One of the Largest Retailers in the World Still Hasn’t Made It to Maine

The anticipation for Maine's first Costco has been building for more than a year. The massive warehouse chain is one of the world's largest retailers, which makes its debut it Maine an actual event.

According to the National Retail Federation, the five largest retailers in the world are Walmart, Amazon, Costco, the Home Depot, and one other chain that is conspicously absent from the Pine Tree State. That chain? Kroger.

For many in the northeast, Kroger is something they've heard of but don't know much about, other than that it's a grocery store chain. That much is true. Kroger currently operates more than 2,700 grocery stores in 35 states across the country.

But there are other reasons Kroger has become one of the most prolific and profitable chains worldwide. According to Sporked, Kroger is credited with being the innovator of product testing. Kroger is also considered the pioneer of having an in-house bakery in their grocery stores. And because of their large footprint, Kroger is considered to be the largest florist in the world.

The misnomer is that Kroger is simply a grocery chain. They are not. Kroger currently operates 134 multi-department stores across the country. Those stores could include everything from jewelry stores to in-house medical clinics.

Kroger also operates nearly 1,000 gas stations and convenience stores across the country. Their latest venture is warehouse stores, similar to Sam's Club, BJ's, and of course, Costco.

So will Kroger ever make its way to Maine? More than likely, yes. The massive retailer is finishing up a merger with another major retailer, Albertsons, in 2024. That should give Kroger the footprint to begin an aggressive move into the northeast.