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Pandemic-Fueled Record Growth in 2020: The PG 100

An unprecedented year on many levels saw sales surge to new heights
Pandemic-Fueled Record Growth in 2020: The PG 100
Retailers with exposure to fuel sales suffered as fewer people traveled, and when they did so, paid lower average per-gallon prices for fuel.

Double-digit rates of growth were common among companies on this year’s PG 100 ranking of North America’s largest retailers of food and consumables. The onset of a pandemic in early 2020 caused dramatic shifts in every aspect of American life, most notably the purchase of food. As a result, an overwhelming number of PG 100 companies experienced record rates of sales growth, which meant that the combined sales of PG 100 constituent companies increased 11.6% to $2,113 trillion, compared with $1,893 trillion last year.

For perspective, the food and consumables industry would normally consider a good year to be one in which a modest degree of inflation and increased consumption amid a strong economy produced a low single-digit gain. There were some companies that grew more slowly in 2020, but those situations tended to be caused by company-specific issues, rather than the overall demand environment, which benefited greatly from displaced demand from the foodservice industry. This once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon helped good retailers look great and great retailers look fantastic.

READ THE REST OF OUR ANALYSIS

Progressive Grocer’s 88th Annual Report: What’s Next For America’s Grocers

Some other key considerations when reviewing the PG 100 include:

  • Progressive Grocer takes an expansive view of the competitive set for food and consumables. Distinctions between types of retailers are blurry, with food and consumables representing a key element of the value proposition for many nontraditional grocers. 
  • This expansive philosophy applies to geography as well. The PG 100 includes companies based in Canada and Mexico who may have operations in the United States, and the same is true of U.S. companies who operate north and south of U.S. borders.
  • Companies seeing the strongest growth maintained store expansion during 2020 while also receiving a boost from pandemic-driven demand.
  • Retailers with exposure to fuel sales suffered as fewer people traveled, and when they did so, paid lower average per-gallon prices for fuel.
  • Retailers for whom prepared foods are a key aspect of their strategy were also challenged due to pandemic-related restrictions, which hindered operations. 

Finally, it’s worth noting that creating a list of this type is an inexact science, due to large numbers of privately held companies that restrict access to the most basic details of their operations. A similar caveat was shared last year to highlight the inherent challenge in forecast. To compensate, we rely on public and private sources, independent research, and proven forecasting techniques common in the financial world. The result is an annual ranking intended to serve as the definitive guide to the 100 largest retailers of food and consumables in North America.

The PG 100

RANK

COMPANY

 

FY END REVENUE
(In Millions Dollars U.S.)

PRIOR YEAR 

% CHANGE

STORE COUNT

 

TOP EXECUTIVES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Walmart U.S.

 

$369,963

$341,004

8.49%

4,743

 

John Furner, President and CEO

2

Amazon, NA retail, ex Whole Foods Market

 

$220,058

$153,581

43.28%

36

 

Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO

3

The Kroger Co.

 

$132,498

$122,286

8.35%

2,743

 

Rodney McMullen, Chairman and CEO

4

Costco (U.S.)

 

$115,788

$106,092

9.14%

552

 

Craig Jelinek, President and CEO

5

Walgreens Boots Alliance (U.S retail)

 

$107,701

$104,532

3.03%

9,021

 

Rosalind Brewer, CEO

6

Target

 

$93,561

$78,112

19.78%

1,868

 

Brian Cornell, Chairman and CEO

7

CVS Health

 

$91,198

$86,608

5.30%

9,962

 

Karen Lynch, President and CEO

8

Albertsons Companies

 

$69,690

$62,455

11.58%

2,277

 

Vivek Sankaran, President and CEO

9

Sam's Club (U.S.)

 

$63,910

$58,792

8.71%

599

 

Kathryn McLay, President and CEO

10

Ahold Delhaize USA

 

$51,838

$44,841

15.60%

1,970

 

Kevin Holt, CEO

11

Publix Super Markets

 

$44,864

$38,116

17.70%

1,264

 

Randall T. Jones, Sr., CEO

12

Loblaw Companies Limited

 

$41,388

$37,716

9.74%

2,439

 

Galen Weston, Executive Chairman

13

H.E.B.

 

$36,816

$29,700

23.96%

354

 

Charles Butt, Chairman and CEO

14

Alimentation Couche-Tard (U.S., Circle K)

 

$36,680

$38,999

-5.95%

7,283

 

Brian Hannasch, President and CEO

15

Dollar General

 

$33,746

$27,753

21.59%

17,177

 

Todd Vasos, Chairman and CEO

16

C&S Wholesale Grocers

 

$31,450

$28,500

10.35%

7,700

 

Bob Palmer, CEO

17

Walmart de Mexico y CentroAmerica (Mexico only)

 

$28,664

$26,517

8.10%

2,634

 

Guilherme Loureiro, President and CEO

18

Meijer Inc.

