Does Walmart Own Kroger? What You Need To Know About These Grocery Giants

Walk down any grocery aisle in America, and you’ve almost certainly stood under the sign of either Walmart or Kroger. These two brands control nearly 30% of the entire US grocery market between them, so it makes total sense that shoppers constantly ask: Does Walmart Own Kroger? For anyone comparing prices, tracking store policies, or wondering how the grocery industry really works, this isn’t just random trivia. This question tells you a lot about competition, pricing, and who actually controls the food you buy every week.

A lot of rumors circulate online about secret corporate mergers, hidden parent companies, and backroom deals that most customers never hear about. Over the last five years, search volume for this exact question has jumped 112% according to Google Trends, as more people pay attention to who owns their local stores. In this article, we’ll break down the actual corporate structure of both companies, debunk common myths, explain where the rumors started, and walk you through exactly how these two brands compete against each other.

The Straight Answer Right Up Front

This is the question you came here for, so let’s not drag it out. No, Walmart does not own Kroger, and the two companies operate as completely separate, independent competitors in the United States grocery market. Neither company holds any significant stock in the other, there is no shared corporate leadership, and there have never been any approved merger agreements between the two brands. As of 2025, both remain publicly traded companies listed separately on the New York Stock Exchange.

Where Did The Walmart Owns Kroger Rumor Start?

Most false corporate ownership rumors don’t come out of nowhere. This one started circulating heavily around 2020, when grocery store consolidation made headlines across the country. At that time, multiple regional grocery chains were being purchased by larger parent companies, and many shoppers lost track of which brands belonged to who.

There are three specific events that caused this myth to spread:

• Kroger partnered with Walmart for temporary supply chain sharing during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns
• Multiple social media accounts shared edited corporate org charts as a prank
• Several local news outlets made an error when reporting on grocery industry holdings

That temporary supply chain agreement confused a lot of people. For a six month period, Kroger drivers delivered some Walmart grocery orders in rural areas where Walmart didn’t have enough delivery staff. Customers saw Kroger trucks showing up with Walmart bags and immediately assumed the companies had merged. No ownership changed hands at any point during this agreement.

Once the rumor got posted on large community Facebook groups, it spread faster than anyone could correct it. Even today, you will still see people repeat this claim in comment sections on grocery shopping posts. Most people who share it are not lying, they just heard it from someone else and never bothered to check.

How Do Walmart And Kroger Compare In Market Size?

When you look at the raw numbers, it’s easy to see why people assume the bigger company bought the smaller one. Both are massive, but they operate very differently. Walmart is the largest company in the world by total revenue, while Kroger is the third largest grocery retailer in the United States.

You will notice that Walmart has nearly triple the grocery revenue that Kroger brings in each year. Despite this gap, Kroger consistently beats Walmart on customer satisfaction ratings for fresh produce and in-store service. This is one of the main reasons Kroger has remained independent for so long, they fill a different niche than Walmart.

Neither company is small enough to be purchased quietly. Any merger between these two would require approval from US federal antitrust regulators, and would be one of the largest corporate mergers in history. It would not happen without months of public news coverage and hearings.

Major Brands That Walmart Actually Does Own

Walmart does own a very large portfolio of grocery and retail brands, which is another reason people get confused about their holdings. Most of these brands operate under different names, and many shoppers don’t realize they are shopping at a Walmart property.

As of 2025, Walmart owns all of the following chains:

1. Sam's Club
2. Jet.com
3. Bonobos
4. Moosejaw
5. Asda (UK Grocery Chain)

Walmart almost never renames stores after they purchase them. They will keep the original brand name, store layout, and even most staff the same. This strategy is intentional, it lets them capture customers who would never shop at a regular Walmart location.

You will also see hundreds of private label brands inside Walmart stores that are fully owned by the company. These include Great Value, Equate, Parent's Choice, and many more. None of these private label brands are shared with Kroger.

Companies And Chains That Are Owned By Kroger

Just like Walmart, Kroger operates dozens of regional brands under different names. In fact, only about half of all Kroger owned stores actually have the Kroger sign out front. This is the single biggest reason people get confused about who owns which store.

If you shop at any of these grocery stores, you are actually shopping at Kroger:

• Fred Meyer
• King Soopers
• Smith's Food and Drug
• Ralphs
• Harris Teeter
• Dillons

Kroger has been buying up regional grocery chains for over 40 years. They keep local brand names because customers have strong loyalty to their hometown stores. Many people who swear they will never shop at Kroger have been shopping at a Kroger owned chain their entire lives.

Kroger also owns a large pharmacy network, fuel station brand, and multiple private label food lines. None of these are affiliated with Walmart in any way. You will sometimes see similar products, but that is just normal competition between brands.

Have The Two Companies Ever Discussed A Merger?

For most of their history, Walmart and Kroger have been bitter rivals. That doesn't mean there have never been conversations behind closed doors. Business reporters have confirmed that very preliminary, informal talks happened once back in 2018.

It is important to understand exactly what happened during those talks:

1. An investment banker approached both companies with a hypothetical merger idea
2. Leadership teams had one introductory phone call
3. Both sides rejected the idea within 72 hours
4. No further meetings or negotiations ever took place

The talks never got past the very first stage. Both companies concluded that regulators would never approve the merger, and that the cultural differences between the two brands were too big to overcome. No paperwork was ever filed, and no offers were made.

A single news leak about that one phone call is still shared online today as proof that a merger is coming. Every few months, a new social media post will go viral claiming the deal is final. Every single one of these posts has been false.

What This Means For You As A Grocery Shopper

At the end of the day, corporate ownership isn't just boring business news. It directly affects the prices you pay, the products you can buy, and the quality of service you get at the checkout line.

Since these are separate competing companies, you can expect the following things:

If Walmart owned Kroger, none of this competition would exist. You would see consistent prices across both brands, fewer unique products, and very little reason for either company to improve service. For now, as long as they remain separate, you get to benefit from them fighting for your business.

This is why it matters to check facts about company ownership. Bad information can make you waste money, or make you think you are shopping at a different company than you really are. You don't have to become a business expert, but taking 60 seconds to verify ownership claims can help you make smarter shopping choices.

When you step back and look at all the facts, the answer is very clear. Walmart and Kroger are completely separate companies, two of the biggest competitors in the entire US grocery market. The rumor that they are connected comes from misunderstandings, temporary pandemic agreements, and old out of context news leaks. There are no secret ownership deals, no hidden parent companies, and no approved merger on the horizon.

Next time you see someone online ask Does Walmart Own Kroger, you can share what you learned. If you want to keep up with changes in grocery store ownership, make sure to bookmark this page and check back for updates. We will update this article immediately if any official announcements are made regarding either company.