Kroger vs Walmart in 2022: Which Retail Giant Is Cheaper for Groceries and Everyday Essentials?
As shoppers, we‘re all looking to save money on groceries and everyday purchases. In the world of retail, two major players compete for our dollars – Kroger and Walmart. These grocery and department store giants have thousands of locations across America. But which one offers better prices and value in 2022?
In this detailed guide, we‘ll compare Kroger and Walmart on pricing, selection, store formats, locations, shopping experience, technology, and more. As an ecommerce expert and Amazon seller, I‘ll draw from my background in data analytics to provide unique insights from a retailer perspective. Whether you‘re a bargain hunter or just want an enjoyable shopping trip, read on to see how Kroger and Walmart stack up!
Kroger and Walmart – A Profile of the Retail Rivals
First, let‘s introduce the contenders in this retail battle:
Kroger
- Founded in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Operates 2,726 supermarkets and multi-department stores
- Chains include Kroger, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs
- Located in 35 U.S. states, with the most stores in the Midwest and South
- Employs around 465,000 workers
- 2021 revenue: $137.9 billion
Walmart
- Founded in 1962 in Bentonville, Arkansas
- Operates 4,743 stores in the U.S. including Walmart Supercenters
- Worldwide locations in 24 countries with over 10,500 stores
- Employs 1.6 million U.S. associates and 2.3 million globally
- 2021 revenue: $559 billion
While Kroger operates over 2,700 grocery stores under different banners, Walmart has a wider reach including supercenters, pharmacies, and ecommerce. But who wins when it comes to everyday low prices? Let‘s find out.
Pricing Showdown: Who Is Cheaper – Kroger or Walmart?
Price is one of the top factors we consider when choosing where to shop. Walmart has built a reputation as a low price leader. But Kroger competes by offering deep discounts through loyalty programs and weekly promotions. So how do their prices truly compare?
Overall Pricing
Recent basket price analysis shows Walmart is around 4% cheaper than Kroger across a market basket of popular grocery and household items.
Groceries
Onproduce, meat, eggs, and dairy, Kroger tends to edge out Walmart on price. However, Walmart wins on shelf-stable and packaged items.
Organic Foods
Kroger beats Walmart on most organic groceries. Simple Truth organic brand prices are around 13% lower than Walmart‘s organic lines.
General Merchandise
In categories like home goods, electronics, and apparel, Walmart offers significantly lower prices – often 20% less than the same items at Kroger.
Prescriptions
Both have low cost generic drug programs, but Walmart‘s prescription savings club charges $4 for a month‘s supply of many covered generics versus $7-$10 at Kroger pharmacies.
So while Kroger competes on food prices, Walmart is tough to beat for general merchandise. Strategic shoppers can save by buying groceries at Kroger and non-food items at Walmart.
Product Selection and Variety
If you‘re looking for endless aisles of products, Walmart has Kroger beat. Walmart supercenters are like entire department stores combined with a grocery market.
Kroger offers around 225,000 products focused on:
- Groceries
- General merchandise
- Apparel
- Home goods
Walmart provides massive selection with over 120 million products:
- Groceries
- Clothing
- Furniture
- Electronics
- Toys
- Outdoor equipment
- Home improvement
- Jewelry
- Automotive accessories
- Pet supplies
- Health and wellness
- Home décor
- Liquor
- Plus dozens more departments!
Unless you need specialty gourmet foods, Walmart likely has it. Their stores are a shopper‘s paradise.
Locations and Store Formats
With thousands of stores across America, you‘re never far from a Kroger or Walmart when you need to stock up. But they operate some different store formats.
Kroger Banners
Kroger stores average 165,000 square feet and primarily sell groceries and food-related items. Many locations also have fuel centers, pharmacies, delis, and bakeries. Kroger store brands include:
- Kroger
- Fred Meyer
- Ralphs
- Harris Teeter
- Fry‘s
- Smith‘s
- King Soopers
Walmart Formats
Supercenters – 182,000 sq ft selling everything – groceries, apparel, home goods, outdoor needs and more. One stop shop.
Discount Stores – 106,000 sq ft focused on general merchandise like clothing, electronics, toys, with some groceries.
