The biggest grocery chain in metro Houston is no longer Texas-owned, according to a report from Axios.
Based on data provided by Chain Store Guide, Axios reports that Kroger beat out San Antonio, Texas-based H-E-B by a fraction of a percentage point in the Houston area in 2023, capturing 22.7% of the market, compared to H-E-B’s 22.5%.
Meanwhile, Walmart was not far behind with 21%, and warehouse stores Costco and Sam’s Club came in at a distant fourth and fifth with 5.9% and 5.2%, respectively. That’s followed by Target (4.6%), Food Town (3.3%), Fiesta Mart (2.7%), Safeway (2%), and Whole Foods Market (1.9%).
Kroger’s 2023 sales totaled $6.1 billion, while H-E-B, along with its Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop, and Mi Tienda banners, brought in $6.06 billion. Walmart made $5.4 billion in sales for the year.
That’s a substantial change from the 2022 results when H-E-B captured 23.9% of the market. Kroger came in third place that year with 20% of the market, and Walmart was second with 22.3%, according to Axios.
The Axios story notes that although Kroger became the top grocer in the metro area for the year, its stores made less money than its two biggest competitors. Each of Kroger’s 102 Houston-area locations made an average of $59.8 million, compared to H-E-B’s 76 locations with an average of $79.7 million, and Walmart’s 75 stores with an average of $73 million.
H-E-B has made news this month in its home state, breaking ground on a 132,000-square-foot store in Prosper, Texas, about a half hour north of Dallas, and opening its first location in metro Fort Worth.
The company has also recently opened four other locations in metro Dallas in the cities of Frisco, Plano, McKinney, and Allen.