 

$24,157

$20,350

18.71%

256

 

Rick Keyes, President and CEO

19

Rite Aid

 

$24,043

$21,928

9.65%

2,510

 

Heyward Donigan, President and CEO

20

Costco (Canada)

 

$21,185

$19,502

8.63%

101

 

Pierre Riel, SVP/Country Mgr. Canada

21

Walmart Canada

 

$19,991

$18,420

8.53%

408

 

Horatio Barbeito, President and CEO

22

Empire Company Ltd. (Sobeys)

 

$18,934

$17,904

5.75%

1,547

 

Michael Medline, President and CEO

23

Wakefern Food Corp.

 

$18,300

$16,650

9.91%

363

 

Joe Colallilo, Chairman and CEO

24

Aldi U.S.

 

$17,056

$15,486

10.14%

2,080

 

Jason Hart, CEO

25

7-Eleven Inc. (U.S. only)

 

$16,749

$20,874

-19.76%

9,298

 

Joe DePinto, CEO

26

Amazon (Whole Foods Market, U.S. and Canada)

 

$16,006

$16,960

-5.63%

514

 

John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO

27

BJ's Wholesale Club

 

$15,430

$13,190

16.98%

221

 

Bob Eddy, President and CEO

28

Trader Joe's Co.

 

$14,100

$13,000

8.46%

530

 

Dan Bane, Chairman and CEO

29

Metro (Canada)

 

$13,453

$12,534

7.33%

1,601

 

Eric R. La Fleche, President and CEO

30

Dollar Tree

 

$13,265

$12,507

6.06%

7,805

 

Michael Witynski, President and CEO

31

Marathon Petroleum (Speedway)

 

$12,303

$13,963

-11.89%

3,839

 

Michael Hennigan, President and CEO

32

Family Dollar

 

$12,243

$11,102

10.28%

7,880

 

Michael Witynski, President and CEO

33

WaWa

 

$11,900

$12,500

-4.80%

901

 

Chris Gheysens, President and CEO

34

Hy-Vee Food Stores Inc.

 

$11,150

$10,200

9.31%

275

 

Randy Edeker, Chairman and CEO

35

Wegmans Food Markets Inc.

 

$10,695

$9,700

10.26%

105

 

Colleen Wegman, President and CEO

36

Associated Wholesale Grocers

 

$10,634

$9,666

10.01%

3,200

 

Dave Smith, President and CEO

37

Giant Eagle Inc.

 

$9,850

$9,350

5.35%

488

 

Laura Karet, CEO

38

RaceTrac

 

$9,350

$9,800

-4.59%

552

 

Max McBrayer, CEO

39

SpartanNash Co.

 

$9,348

$8,536

9.51%

156

 

Tony Sarsam, President and CEO

40

Casey's

 

$9,175

$9,352

-1.89%

2,207

 

Darren Rebelez, CEO

41

EG America (C-stores)

 

$8,425

$8,950

-5.87%

1,730

 

George Fournier, President

42

Costco (Mexico)

 

$8,180

$7,605

7.56%

39

 

Jaime Gonzalez, SVP/Country Mgr. Mexico

43

Southeastern Grocers LLC

 

$8,033

$6,667

20.49%

419

 

Anthony Hucker, President and CEO

44

WinCo Foods Inc.

 

$7,795

$6,858

13.66%

131

 

Grant Haag, CEO

45

Soriana

 

$7,618

$7,554

0.85%

795

 

Ricardo Martin Bringas, CEO

46

Alimentation Couche-Tard (Canada, Couche-Tard)

 

$6,739

$7,155

-5.81%

2,131

 

Brian Hannasch, President and CEO

47

United Natural Foods Inc. (Independent sales only)

 

$6,699

$5,536

21.01%

N/A

 

Steven Spinner, Chairman and CEO

48

Sprouts Farmers Market

 

$6,468

$5,634

14.80%

362

 

Jack Sinclair, CEO

49

Big Lots

 

$6,199

$5,323

16.46%

1,410

 

Bruce Thorn, President and CEO

50

Demoulas Super Markets Inc. (Market Basket)

 

$5,600

$5,200

7.69%

84

 

Arthur Demoulas, President and CEO

51

The Save Mart Companies

 

$5,250

$4,600

14.13%

206

 

Nicole Pesco, CEO

52

HEB (Mexico)

 

$5,184

$4,500

15.20%

71

 

Fernando Martinez, Director General

53

Save-On-Foods

 

$5,142

$4,368

17.72%

181

 

Darrell Jones, President

54

Stater Bros. Markets

 

$5,119

$4,507

13.58%

170

 

Pete Van Helden, CEO

55

Ingles Markets Inc.

 

$4,610

$4,202

9.71%

197

 

James Lanning, President and CEO

56

Golub Corp. (Price Chopper/Market 32)

 

$4,334

$3,860

12.28%

131

 

Scott Grimmett, CEO

57

Save-A-Lot/Onex Corp.

 

$4,175

$4,014

4.01%

1,000

 

Kenneth McGrath, CEO

58

Grupo Commercial Chedraui (Mex only)

 

$4,146

$3,872

7.08%

325

 

Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia

59

Smart & Final Inc.

