Aldi, Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s Make Biggest Gains
It’s still the economy, stupid. While it’s true that food price inflation was at its lowest since 2019 during our April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026, measuring period (and then began to skyrocket after the conflict in Iran began), consumers were still plagued by overall “affordability” challenges that made the food retail environment even more challenging. Overstoring and the diversity of retail choices made it difficult for many retailers to make even small gains, and most merchants found comparable stores sales to be flat.
This is the 48th edition of Food Trade News’ annual market study, covering 70 counties, ranging from Litchfield County, CT to Franklin County, PA. The study covers retailers in parts of Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and all of New Jersey. The coverage area represents one of the largest marketing regions in the country, accounting for $131.4 billion in annual food and drug retail sales.
Here’s the statistical breakdown of the top 10 retailers in our marketing area.
For the 42nd consecutive year, ShopRite and its sister banners (Price Rite, Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage, Dearborn Market, Fairway Market, Di Bruno Bros. and the newly acquired Morton Williams) continued to control the landscape in the overall marketing area. As for the numbers, parent company Wakefern’s owner/members and corporately-owned stores totaled 316 stores in the region (20 more than last year) and rang up estimated annual retail sales of $19.8 billion.
Second-ranked CVS gained by losing. The Woonsocket, RI-based drug chain actually operated nine fewer stores than last year, but was the big winner after Rite Aid liquidated its operations. In the Food Trade News market that meant 353 Rite Aid stores closed, which helped CVS amass estimated annual sales of $8.15 billion at its 1,198 stores in the 70-county region.
The Giant Company (TGC) continued to produce solid sales in a tough environment. The Carlisle, PA-based regional chain opened one net new store in Jenkintown, PA. It also opened a replacement store in Salisbury Township, PA and continued as the market share leader in the Central PA, Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia markets. On June 19th (after our measuring period closed) TGC opened another new unit in Roxborough section of Philadelphia, a former Acme. Annual sales at its 162 stores were estimated to be $8.01 billion.
It was a year of improvement for Stop & Shop. After closing 32 underperforming stores in the region in late 2024, Stoppie’s sales slightly stabilized during the past 12 months. More importantly, no stores were closed although much work still needs to be done under the leadership of veteran Roger Wheeler, who replaced the retired Gordon Reid 21 months ago. Estimated annual revenue at its 177 stores was $7.53 billion.
Remaining in fifth place among retailers in the region was Walmart, which again did not open any new brick-and-mortar stores but managed to achieve one of the best comp store sales increases in the entire market. The Bentonville, AR-based mass merchant, by far the largest food and drug merchant in the country, also announced a major capital investment program for its physical stores. In the Food Trade News area, Walmart will remodel 77 stores during the next 12 months. Annual sales at its 173 stores in the region (including 105 SuperCenters) were estimated to be $7.24 billion up from $7.03 billion last year.
Costco again enjoyed one of the finest years of any retailer in the market with strong comp store sales and a level of consumer loyalty that was among the best in the entire industry. The Issaquah, WA-based club merchant operates 51 stores in the region (one more than last year), good for estimated annual extrapolated sales of $6.08 billion.
Despite closing 43 stores in the region, Walgreens actually benefited sales-wise because of the departure of Rite Aid. Now operating 636 stores in the 70-county region, the Deerfield, IL-based drug chain, now privately owned by Sycamore Partners, posted estimated annual revenue of $5.51 billion, a slight gain over last year’s figure.
Target’s same-store sales for the year were virtually flat, but the retailer increased its sales on the back of eight new stores which opened in the region. Now with 198 stores ranging in size from 20,000 square feet to 175,000 square feet, Target’s estimated extrapolated annual sales were $5.32 billion.
Albertsons Mid-Atlantic division, whose banners include Acme, Safeway, Kings and Balducci’s, again found the competitive climate challenging, With another year of no new store openings and the perception of high prices and many tired looking stores (albeit in many excellent locations), the Malvern, PA division closed three stores, and amassed estimated annual sales of $4.91 billion at its 173 supermarkets, a slight increase over last year’s volume.
Rounding out the top 10 was club store operator BJ’s. The Marlborough, MA discounter produced some of the best comp sales in the survey and now operates 83 stores, two more than a year ago (it opened new stores in Staten Island, and Hanover Twp., NJ as well as a replacement club in Mechanicsburg, PA). Estimated extrapolated annual revenue for BJ’s was $4.59 billion.
