New data on the grocery chain that is dominating in Virginia

Grocery StorePhoto byRithika GopalonUnsplash

According to Patch Virginia, there is new data on the grocery chain dominating Virginia.

About Ahold Delhaze

Ahold Delhaize is one of the largest food and consumables retailers in the United States. Consumers may not always know they’re shopping at a large chain when purchasing food from their local grocery store. More than likely, they are shopping at Ahold Delhaze's chain headquartered in Zaandam, Netherlands.

According to an analysis by The Washington Post, the chain serves 63 million shoppers every week in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Ahold Delhaze has more than 7,910 locations. The chain owns the largest share of grocery stores in Virginia. The Dutch retailer is the parent company of Food Lion, Giant Food, Shop & Stop, and a dozen other Virginia stores.

Grocery StorePhoto byAndrea Fonseca/Wikipedia Screenshot

Traditional grocery stores

A third of traditional U.S. grocery stores are owned by just four companies: Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and Aldi, the fastest-growing supermarket chain in the country. Kroger and Albertsons, the second and third-largest grocery stores, operate under about two dozen banners.

The analysis is based on OpenStreetMap location data that looks at grocery store ownership both regionally and by county.

Major grocers around the nation

WalmartPhoto byWalmart Screenshot

According to the analysis:

• Walmart is especially strong in the middle of the country.
• Albertsons dominates in the Northwest.
• Kroger has a strong presence in the mountain states and Ohio Valley.
• Food Lion, Giant Food, and Shop & Stop are throughout the East Coast.

Walmart has the largest number of stores because about 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart. The store is the leader in market share, followed by Kroger, Costco, Albertsons, and Amazon.