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How do grocery stores make money?
Grocers keep only pennies per dollar of sales, so they win by volume, store brands, pharmacy, fuel and, at Costco and Sam's Club, membership fees.. Together, Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Target and Dollar General took in $1.31 trillion in their latest years and kept $37.4 billion in profit, $2.85 of every $100.
From each company's latest Form 10-K. Page updated November 8, 2026.
Grocers keep only pennies per dollar of sales, so they win by volume, store brands, pharmacy, fuel and, at Costco and Sam's Club, membership fees.
| Company | Revenue | Net profit | Kept per $100 | Biggest line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart | $713B | $21.9B | $3.07 | Walmart U.S. |
| Costco | $303B | $9.2B | $3.04 | Food and sundries |
| Kroger | $148B | $1.0B | $0.69 | Packaged groceries |
| Target | $105B | $3.7B | $3.54 | Food and drinks |
| Dollar General | $42.7B | $1.5B | $3.54 | Consumables |
Where each company's money comes from.
WalmartCostco
How Costco makes moneyKroger
How Kroger makes money
TargetSources: Walmart Form 10-K, Costco Form 10-K, Kroger Form 10-K, Target Form 10-K, Dollar General Form 10-K on SEC EDGAR.