Walmart, Giant Eagle dominate grocery market

Love it or hate it, Walmart is the most popular grocery chain in the Cleveland area, with 23% of grocery sales in the market last year, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Erin Davis report.

• Giant Eagle is second with 18%, followed by Costco and Heinen's, both with an 8% share, according to new data from Chain Store Guide, which tracks the retail and food service industries.

The big picture: While national grocery behemoths such as Walmart, which has more than 30 locations in Northeast Ohio, are typically among the most popular grocers — if not the most popular — in any city, local and regional favorites can give the big box stores a run for their money.

• Shoppers often develop allegiances toward their local favorites, too — such as Lucky's Market in Cleveland.
• "At a time when politics divides opinion nationally on many big brands, grocery brands have been able to maintain loyalty and trust across demographics by maintaining a steady presence in their communities," Axios' Sara Fischer and Emily Peck write.

Zoom in: Lucky's Market, which has just one location in Cleveland, didn't make Chain Store Guide's list, but it finished No. 1 in Cleveland Scene's annual Best of Cleveland survey for Best Grocery Store, followed by Heinen's and Fresh Thyme Market.

What's next: Amazon — which acquired Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.4 billion — is looking to dramatically expand the grocery wing of its commerce empire, Axios' Richard Collings and Kimberly Chin write.

• Whole Foods has four locations in Northeast Ohio.

💭 My thought bubble: Grocery shopping for my household usually consists of trips to Aldi, Giant Eagle and Target.

• It all depends on cost, proximity and what our kids like to eat.