Other retailers that surpassed the $1 billion sales mark were: Wawa (601 stores, annual sales estimated at $4.52 billion excluding gas); Krasdale, which supplies 480 independent stores and amassed sales of $4.37 billion; Key Food, which oversees 356 independent supermarkets and $4.17 billion in annual sales; Amazon Grocery, which includes Whole Foods and Daily Shops (79 units good for estimated annual sales of $3.57 billion); Weis Markets (114 stores, annual sales of $2.82 billion); 7-Eleven (968 c-stores, estimated annual volume $2.70 billion); Wegmans (32 stores whose estimated annual revenue was $2.66 billion); ASG, which supervises 237 independent supermarkets with sales of $2.23 billion; Trader Joe’s (71 stores, estimated annual volume of $2.19 billion); Aldi (206 discount units whose estimated annual sales reached $2.11 billion); Sam’s Club (24 stores, estimated extrapolated annual sales $1.22 billion); and
Allegiance Retail Services/Foodtown (114 stores with annual sales of $1.11 billion).
By class of trade, the leaders are: supermarkets – ShopRite/Price Rite/Fresh Grocer et al (316 stores, $19.8 billion in estimated annual retail sales); clubs – Costco (51 stores, $6.08 billion in estimated extrapolated annual sales); mass – Walmart (173 stores, $7.24 billion in estimated extrapolated annual sales); drug – CVS (1,198 stores and $8.15 billion in estimated annual sales); and convenience stores – Wawa (601 stores and $4.52 billion in annual revenue).
Viewed as a group, the 70 chains and independents operating in the grocery, club, mass, drug and c-store channels operated 8,049 stores and accrued $123.3 billion in annual sales in the Food Trade News marketing region, good for 93.82 percent of the region’s $131.4 billion food and drug market.
As for major store changes among the 70 retailers surveyed in this market study, they were significant. The two major stories over the past year were the liquidation of Rite Aid stores nationally (affecting 353 stores in the Mid-Atlantic) and the shuttering of all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores (impacting 14 units in the region). Other significant store closings included 43 by Walgreens, nine by CVS, and nine by Grocery Outlet. Those who opened at least four stores in the market were Lidl (10 new discount units); Target (eight); Aldi (seven); Trader Joe’s (six); and Sprouts (four). Additionally, perennial market leader ShopRite and its parent firm, Wakefern Food Corp., made some noise by acquiring the 17-store Morton Williams group and opening new ShopRite stores in Manahawkin, NJ (a Saker family replacement unit); Clementon, NJ (a Zallie replacement store); W. Caldwell, NJ (a Sunrise replacement supermarket); Watchung, NJ (a Village replacement store); and Staten Island, NY (a Mannix net-new store). In Brooklyn, NY, the Inserra family opened a net new Fresh Grocer; and a net new corporately-owned Price Rite opened in Waterbury, CT. Moreover, there was some change of ownership among Wakefern’s members. Both the Colligas and Miller families exited the co-op and their ShopRite stores were acquired by the McMenamin family (Hatfield, PA); and by ShopRite Stores (SRS), Wakefern’s corporately owned supermarket subsidiary (those stores are located on Roosevelt Blvd. and Whitman Plaza, both in Philadelphia and in West Chester, PA).
Competitive times (and softer sales and earnings) often mean more change at the leadership level, too. During the past 12 months here’s what happened: John Furner replaced long-time Walmart CEO Doug McMillan who retired. Relatedly, Latriece Watkins took the helm at the company’s Sam’s Club division, replacing Chris Nicolas, who moved to head Walmart’s international business unit. At Albertsons, veteran executive Susan Morris was promoted to chief executive, replacing Vivek Sankaran who retired. Shortly after being named to the top spot, Morris made several executive changes including moving Tom Lofland, who previously oversaw the chain’s Mid-Atlantic division, to the retailer’s Jewel division in Chicago and naming newcomer Sean Thompson (ex-Party City) to run the Malvern, PA-based division. Brian Cornell, Target’s CEO since 2014, stepped down earlier this year (he remains its executive chairman) and was replaced by former Target CFO Michael Fiddelke. After Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen was pushed out of the job in early 2025, board member Ron Sargent was named interim chief executive. After a lengthy search, Kroger named former Walmart senior leader Greg Foran as its new CEO. Jason Hart, the man who helped lead Aldi to great success over the past decade, was promoted to run the company’s global operations from Salzburg, Austria and was replaced by 20-year Aldi U.S. veteran Atty McGrath. Additionally, the merry-go-round that is the job of U.S. president of Lidl, continued to spin as former private equity executive Joel Rampoldt left the German discounter and was recently replaced by Lidl veteran Alan Barry. Another troubled retailer, Save A Lot, also switched chief executives. Fred Boehler, who was also a former board member, retired and ex-Wakefern stalwart Bill Mayo was elevated to CEO. And when PE firm Sycamore Partners acquired Walgreens for $27.3 billion last year, it dispatched chief executive Tim Wentworth and replaced him with Mike Motz, who formerly ran Staples.