Walk into any grocery store across most of the United States, and there is a very good chance you are standing on property owned by Kroger. Most shoppers only recognize the bright blue Kroger sign, but this company operates a massive hidden network of local and regional grocery brands. If you have ever wondered How Many Stores Does Kroger Own, you are not alone. This number matters far more than just corporate trivia: it impacts food prices, local jobs, supply chain reliability, and even what products you see on shelves.
Across this guide we will break down the official 2025 store count, explain which brands fall under the Kroger umbrella, map their geographic spread, compare them to competing grocery chains, and outline what future growth will look like. You will walk away with a clear understanding of exactly how large this grocery giant really is, and what that scale means for regular shoppers.
The Exact Current Store Count For Kroger
Kroger updates their official store count every quarter during public earnings reports, and numbers exclude franchise or third-party operated locations. As of the end of Q1 2025, Kroger owns and operates 2,781 full-service grocery stores across the United States, with an additional 1,526 convenience stores, 129 jewelry stores, and 85 manufacturing facilities under full corporate ownership. This count only includes locations where Kroger employs all staff, holds the operating lease, and retains 100% of the profits. Unlike many retail chains, Kroger does not count licensed or franchise locations in their official totals, making this number far more accurate than most corporate published store counts.
Breaking Down Kroger Stores By Brand Banner
Almost nobody realizes that less than half of Kroger's owned stores actually display the Kroger name. For over 40 years the company has followed a strategy of acquiring popular local grocery chains and leaving their original branding and culture completely intact. This is why you can shop every week at a Kroger owned store and never see the company logo once.
| Brand Name | Owned Store Count | Primary Operating Region |
|---|---|---|
| Kroger | 1,139 | Midwest, South, Mountain West |
| Ralphs | 186 | California |
| Fred Meyer | 132 | Pacific Northwest |
| Smith's Food & Drug | 141 | Intermountain West |
| King Soopers | 118 | Colorado, Wyoming |
There are 11 additional smaller regional banners that make up the remaining store count, most with fewer than 50 locations each. Every single one of these brands operates as a full Kroger subsidiary, shares the same supply chain, and sells Kroger private label products.
This no-rebrand strategy is the biggest secret to Kroger's growth. Instead of wiping out beloved local grocery names after a purchase, they keep everything customers already love, while quietly adding the efficiency of Kroger's national logistics network.
Customers consistently report higher satisfaction scores at these regional banners than they do at stores branded directly as Kroger. For this reason, the company has announced they will never implement a nationwide uniform brand name.
Which States Have The Most Kroger Owned Stores?
Kroger operates in 37 states, with heavy concentration in certain regions. Store density directly impacts everything from delivery speed to product selection, so most shoppers want to know how much Kroger presence exists in their home state.
- Texas - 337 owned grocery stores
- California - 242 owned grocery stores
- Ohio - 214 owned grocery stores
- Georgia - 158 owned grocery stores
- Indiana - 149 owned grocery stores
Texas overtook Ohio for the number one spot in 2023, after Kroger completed 47 new store openings across the Dallas and Houston metro areas. The company plans to add another 60 locations in Texas over the next three years.
Only 13 US states do not have any Kroger owned grocery stores, almost all located in the northeast United States. Even in these states, Kroger still supplies private label products and wholesale goods to hundreds of independent retailers.
New residents moving to sun belt states will almost always find at least one Kroger owned brand within 15 minutes of most suburban neighborhoods. In rural areas of the midwest, Kroger is often the only full service grocery store within 30 miles.
How Kroger's Store Count Competes With Other Grocers
Knowing how many stores Kroger owns only tells half the story. To understand their actual market power, you have to compare their footprint against the other largest grocery chains operating in the United States.
- Walmart: 4,742 US grocery locations
- Kroger: 2,781 US grocery locations
- Albertsons: 2,272 US grocery locations
- Publix: 1,358 US grocery locations
This puts Kroger firmly as the second largest grocery operator in the entire country. Unlike Walmart, Kroger operates pure grocery locations almost exclusively, rather than combined general merchandise supercenters.
When measured by total grocery sales volume, Kroger actually comes even closer to Walmart. The average Kroger location generates 30% more food revenue per square foot than the average Walmart supercenter.
If the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons receives final regulatory approval, the combined company will operate over 5,000 full service grocery stores and become the largest pure grocery chain in the entire world.
Annual Changes To Kroger's Total Store Count
Kroger's total store count is never static. Every single year the company opens new locations, closes underperforming stores, remodels existing sites, and occasionally acquires small regional chains.
| Calendar Year | Net Change In Grocery Stores |
|---|---|
| 2022 | +21 stores |
| 2023 | +17 stores |
| 2024 | +32 stores |
| 2025 Projected | +47 stores |
Kroger has posted positive net store growth every single year since 2019, even during periods of high inflation and retail contraction across the rest of the industry.
Most closed locations are small rural stores that no longer generate enough revenue to operate. Instead of leaving these communities unserved, Kroger almost always replaces closed storefronts with local delivery and curbside pickup hubs.
Nearly 100% of all new store openings now happen in fast growing sun belt metro areas. The company has completely paused new construction in midwest and rust belt states that show declining population growth.
What's Not Included In Kroger's Official Store Count
If you have searched this question before, you have probably seen wildly different numbers quoted across different websites. This happens because most sources count locations that Kroger does not actually own or operate.
- Licensed in-store pharmacies operated by third party health companies
- Gas stations run by independent franchise partners
- Wholesale supply accounts for unaffiliated grocery stores
- Temporary pop-up locations during holiday and peak shopping seasons
This is why you will sometimes see numbers as high as 11,000 locations cited online. That number counts every single point of presence associated with Kroger, not just stores that the company actually owns.
Kroger follows very strict accounting rules for what counts as an owned store. For a location to be included, the company must employ every worker, hold the full property lease, and be responsible for all daily operations.
When comparing store counts between grocery chains, always check what definition they are using. Many competitors count franchise and licensed locations in their published numbers, making direct comparison very misleading without context.
Future Plans For Kroger Store Growth
Kroger has published public five year growth plans that outline exactly how their store count will change through 2029. This roadmap includes adjustments for shopping habit changes, new technology, and shifting population trends.
- Open 120 new full service grocery stores by the end of 2029
- Convert 80 large existing locations to smaller neighborhood format stores
- Add 300 dedicated curbside pickup only hubs
- Expand 9 fresh food distribution centers to support all new locations
Most new growth will focus on Florida, North Carolina and Arizona. These are states where Kroger currently has very low market share, but extremely fast population growth.
The company is also testing ultra-compact 10,000 square foot urban stores for downtown city locations. These small locations will focus exclusively on fresh food, pantry staples and same day pickup orders.
All new Kroger owned stores built after January 2026 will include electric vehicle charging stations as standard. Existing locations will also receive charging stations during scheduled remodels over the next four years.
When people ask how many stores Kroger owns, the simple answer is nearly 2800 full service grocery locations, plus thousands more supporting assets across the country. This scale is not just an impressive corporate statistic. It translates directly to lower average food prices, wider product selection, and over half a million local jobs spread across 37 states.
Next time you walk into your neighborhood grocery store, take a quick second to check the banner name. There is a very good chance you are standing inside Kroger's national network. If you found this breakdown useful, share it with anyone else who has ever wondered just how big the companies they shop at really are.