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Walmart Retains Dominance in Philadelphia Grocery Market

Walmart continues to dominate the grocery market in Philadelphia as shoppers navigate holiday sales.

News Summary

As of 2024, Walmart leads the Philadelphia grocery market with a 16.4% market share for the third consecutive year, outpacing competitors like Acme Markets and Giant Food. While competition intensifies among local grocery stores, particularly in response to rising food prices, Walmart maintains 45 locations in the area. The landscape is expected to further shift with a proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons. As the holiday season approaches, consumers are focused on affordability, influencing store hours and operational changes.

Philadelphia – As of 2024, Walmart has solidified its position as the leading supermarket in the Philadelphia metro area, boasting a 16.4% market share. This marks the third consecutive year that Walmart’s supercenters have maintained their dominance in the region’s grocery market, which encompasses Philadelphia city, its Pennsylvania suburbs, and parts of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.

Walmart operates 45 locations within this metro area. In comparison, Acme Markets holds the title for the most grocery store locations, with 80 stores throughout the region. Following closely behind, Giant Food has 64 locations, while Target operates 46 grocery store locations. The increased competition among grocery stores comes as shoppers continue to look for the best deals in response to rising food prices.

The grocery store landscape in Philadelphia is shaped by major ownership trends. Ahold Delhaize, which owns brands such as Food Lion, Giant Food, and Shop & Stop, commands a substantial portion of stores in the area. The overall supermarket industry has seen consolidation, with just four companies—Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and Aldi—owning roughly a third of all U.S. grocery stores.

In a significant development, Kroger and Albertsons have proposed a merger valued at $24.6 billion. This merger is currently awaiting a federal court decision, which could substantially affect grocery store competition and food prices across the United States, including in Philadelphia.

As shopping patterns evolve, consumers are becoming increasingly focused on affordability. The environment of rising prices has underlined the importance of competitive pricing in the grocery sector. Amidst these dynamics, stores are bracing for the upcoming holiday season, including Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, various grocery stores in the Philadelphia region will have modified operating hours. Acme Markets will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., while Whole Foods will operate from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Giant is scheduled to be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the South Philly Food Co-op will be available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Sprouts will operate from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, popular retailers such as Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Costco, Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Walmart will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Further impacting the community this Thanksgiving, SEPTA, the regional transportation service, will operate on a Sunday schedule, with temporary detours for certain bus routes scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Banks and several non-24-hour CVS locations will close early on Thanksgiving Day, while trash and recycling pickup will be suspended on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

As the holiday shopping season approaches, a number of stores are preparing for Black Friday, with many set to kick off shopping early. Philadelphia Mills and King of Prussia Mall will open at 6 a.m. on Friday, November 29, encouraging shoppers keen on taking advantage of post-Thanksgiving sales.

This combination of market positioning, consumer spending habits, and operational changes in response to the holiday season illustrates the shifting landscape of grocery retail in the Philadelphia metro region.