Kroger remains king of Columbus-area grocery stores

Kroger is once again the go-to grocery store for Columbus area shoppers, according to new data from sales-tracking firm Chain Store Guide.

Why it matters: We've all got to eat. And hungry Ohioans continue to be overwhelmingly loyal to our homegrown grocery chain.

What's happening: The Cincinnati-based supermarket dominated the competition when it comes to local market share. ​​Nearly 40 cents of every dollar spent in grocery stores in the 10-county Central Ohio region goes to Kroger.

• Walmart, Kroger's closest challenger, claimed less than half that amount.
• This year's rankings changed very little from last year.
• Of note: Kroger has considerably more stores in our region (59) than its closest competitors: Walmart (19), Meijer (11) and Giant Eagle (22).

Flashback: Kroger's top ranking mirrors a reader survey nearly 300 of you responded to in the fall, though respondents were much more loyal to Giant Eagle and ALDI.

• We'd be remiss if we didn't give some of your local favorites a shoutout, including Lucky's Market and Weiland's Market.

The big picture: Many Americans have stuck to cooking at home, as they did during the height of the pandemic, in part due to more of them working from home.

• Interest in contactless options offered by larger chains, such as online ordering and curbside pickup, also continues to soar.
• As a result, profits are booming for Kroger and other big chains.

What we're watching: Columbus' favorite grocer has been testing ways to speed up the checkout process, using Ohio stores as testing grounds.

• That includes smart shopping carts and bigger, belted self-checkout lanes, per the Cincinnati Enquirer.

• Such advancements are becoming even more essential amid a nationwide labor shortage.

Inflation's impact on grocery shopping

Regardless of where Americans shop, rising food prices are slowly changing our shopping habits once we get there, Axios' Emily Peck writes.

By the protein-packed numbers: The cost of beef is up 20% and chicken is up 13%, per the latest Consumer Price Index report.

• The data shows lower-income Americans aren't buying as much fresh meat and seafood as they were before, making it common to see shoppers checking the meat counter for the lowest price.

😬 Tyler, a lifelong penny-pincher, was guilty of that even before the price inflation.

📬 Are rising prices impacting your shopping decisions? Got any tips on how fellow readers can stretch their grocery dollars? We want to hear from you! Email [email protected].