Does Kroger Own Meijer? (Not What You Think)

As one of the largest privately-owned grocery stores in the U.S., Meijer is known for its wide range of products, great produce, and good prices.

In comparison, Kroger is the largest supermarket retailer in the U.S. and ranks second after Walmart among the general retailers. Because of its size, you might be wondering whether Kroger also owns Meijer. Here’s all you need to know!

Does Kroger Own Meijer In 2024?

Kroger does not own Meijer in 2024. Although they both specialize in the same products and services, they are separate companies under different management. Meijer is privately-owned that was started by the Meijer family in 1934 by Hendrik Meijer and remains under the family. Therefore, the supercenter chain does not have any affiliation with Kroger.

For more information about who owns Meijer and whether there’s any connection with Kroger, keep on reading!

Is Meijer Family Owned?

Since its establishment in 1934 by Hendrik Meijer, the regional retailer has been family-owned but was acquired by Walmart in recent years.

Over the years, Meijer has grown and has more than 240 supercenters across six U.S. states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.

Currently, Meijer employs about 70,000 team members in its stores.

Meijer is credited for starting the modern supercenter concept in 1962 and is now one of the largest privately-owned companies in the U.S.

Today, Meijer’s supercenters across the different states average about 150,000 to 250,00 sq. ft. and stock over 220,000 products.

How Is Meijer Different From Kroger?

How Is Meijer Different From Kroger?

Now that we’ve established that Meijer and Kroger are not the same company, how different are these retailers? Here’s what I discovered:

Ownership

While Meijer is family-owned up to date, Kroger is a publicly-traded company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Kroger owns 2,800 grocery retail stores in different states in the U.S., including the following:

  • Ralphs
  • QFC
  • Harris Teeter
  • King Scoopers
  • Fry’s
  • Fred Meyer
  • Roundy’s
  • Baker’s
  • Food 4 Less
  • Dillion Companies
  • City Market
  • Home Chef
  • Metro Market
  • Smith’s

On the other hand, all the 240 stores under Meijer are exclusively family-owned.

Store Items

Each Meijer store offers a wide range of products from locally grown produce, meat products, beer, wines, and spirits selection, a health and beauty area, and a drive-in pharmacy.

In addition, you can also purchase general merchandise such as toys, clothing, electronics, and seasonal items.

However, you need to know that the merchandise varies from store to store; therefore, you should first confirm with your local store.

Meijer stores also have their own brands of products that compete against national brands; therefore, Meijer offers an alternative for customers.

Although Kroger is a supermarket just like Meijer, it specializes more in grocery items. You can get meats, deli foods, dairy products, and frozen foods.

In addition, Kroger has pharmaceutical goods, health and beauty products, pet foods, supplies, and toys.

When shopping at Kroger, you might not get electrical appliances or clothing items.

Price Comparison

On average, Kroger is cheaper than Meijer; however, this varies depending on some products.

Kroger’s lower prices are due to the increased purchasing power because it has more stores compared to Meijer.

Therefore, Kroger can source items for a cheaper price and pass on the same to the customers.

On some occasions, Meijer could have lower prices on meat and produce. Therefore, it’s a good option if you don’t want to go to stores like Walmart.

Additionally, both stores offer weekly deals on some items; therefore, customers can save money depending on what they’re purchasing.

They also have coupon programs that customers can use to get items at a lower price.

Services

If you shop at Kroger, there are services such as online orders, deliveries, and digital coupons. You can contact the customer service team in case of any issues.

Meijer is also quite similar; you can make online orders, receive deliveries, and use coupons.

In addition, Meijer has curbside pickup, health screening services at its pharmacies, and a chain of nail salons and barbershops.

Does Kroger Price Match Meijer?

If you are looking to get a lower price on products at Kroger, you can’t use price matching.

Unfortunately, Kroger does not have a price matching policy that customers can use. Similarly, Meijer does not have a price matching policy.

Therefore, you can only take advantage of services such as coupons and other offers and discounts to get a lower price in both stores.

Can You Return Meijer Items to Kroger?

While the two retailers sell almost identical items, you can’t return products bought at Meijer stores to Kroger.

They are separate companies managed by different entities; therefore, you can only take back items to the respective store.

Ensure that you check the return policy before returning products if you want to get an exchange or refund.

To know more, you can also read our posts on whether or not Kroger owns Harris Teeter, if Kroger owns Food Lion, and if Kroger owns Fred Meyer.

Conclusion

Kroger does not own Meijer as of 2024. Although they both specialize in the same products and services, they are separate companies under different management.

Meijer is privately-owned that was started by the Meijer family in 1934 by Hendrik Meijer and remains under the family. Therefore, the supercenter chain does not have any affiliation with Kroger.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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