Walmart leads Raleigh's grocery market share but Publix gains ground
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Walmart continues to dominate among Raleigh-area grocery stores but Publix has made large strides in attracting customers since opening its first stores in the Triangle in 2014.
Why it matters: The fast-growing Raleigh area has become one of the most competitive grocery markets in the Southeast in recent years, with grocers like Wegmans, Publix, Trader Joe's and Lidl all expanding in the area.
- At the same time, grocers like Kroger, which also owns the Harris Teeter brand, have retreated from the region in the face of competition.
Driving the news: But it's the grocery stores known for low prices that are still leading the way in the Raleigh area, with Walmart capturing 21.3% of grocery spending and the North Carolina-born chain Food Lion getting 14.6%.
- Charlotte-based Harris Teeter was essentially tied with Food Lion, with 14.6% of the market.
Zoom in: The biggest gainer in the past year, however, was Florida-based Publix, which now has 11 stores in the Raleigh area.
- Publix has 6.9% of the market and leapfrogged both Target and Costco in market share.
- That market share is likely to keep growing, with Publix planning to open stores on Buffaloe Road in Raleigh, as well as Durham, Garner and Rolesville, according to the grocer.
- Wegmans, a popular grocery store from upstate New York, saw its market share stay relatively stable at 5.3%. The store has plans for a new Holly Springs store, though in 2021 it canceled plans for another Cary store.
Yes, but: Despite the influx of new grocery stores to the area, Raleigh has 16 census tracts with low access to nearby grocery stores — many of them in Southeast Raleigh — according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- And the city also struggles to connect those living in food deserts to grocery stores via public transit, according to a 2023 study from researchers at the Environmental Protection Agency's Research Triangle Park office and the University of Tennessee.