 

$4,141

$3,601

15.00%

254

 

Dave Hirz, President and CEO

60

Weis Markets

 

$4,112

$3,543

16.06%

196

 

Jonathan Weis, Chairman, President and CEO

61

Raley's Supermarkets

 

$3,975

$3,470

14.55%

124

 

Keith Knopf, President and CEO

62

Brookshire Grocery Co.

 

$3,714

$3,258

14.00%

181

 

Brad Brookshire, Chairman and CEO

63

Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)

 

$3,900

$3,700

5.41%

177

 

Bill Moore, Director and CEO

64

Schnuck Markets Inc.

 

$3,450

$3,100

11.29%

112

 

Todd Schnuck, Chairman and CEO

65

Alex Lee Inc., (Lowes Foods)

 

$3,350

$3,050

9.84%

113

 

Brian George, President and CEO

66

Tops Markets LLC

 

$3,260

$2,937

11.00%

162

 

Frank Curci, Chairman and CEO

67

Bodega Latina Corp. (El Super/Fiesta)

 

$3,159

$2,577

22.58%

123

 

Carlos Smith, President and CEO

68

Dollarama

 

$3,150

$2,963

6.31%

1,356

 

Neil Rossy, President and CEO

69

Grocery Outlet Inc.

 

$3,134

$2,559

22.47%

380

 

Eric Lindberg, CEO

70

K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. (Food City)

 

$2,968

$2,612

13.63%

136

 

Steven C. Smith, CEO

71

Brookshire Brothers

 

$2,759

$2,440

13.07%

127

 

John Alston, President and CEO

72

99 Cents Only

 

$2,700

$2,405

12.27%

391

 

Barry Feld, CEO

73

Farmacias Benavides

 

$2,631

$2,922

-9.96%

1,165

 

Macedonio Garza Hernandez, CEO

74

Associated Food Stores

 

$2,620

$2,400

9.17%

403

 

Robert Obray, President and CEO

75

HelloFresh

 

$2,546

$1,258

102.38%

0

 

Dominik Richter, CEO

76

The Fresh Market

 

$2,487

$2,241

10.98%

159

 

Jason Potter, CEO

77

Big Y Foods Inc.

 

$2,466

$2,190

12.60%

85

 

Charles D’Amour, President and CEO

78

Bashas' Markets Inc.

 

$2,381

$2,185

8.97%

118

 

Edward Basha III, CEO

79

Giant Tiger (Canada)

 

$2,350

$2,150

9.30%

260

 

Paul Wood, President and COO

80

Bozzuto's Inc. (wholesale)

 

$2,300

$2,010

14.43%

N/A

 

Michael Bozzuto, President and CEO

81

Fareway Stores Inc.

 

$2,166

$1,952

10.96%

124

 

Reynolds Cramer, President and CEO

82

Houchens Industries Inc.

 

$2,150

$1,950

10.26%

425

 

Dion Houchins, Chairman and CEO

83

Piggly Wiggly Midwest

 

$1,631

$1,470

10.95%

98

 

Paul Butera, Chairman and CEO

84

Rouse Enterprises LLC

 

$1,587

$1,408

12.71%

65

 

Donny Rouse, CEO

85

Woodman's Food Markets Inc.

 

$1,519

$1,381

9.99%

18

 

Phil Woodman, President

86

Coborn's Inc.

 

$1,511

$1,400

7.93%

120

 

Chris Coborn, President and CEO

87

Lowe's Pay-N-Save Inc.

 

$1,464

$1,343

9.01%

146

 

Roger Lowe Jr., CEO

88

Village Supermarket

 

$1,458

$1,250

16.64%

37

 

Robert Sumas, CEO

89

H Mart

 

$1,455

$1,275

14.12%

97

 

Il Yeon Kwon, Founder and CEO

90

Marc Glassman Inc.

 

$1,353

$1,230

10.00%

60

 

Marc Glassman, Chairman

91

Vallarta Supermarkets

 

$1,311

$1,209

8.44%

52

 

Enrique Gonzalez Jr., President and CEO

92

La Michoacana Meat Market

 

$1,155

$1,050

10.00%

159

 

Rafael Ortega

93

Sedanos

 

$1,135

$1,050

8.10%

35

 

Agustin Herran, President and CEO

94

Natural Grocers

 

$1,036

$904

14.60%

159

 

Kemper Isley, Chairman, Director and Co-President

95

Lidl

 

$1,025

$779

31.58%

125

 

Michal Laguionk, President and CEO

96

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

 

$1,007

$940

7.13%

70

 

Gerald Melville, President

97

Superior Grocers

 

$865

$787

9.91%

46

 

Mimi Song, President and CEO

98

Festival Foods

 

$845

$736

14.81%

34

 

Mark Skogen, CEO

99

Northgate Gonzalez Market

 

$711

$656

8.38%

41

 

Miguel Gonzalez Reynoso, President and CEO

100

99 Ranch

 

$650

$610

6.55%

53

 

Alice Chen, CEO

 

TOTAL

 

$2,112,082

$1,891,955

11.6%

     

Source: Company reports, Progressive Grocer research, industry and analyst estimates

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