US Grocery Retailing—Themes, Concepts and Innovators: Opportunities Ahead Amid Increased Market Concentration

Despite the collapse of the Kroger-Albertsons merger, market concentration in the US grocery sector is likely to rise over the coming years, especially among regional chains. Dive into the reasons behind this and other major themes in the US grocery market, as well as the technologies and innovators set to shake up the space. Ahead of our 2025 Market Navigator on US grocery retailing, we explore the key trends and themes we are watching in the space, our blue-sky thinking and the retail innovators we are watching.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

• In what ways will major retailers evolve into full-stack grocery platforms by 2030?
• How will demographic shifts—such as an aging population and rising diversity—transform grocery demand and store formats?
• What is driving Amazon’s renewed push into the grocery sector, and how will it compete on price and convenience?
• Why are grocery discounters and dollar stores intensifying sector-wide margin pressure, and how are traditional grocers responding?
• What will be the impact of recent changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?

Data in this report include: US grocery discount channel and total grocery market sales and sales projections; private-label versus name brand grocery sales growth and penetration rates; selected retailers’ store counts over time; demographic and household composition forecasts; competitive positioning of grocery discounters; in-store retail media adoption and capabilities.

Introduction

Blue-Sky Thinking

• Shopping Journeys Will Be Guided by Agentic AI
• Retailers Will Evolve Into Full-Stack Grocery Platforms
• Traditional Food Retailers Will Lose Share as Alternative Channels Rise
• Consumer Demographic Changes Will Transform Market Dynamics

Themes We Are Watching

• Amazon’s Renewed Push in Grocery to Put More Pressure on Prices, Speed and Service
• Grocery Discounters and Dollar Stores Intensify Price Competition
• SNAP Policy Changes to Alter Grocery Spending Patterns
• Private-Label Brands Gain as Consumers Seek Value and Retailers Pursue Differentiation
• Grocers Eye Restaurant Dollars by Tapping Into Foodservice
• GLP-1 Surge Dovetails With Grocers’ Increased Focus on Health and Wellness
• Tech Advancements

Retail Innovators

• RELEX
• Simbe Robotics
• Swiftly

What We Think

• Coresight Research View on US Grocery Retail
• Implications from This Report
• Implications for Real-Estate Firms
• Implications for Technology Vendors

Notes and Methodology

16-page PDF report

Ahold Delhaize, Albertsons, Aldi, Amazon, Dollar General, Kroger, Lidl, Publix, Save A Lot, Sprouts Farmers Market and Walmart.

1. Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods: Total US Store Count (Top); Store Traffic, YoY % Change (Bottom)
2. US Grocery Discount Channel and Total US Grocery Market: Annual Sales (USD Bil.)
3. Aldi US, Grocery Outlet, Lidl, and Save A Lot: Total US Store Count
4. Aldi US, Grocery Outlet and Lidl US Grocery Store Visits (YoY % Change)
5. All Respondents: Which Retailers They Have Bought Food Products from in the Past Two Weeks (% of Respondents)
6. Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar: Total US Store Count
7. Annual SNAP Benefits (USD Bil.)
8. Retailer Share of Spend Across CPG and General Merchandise Among SNAP Shoppers (52 Weeks Ended March 30, 2025)
9. US Food and Beverage Private-Label and Name Brands: Dollar and Unit Sales Value Growth (YoY % Change)
10. US Food and Beverage Sales: Name Brand and Private-Label Sales Value (% of Total Sales)*
11. US Food and Beverage Categories: Selected Categories Unit Sales Growth (YoY % Change)