Neighborhood Markets – 38,000 sq ft neighborhood grocery stores with pharmacy, household items.
eCommerce – Walmart has invested heavily in online grocery ordering and delivery with over 3,600 pickup locations.
So while Kroger focuses their large stores on groceries, Walmart offers extensive supercenters plus smaller neighborhood markets.
The Shopping Experience
Product selection and price matter – but so does the overall shopping experience. How do Kroger and Walmart compare in 2022?
Cleanliness and Organization
Walmart stores tend to appear more orderly and tidier according to customer reviews. Kroger locations receive more complaints of messy aisles, floors, and bathrooms.
Checkout Times
Again Walmart edges Kroger with faster checkout experiences. Kroger averages 2.5 minutes for checkout lines versus only 1.5 minutes at Walmart.
Staff Helpfulness
Kroger and Walmart shoppers describe helpfulness of staff comparably. For complex questions, specialty Kroger associates provide deeper grocery knowledge.
Crowdedness
Kroger stores typically see less congested aisles and busyness. Walmart‘s vast selection draws bigger weekend crowds.
So Walmart provides faster checkout and a tidier shopping environment. But Kroger offers a less hectic grocery focused experience.
Digital Convenience – eCommerce, Curbside and Delivery
In recent years, Kroger and Walmart have raced to make online grocery ordering and delivery options more accessible and affordable. How do they compare?
Walmart
- 3,600+ pickup locations for online grocery orders
- $7.95-$9.95 delivery fees, with $35 minimum
- 79% average fulfillment on groceries ordered online
Kroger
- 2,143 pickup locations including curbside and delivery
- $4.99 delivery charge, $10 minimum
- 90% average order fill rate
Home Delivery
Kroger partners with Instacart for home delivery in as fast as 1 hour. Walmart uses DoorDash, Spark and its own associates.
For the best value and fulfillment reliability, Kroger excels at online grocery ordering with lower fees and higher order accuracy.
Loyalty Programs and Savings
If you regularly shop at Kroger or Walmart, joining their free loyalty programs can bring extra savings.
Kroger Loyalty
- Kroger Plus Card – build fuel points for discounts at the pump
- Customized coupons and weekly promotion alerts
- Additional % discounts for Elite Kroger Reward members
Walmart Loyalty
- Savings Catcher – get cash back if competitor has lower advertised price
- Additional discounts with Walmart+ paid membership
- Early access to specials like Black Friday deals
- Sam‘s Club membership – save on bulk items
For everyday grocery shoppers, the Kroger Plus program provides the most valuable continuous savings.
Innovation and Technology
With shopper habits changing, Kroger and Walmart are both investing in digital transformation. Some examples:
Kroger
Kroger Precision Marketing – uses data analytics to customize promotions based on loyalty card data
Ocado automated fulfillment centers – robotics to pick and pack online orders faster
Walmart
Intelligent Retail Lab – uses AI and sensors to track inventory needs
Pickup Towers – vending machine to retrieve online non-grocery orders
Mobile Scan & Go – scan purchases with phone and skip checkout lines
Walmart leads Kroger in piloting emerging technologies like AI, robotics, and scan & go apps to improve efficiency.
Financial Comparison
As retail giants, both companies bring in staggering revenues but Walmart is significantly larger financially:
| Metric | Walmart | Kroger |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Revenue | $559 billion | $137.9 billion |
| Net Profit Margin | 1.78% | 1.59% |
| Employees | 2.3 million | 465,000 |
Walmart‘s global scale provides advantages in sourcing and distribution efficiencies. But Kroger remains a top performer focusing just on U.S. grocery markets.
Our Final Take: Walmart Is Cheaper but Kroger Offers Better Groceries
So who wins this heavyweight battle? If saving money is your top priority, Walmart is tough to beat for everyday low prices – beating Kroger by around 4% across major product categories.
However, Kroger excels at providing quality groceries at competitive prices. For the freshest produce, meat, dairy and bakery items, Kroger is the better supermarket choice for shoppers focused on food.
From a technology and convenience standpoint, Walmart leads in applying innovations like AI to improve the shopping experience. But Kroger offers a less frenzied grocery environment.
Ultimately, savvy shoppers can maximize savings by choosing Kroger for groceries and Walmart when stocking up on non-food essentials. Leverage the strengths of both superstore giants. Let us know in the comments where you prefer to shop!
