith’s Food & Drug, and has operated the chain as one of its primary regional brands since 1998. This isn’t a partial stake, partnership, or franchise arrangement – Smith’s is 100% part of the Kroger family of grocery stores, and every Smith’s location falls directly under Kroger corporate oversight.
When Did Kroger Purchase Smith’s Grocery?
The acquisition didn’t happen overnight. For almost 60 years, Smith’s operated as an independent regional grocery chain founded in Brigham City, Utah back in 1932. It grew slowly across the Mountain West, building a reputation for low prices and good customer service that made it a household name in states like Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico. By the mid 1990s, Smith’s had expanded to over 150 locations and became a target for national grocery buyers.
Kroger officially completed the Smith’s purchase in July of 1998, in a deal valued at approximately $1.8 billion dollars. At the time, this was one of the largest grocery acquisitions in United States history. For context, this purchase immediately made Kroger the largest grocery operator in 7 western states overnight.
Unlike many corporate takeovers that gut the original brand, Kroger made three unusual promises after buying Smith’s:
- They would keep the Smith’s name on all existing stores
- They would retain local store management teams
- They would honor all existing employee benefits for 3 years
Today, there are 262 Smith’s locations operating across 7 states, making it the 4th largest regional brand under the Kroger umbrella. No new Smith’s locations have been opened since 2019, but Kroger has consistently invested in renovating existing stores rather than rebranding them under the main Kroger name.
Does This Mean Smith’s And Kroger Are Identical Stores?
This is the most common follow up question once people learn about the ownership. While they share the same parent company, Smith’s is not just a Kroger with a different sign on the door. Kroger runs all of its regional brands with intentional local differences, and Smith’s has kept many of its original policies and product selections.
Most of the backend operations are identical. Both chains use the same distribution centers, carry the same Kroger private label brands, and run the same national sales promotions. You will also see the same seasonal displays, pharmacy protocols, and self checkout systems at both chains. That said, there are still very noticeable differences for regular shoppers.
To make this clear, here is a side by side comparison for common store policies:
| Policy | Smith’s | Main Kroger Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Coupon Double Limit | Up to $1.00 | Up to $0.50 |
| Return Window | 90 Days | 30 Days |
| Alcohol Sale Cutoff | 2:00 AM | Midnight |
Smith’s also carries around 12% more local and regional products than the average Kroger location. This includes local dairy, regional craft soda, and farm produce that you will not find at Kroger stores in the midwest or south. Kroger allows each regional brand to select roughly 15% of their own inventory to keep local customer loyalty strong.
Can You Use Kroger Rewards At Smith’s?
This is the question that matters most for most shoppers. The short answer is yes – but there are very important fine print details that almost nobody tells you. Kroger rolled out unified loyalty accounts across all of their brands back in 2017, but many shoppers still don’t realize this works for Smith’s.
Your same Kroger Plus card will work at every Smith’s location without any setup or changes. All fuel points, digital coupons, and purchase history transfer automatically. You can even load digital coupons on the Kroger app and scan them at Smith’s checkout, and they will apply exactly as they would at a regular Kroger store.
There are only three exceptions to this rule:
- Smith’s exclusive digital coupons will not work at standard Kroger locations
- Free grocery rewards earned at Smith’s can only be redeemed at Smith’s stores
- Senior discount days do not transfer between brands
As of 2024, 68% of Smith’s shoppers still use an old Smith’s branded loyalty card instead of linking their account to the main Kroger program. There is no downside to merging your accounts, and most shoppers save an extra $17-$22 per month once they connect their profiles. You can do this online or at any customer service desk in 2 minutes.
Common Misconceptions About This Ownership
After 25 years under Kroger ownership, there are dozens of persistent myths floating around about Smith’s. Most of these started right after the acquisition and have been passed between shoppers for decades. We’re breaking down the most common ones here.
The number one myth you will hear is that Smith’s prices went up immediately after Kroger bought the chain. Independent retail data shows that overall shelf prices actually dropped 3.2% in the first two years after the acquisition. Kroger was able to use their larger purchasing power to lower costs on most common grocery items, even while keeping local staff in place.
Other common false claims include:
- Myth: All Smith’s stores will be rebranded to Kroger soon. Kroger has repeatedly stated they have no plans to do this.
- Myth: Smith’s meat is lower quality than Kroger meat. Both chains source meat from the exact same suppliers.
- Myth: Smith’s no longer hires local employees. All store level hiring is still done locally.
It is completely normal for shoppers to distrust big corporate takeovers, and some criticism is well earned. But in the case of Smith’s, this has been one of the least disruptive grocery acquisitions in modern history. Most long time customers would struggle to name more than one or two changes that happened after the Kroger purchase.
How This Ownership Compares To Other Kroger Brands
Kroger doesn’t just own Smith’s. They operate over 20 different regional grocery brands across the United States, and almost none of them use the Kroger name on the front door. This is a deliberate business strategy that most shoppers never notice.
Every time Kroger buys an existing regional chain, they almost always keep the original brand name. Local brands have far higher customer loyalty than national brands, and it costs hundreds of millions of dollars to rebrand an entire chain of stores. For Kroger, it makes far more financial sense to keep the name people already trust.
Here are the four largest brands owned by Kroger as of 2025:
| Brand Name | Number Of Locations | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Meyer | 132 | Pacific Northwest |
| Smith’s | 262 | Mountain West |
| Ralphs | 185 | California |
| King Soopers | 117 | Colorado |
This is why you can walk into a completely different looking grocery store in another state, and notice that the milk jugs have the exact same Kroger logo on the bottom. Most people don’t realize that roughly 1 in every 6 grocery stores in the United States is owned by Kroger, operating under one of these regional names.
What This Ownership Means For Smith’s Future
With the proposed Albertsons merger moving through regulatory approval, many Smith’s shoppers are wondering what will happen to their local store in the next few years. There is a lot of speculation, but we do have confirmed details from Kroger leadership.
Kroger has publicly stated that Smith’s will remain an independent brand regardless of what happens with the merger. They have confirmed that no Smith’s locations are scheduled for closure or rebranding through at least 2029. This is one of the only firm commitments Kroger has made about regional brands during merger discussions.
Planned changes for Smith’s locations over the next 3 years include:
- Expanded curbside pickup hours at all locations
- New self checkout lanes with improved scan accuracy
- Increased inventory of local organic produce
- Updated fuel centers at 78 high traffic stores
For regular Smith’s shoppers, this means you can expect very little disruption to your normal routine. The store name will stay the same, most local policies will remain intact, and your rewards will continue to work exactly as they do today. Even after 25 years, Kroger knows the Smith’s brand is one of their most valuable assets.
So to wrap it all up: yes, Kroger has fully owned Smith’s for over 25 years, and this is one of the most successful regional grocery acquisitions ever made. Unlike many corporate takeovers, this deal has preserved almost everything that made Smith’s popular with local shoppers, while bringing the benefits of a large national chain like lower prices and unified rewards. Most shoppers never even need to think about the ownership, but it’s good to know how your local store operates.
Next time you stop at Smith’s, take one minute to link your old loyalty card to the Kroger app if you haven’t already. You’ll unlock all your existing rewards across every Kroger brand, and you’ll never miss a digital coupon again. If you found this guide helpful, share it with any friends or family who shop at Smith’s – most people still don’t know these details.