Walmart tops Richmond grocer list despite losing market share
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Walmart is once again the most popular grocery chain in the Richmond area, but the megastore saw a notable drop in market share last year.
Why it matters: Walmart has held the top spot as Richmond's most shopped at grocery store since 2019.
- That year it ousted Kroger, which barely and briefly claimed the most popular title in 2018.
State of play: Walmart commanded just under 22% of Richmond's grocery spending dollars in 2023, according to data shared with Axios by Chain Store Guide, which tracks the retail and food service industries.
- Chain Store Guide measures all 17 localities in the Richmond region.
Zoom in: Walmart saw $1.09 billion (yes, billion) in sales from its 15 stores in the region last year.
- Perennial runner-up Kroger, with 18 stores, saw just over $1.07 billion and 20% of the regional market share — up from its roughly 18% in 2022 and 2021.
- The two chains were separated in 2023 sales by around $17 million — and you know what they say about money: A million here, a million there, eventually it adds up to real money.
Zoom out: Richmond's grocery wars have been going strong for decades, since our beloved homegrown grocery chain, Ukrop's, put its 25 stores up for sale in 2009.
- It was the same year Ukrop's lost its No. 1 local grocery market share ranking, a position it held for more than 20 years.
- Today, what's left of the Ukrop's supermarket footprint are 14 Publix stores, and a distant fourth place — but growing — market share in Richmond.