The Biggest Food Retailers

Published October 2, 2026 · Updated October 5, 2026 · 5 min read

Supermarkets and discounters are the last link in the food chain and, for most consumers, the only one they see. Their buying decisions pass back through processors and traders to the farm. These were the ten largest retailers that sell mainly food, by revenue in their latest fiscal year:

Revenue in the latest fiscal year, converted to US dollars at average exchange rates where reported in other currencies ("c."). Walmart and Costco also sell large amounts of non-food goods. Schwarz, REWE and Edeka report gross store sales, Edeka and REWE including independent retailers trading under their brands and REWE including its travel business, so these figures are not fully comparable with the net revenue of listed companies. Walmart, Albertsons and Tesco: years to January or February 2026; Costco: to August 2025. Not listed: Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, two separate companies of which only Aldi Nord publishes a global figure (over €31 billion), and Japan's Aeon and Seven & i, each with about ¥10.5 trillion. Sources: company annual results.

The ten companies in brief

Walmart

Founded in 1962 by Sam Walton in Arkansas, where it is still based in Bentonville, Walmart is controlled by the Walton family and has been listed on Nasdaq since December 2025. Besides its US supercenters it runs Sam's Club warehouses, Walmex in Mexico and the online retailer Flipkart in India.

Costco

Founded in 1983 near Seattle and based in Issaquah, Washington, Costco is listed on Nasdaq. It runs membership warehouse clubs that sell a limited range in large packs, much of it under its own Kirkland Signature brand, in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia; membership fees are a large part of its profit.

Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland)

Based in Neckarsulm, Germany, the Schwarz Group is owned through foundations by Dieter Schwarz, whose family opened the first Lidl discount store in 1973. Besides Lidl, with stores in more than 30 countries, and the Kaufland hypermarkets, it runs food factories, the recycling company PreZero and the IT business Schwarz Digits.

Kroger

Founded in 1883 in Cincinnati, where it is still based, and listed in New York, Kroger is the largest US supermarket chain. Besides Kroger stores it operates banners such as Ralphs, Fred Meyer and Harris Teeter; its planned merger with Albertsons was blocked by courts in 2024.

REWE Group

Founded in 1927 as a purchasing cooperative of independent grocers and based in Cologne, the REWE Group runs REWE supermarkets - many owned by independent merchants - the PENNY discount chain, BILLA in Austria and Central Europe, and the travel company DERTOUR.

Ahold Delhaize

Formed in 2016 from the merger of the Dutch Ahold, whose first Albert Heijn shop opened in 1887, and Belgium's Delhaize, the group is based in Zaandam and listed in Amsterdam. About two thirds of its sales come from US chains such as Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant and Hannaford.

Carrefour

Carrefour opened its first store in 1959 and France's first hypermarket in 1963; it is based in Massy near Paris and listed there. Its main markets are France, Spain and Brazil, where it also runs the Atacadão cash-and-carry chain; it sold its Italian business at the end of 2025, and many of its stores worldwide are run by franchisees.

Tesco

Founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen as a London market stall and based in Welwyn Garden City, Tesco is listed in London and is the UK's largest supermarket chain. It also owns the wholesaler Booker and has stores in Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

Edeka

Founded in 1898 as a purchasing cooperative of grocers and based in Hamburg, Edeka is Germany's largest food retailer by sales. Most Edeka supermarkets are run by independent merchants supplied by regional wholesale companies; the group also owns the discount chain Netto Marken-Discount.

Albertsons

Founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson in Boise, Idaho, where it is still based, Albertsons has been listed in New York since 2020. It owns Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and other regional chains; after its merger with Kroger was blocked in 2024 it remained independent.

From the shelf back to the farm

Only a small part of what consumers pay for food reaches the farm. According to the US Department of Agriculture, farmers received 18.5 cents of each dollar spent on food bought in stores in 2024; the rest covers processing, transport, packaging, retail and other costs. The share is much higher for little-processed products such as eggs, fresh milk or beef than for bread or breakfast cereals. Why retail prices react to farm prices only partly and with a delay is explained in producer, wholesale and retail prices and how agricultural prices are formed.

Discounters and private labels

In Europe, discounters such as Lidl and Aldi have gained market share for years and are expanding in the US and the UK. Their model relies on a narrow range and a high share of private labels, products sold under the retailer's own brand and often made by food processors on contract. This gives large retailers considerable buying power. Supporters point to lower prices for consumers; farmer and supplier groups point to price pressure, and the EU has banned certain unfair trading practices against suppliers since 2019, such as last-minute order cancellations or late payments for perishable food.

Concentration differs by country

How concentrated food retail is varies widely. In Germany four groups - Edeka, REWE, Schwarz and Aldi - account for more than 85% of food retail sales, according to the Federal Cartel Office. In the US, Walmart is the largest grocery seller, followed by Kroger, Costco and Albertsons; a planned merger of Kroger and Albertsons was blocked by courts in 2024. In India, by contrast, most food is still sold by small independent shops and markets. Earlier links in the chain are covered in The Biggest Grain Traders and the overview The Biggest Companies in Agribusiness.