Wal-Mart tops U.S. retailers by food sales

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expected to ring up $131.4 billion in food and beverage sales this calendar year and leads all other U.S. food retailers by a healthy clip, according to a recent report from Retail Net Group.

The Bentonville-based big box retailer sits at the top of the list with sales 2.5 times that of No. 2 Kroger Stores Inc. and more than 4 times that of No. 3 McDonald’s.

The RNG report indicates Wal-Mart’s food and beverage sales this year are roughly 17% of the total market shared by the top 50 retailers, which include supermarkets, quick serve restaurants and warehouse clubs.

Wal-Mart’s food and beverage sales have posted a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% since 2009. The growth rate is half that seen at Whole Foods and Dollar General, both posting double digit gains.

There was no shake-up or shifts in ranking among the top six food retailers this year when compared to last year’s report. Safeway, Costco and Publix round out the top six at Nos. 4, 5 and 6, respectively. Aldi moved up to two spots to take the No. 7 position with $19.5 billion in expected sales this year with annual growth rate at 8.2%.

Ahold stood pat at No. 8 with $19.2 billion in expected annual sales, while Albertsons moved up 36 places to take the No. 9 slot after being acquired by Cerberus in January. More recently, Albertson’s bought United Supermarkets giving it 50 more stores in Texas and three distribution centers.

Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, ranks No. 10 with $17.2 billion in estimated sales this year.

Supermarket food and beverage sales
No. 1 – Wal-Mart Stores, $131.4 billion
No. 2 – Kroger, $56.4 billion
No. 4 – Safeway, $30.2 billion
No. 5 – Costco, $29.3 billion
No. 6 – Publix, $24.6 billion
No. 7 – Aldi, $19.5 billion
No. 8 – Ahold, $19.2 billion
No. 9 – Albertson’s, $17.4 billion
No. 11 – Target, $14.3 billion
No. 16 – Whole Foods Market, $12 billion
No. 25 – Dollar General, $6.9 billion

Quick Serve Restaurant Sales
No. 3 – McDonald’s, $35.6 billion
No. 10 – Yum! Brands, $17.2 billion
No. 15 – Subway, $12.7 billion
No. 17 – Starbucks, $10 billion
No. 20 – Burger King, $8.3 billion
No. 21 – Wendy’s $8.3 billion
No. 24 – Dunkin’ Brands, $7.1 billion
No. 33 – Chick-fil-A, $5.1 billion
No. 35 – Panera Bread, $4.3 billion
No. 37 – Sonic, $3.8 billion