Walmart again ranks as area's favorite grocer. Here's the rest of the list. (2024)

Boasting its "everyday low prices," Walmart continues to lead Richmond-area grocery stores. The world's biggest retailer sold $778 million worth of groceries last year, took control of nearly 17% of the local grocery market and widened its lead over second-place Kroger.

The country's largest traditional grocery chain, Kroger sold $692 million worth of groceries and claimed 15% of the market. Food Lion, Wawa and CVS rounded out the top five, based on the annual market share report published by Food World.

Walmart has led the Richmond area in grocery revenue for years. This year, it bolstered its reputation as top dog with low prices, a growing digital presence and remodeled stores.

Richmond is considered a very competitive grocery market with 391 locations that sold $4.6 billion worth of groceries last year.

This year's ranking of local grocery store chains is almost identical to last year's. Publix, which controls 5.7% of the market, moved up one spot to sixth place. 7-Eleven, which reduced its number of locations, fell one spot to No. 7.

Walgreens (4.4% of the market) placed eighth. Target (4.2%) was ninth again. And Wegmans, which managed to control 3% of the market despite operating only two stores, remained in 10th place.

In the past year, grocery store revenues grew slightly or declined, Food World said, as inflation of food prices settled at about 3%.Kroger's revenue grew less than 2%. Wawa, CVS and Target experienced small decreases.

Such struggles contrast with the years 2020 to 2022, when grocery stores enjoyed large revenue growth of 6% to 8%. During that time, grocery products inflated in price between 25% and 30%.

"Most merchants attempted to just survive in the toughest economic period since 2008, one made even more challenging after experiencing some of the best numbers in their history," Food World said in its publication.

What the Richmond area is experiencing now, with few new grocery stores opening, is also a stark contrast to a decade ago. Around 2015, Wegmans, Aldi and Lidl arrived here. Kroger updated its stores, and Whole Foods opened in the Fan.

Now, most chains have added no local stores in the past two years, and some have closed. The Richmond area is considered over-stored, and locations are just trying to hang on.

But Walmart has bucked the trend, growing its local revenue 4% despite closing one store last summer. No other chain produced as strong same-store sales gains.

"The belt-tightening of the last 18 months has shown the company's mettle," Food World said.

Last year, the Arkansas-based chain closed its store at 5221 Brook Road, citing poor financial performance. Walmart still has a supercenter 2 miles away on Brook Road and 17 stores in the area.

In recent months, Walmart has rearranged its products, moving potato chips, paper towels and diapers, in an effort to streamline customer experience. It also increased the number of self-checkout stations and decreased the number of human cashiers scanning products.

Walmart has worked on expanding its product selections and making in-store displays more eye-catching, said Chris Collins, the company's Richmond-area market manager. The chain has also seen growth in delivery and pickup options.

Eugene Ausby, a resident of South Richmond, says he likes Walmart the most. In one stop, he can purchase food, appliances and clothes. Many Walmart locations can be tough to access without a car, he acknowledged. But he takes the Greater Richmond Transit Company's 2A bus, which stops at the Food Lion and Walmart stores in Forest Hill.

He misses the days when Walmart was open 24 hours a day, when he enjoyed the flexibility of picking up a bottle of milk at 2 a.m. Most local locations close at 11 p.m. now.

When he's not at Walmart, Ausby goes to Kroger, whose locations he finds convenient to access. He also enjoys the prepared food at Publix but feels the groceries are pricey.

Kroger had what Food World called a "blah" year. Its operational execution was not as crisp as previous years. But as long as Kroger continues to exist, it will be a formidable factor, Food World said.

Kroger plans to builda 118,000-square-foot store and fueling center on Mechanicsville Turnpike and Compass Point Lane in Mechanicsville. The chain has not determined construction or completion dates, but the company is close to finalizing these plans, a spokesperson for Kroger said.

Once the new location opens, Kroger will likely sell or lease its existing store at 6335 Mechanicsville Turnpike.

Kroger's store at Willow Lawn is expected to undergo significant changes, as the entire shopping center will be converted into a mixed-use development with ground-floor retail and residences above. The spokesperson said she had no updates on the development.

Chris Day, another Richmond resident, said Kroger is his go-to grocery spot and that it has the best quality and a pharmacy. Most importantly, it's accessible on the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit, Day said before boarding a bus at Willow Lawn, a few hundred feet from a Kroger location.

The Pulse ends at Willow Lawn, and the nearest Walmart is another 2½ miles away on Forest Avenue.

Food Lion is another chain that grew its sales slightly. Its control of 14.4% of the market is unchanged from last year. About eight years ago, the company was struggling to find its identity, Food World said. Now, it's emerged as a solid performer in a tough Richmond market.

Outside the top 10, BJ's Wholesale Club finished 11th, followed by Sam's Club 12th and Costco 13th. Higher-end grocers Whole Foods (17th), Trader Joe's (18th) and Fresh Market (19th) just made the top 20.

Discount stores Aldi (14th) and Lidl (20th) also placed in the top 20. Sheetz opened four new locations and now operates 18 convenience stores in Greater Richmond. The gas station chain moved up one spot to 15th.

While much of the Richmond area is stuffed with grocery stores, Manchester continues to wait for one. The neighborhood south of downtown Richmond has experienced swift growth in recent years, but no major grocery chain has opened there.