Kroger and Giant Eagle led Ohio in market share

Kroger and Giant Eagle are leading the way for supermarkets in Ohio.

Giant Eagle has a strong retail market leadership position in the Ohio markets of Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Mansfield and Youngstown, according to 2021 numbers from Shelby Market Research.

With 89 stores, Giant Eagle commanded a market share of 24.94% in mid-2021. Still, that strong number represented a decline from 2018, when Shelby reported 124 Giant Eagle stores held a market share of 40.3%.

With 124 stores, Walmart’s 2021 share in the Ohio markets was 16.4%. That compared with a 17.1% share and 35 stores in 2018, according to Shelby.

Marc’s, with 58 stores in 2021, was rated at 11.18% market share, according to Shelby. That was nearly the same as 2018, when the market share for the chain’s 56 stores was 11.4%.

With 51 stores, Kroger had a market share of 6.2% in the Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Mansfield and Youngstown areas in 2021. 

Kroger dominance

Kroger, based in Cincinnati, is the clear market leader in the Ohio/West Virginia/Kentucky markets of Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton-Kettering, Springfield and Toledo, according to Shelby.

With 300 stores in the area, Kroger commanded a market share of 42.49% in mid-2021, compared with 244 stores and 42.2% share in 2018.

Meijer, with 40 stores, enjoyed a 19.8% market share in 2021. That compared with 41 stores and a 23.1% share in 2018, according to Shelby.

The third leading retailer in the market in 2021 is Walmart, with 138 stores and a 12.27% market share. That is down from a 23.1% share with 122 stores in 2018, according to Shelby.