What Grocery Store Chain Is America's Oldest?

Many modern grocery chains in the U.S. were once old-school pioneers. Still, there's a chain that precedes them all and stands as America's oldest store: Kroger.

After founder Barney Kroger opened the first store in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883, Kroger grew exponentially and is still running strong with 1,257 stores around the country.

As of 2024, it has an estimated combined worth of over $43 billion. A potential key to its growth could be how it approached the experience of grocery shopping.

Beyond pioneering the inclusion of a butcher shop and bakery in the store, it introduced the idea of a "loyalty program," and was the first to test electronic barcode scanners.