The Most Popular Grocery Store Chain in Every State

Safeway is known for its $5 Friday deals, discounted meat, and gas rewards. The chain got its start in Idaho, and was one of the first supermarkets to build parking lots next to their stores, as well as an early adopter of both pricing produce by the pound, and putting sell-by dates on perishable items. There are currently 23 Safeway locations in Hawaii.

Getting its start in downtown Boise, Albertsons grew to be an Idaho staple after WWII and eventually had over 600 locations in the West. The chain was started by Joe Albertson, a former Safeway cashier who’d risen through the ranks to manage over a dozen stores. Albertsons has since acquired numerous grocery chains and become the second largest grocery store by revenue in the U.S.

Founded in Chicago, Jewel-Osco got its start as a door to door coffee delivery service. The chain has a stronghold in the Chicago metropolitan area, with 188 locations in Illinois as well as parts of Iowa and Indiana. Jewel-Osco was taken over by American Stores in 1984, which was subsequently acquired by Albertsons in 1999.

There are 152 Kroger stores in Indiana. Kroger is known for its extensive private label selection, which includes the popular – and affordable – natural and organic brand Simple Truth. Kroger’s customer loyalty program has made headlines as one of the top grocery rewards programs in the country.

Named for its co-founders, Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg, Hy-Vee is a Midwestern chain that started as a general store in the small town of Beaconsfield, Iowa. It is currently an employee-owned company as well as Iowa’s largest private employer, with 156 locations in the state.