TOP U.S. FOOD RETAILERS 2004-01-12 (1)

U.S. food sales rose 6.4% to $775 billion in 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce and other sources. SN's Top 75 retailers with sales volume of $602.9 billion in 2003 represent 78% of total food sales. Top 75 sales volume in 2002 was $522.8 billion. In 2003, Wal-Mart Supercenters generated $31 billion in grocery sales, or 5.1% of the total Top 75 sales volume.

40% of total corporate sales, which are estimated at $258 billion for 2003.

2) Kroger Co.

Cincinnati

Joseph A. Pichler, Chairman

4,169

53.6 e

1/31/04

Kroger's sales totals encompass 2,519 supermarkets and multi-department stores, 794 convenience stores, 444 fine jewelry stores and 412 fuel centers.

3) Costco Wholesale Corp.

Issaquah, Wash.

Jim Sinega, President, CEO

l420

41.7 a

8/31/03

Groceries, encompassing food and sundries, account for approximately 60% of Costco's sales, or $25 billion.

4) Albertsons

Boise, Idaho

Larry Johnston, Chairman, CEO

2,540

36.2 e

1/29/04

Albertsons stores encompass 1,335 supermarkets, 268 dual-branded combination stores, 710 freestanding drug stores and 227 fuel centers.

5) Safeway

Pleasanton, Calif.

Steve Burd, chairman, president, CEO

1,702

33.6 e

1/3/04

6) Sam's Clubs

Bentonville, Ark.

Kevin Turner, president, CEO

538

33.5 e

1/31/04

Groceries, encompassing food and sundries, account for approximately 61% of Sam's total sales, or $20.4 billion. Sam's Clubs account for approximately 13% of Wal-Mart sales, estimated to be $258 billion for 2003. Sam's also operates 80 units in Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Canada and China.

7) Ahold USA Retail

Chantilly, Va.

Bill Grize, president, CEO

1,635

26.9 e

12/28/03

Ahold USA Retail accounts for approximately 61% of Ahold USA sales, which are estimated to be $44.4 billion for 2003; the balance of U.S. sales -- an estimated $17.5 billion -- comes from Ahold USA Foodservice. Ahold USA accounts for approximately 70% of the parent company's total sales, which are estimated to be $63.2 billion (U.S.) for 2003.

8) Supervalu

Minneapolis

Jeff Noddle, chairman, president, CEO

1,451

20.3 e

2/28/04

Sales from 649 corporate stores and sales to 802 licensed Save-A-Lot stores combine to account for approximately 50% of total sales. Corporate-owned stores encompass 265 price-impact and fresh supermarkets and 384 extreme-value food and general merchandise stores.

9) Publix Super Markets

Lakeland, Fla.

Charles Jenkins Jr. CEO

806

16.7 e

12/27/03

10) Loblaw Cos

Toronto

Galen Weston, chairman

1,031

16.2 e ($U.S.)

1/3/04

Loblaw operates 631 corporate stores and supplies 400 franchised stores.

11) Delhaize America

Salisbury, N.C.

Pierre Olivier-Beckers, Chairman

1,499

15.4 e

1/3/04

Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group, encompasses 1,199 Food Lion stores, 137 Kash n' Karry units,120 Hannaford Bros. stores and 43 Harveys stores. Delhaize America accounts for approximately 73% of Delhaize Group's sales, which are estimated at $21.2 billion (U.S.) for 2003.

12) Winn-Dixie Stores

Jacksonville, Fla.

A. Dano Davis, Chairman

1,07611.9 e

6/30/04

13) C&S Wholesale Grocers

Brattleboro, Vt.

Rick Cohen, Chairman, CEO

011.3 e

9/27/03

C&S supplies products to a variety of Top 75 retailers, and volume from those companies is reflected in the sales totals for C&S and for each of the individual retailers. C&S volume does not include retail sales from GU Markets, an affiliate of C&S that operates 32 former Grand Union locations.

14) 7-Eleven

Dallas

Jim Keyes, President, CEO

5,799

11.1 e

12/31/03

7-Eleven operates 5,305 stores in the U.S. and 494 in Canada. All stores in Canada and 47% of those in the U.S. are corporate owned; 53% of the stores in the U.S. are franchised. U.S. sales account for 90% of the company's total sales. Of the company's total volume, 28% comes from gasoline sales and 72% from merchandise. Of that 72%, groceries and nonfoods account for 90% of sales, or approximately $7.2 billion. Excluding tobacco products, which account for approximately 28% of the total, sales from dairy, fresh foods, candy and snacks, beer and wine, beverages and nonfoods account for approximately $5.2 billion.

15) Meijer Inc.

Grand Rapids, Mich

Doug and Hank Meijer co-Chairman

158

11.1 e

2/1/04

16) H.E. Butt Grocery Co.

San Antonio

Charles C. Butt, Chairman CEO

298

10.6 a

11/2/03

H-E-B's sales include volume from 20 stores in Mexico.

17) A&P

Montvale, N.J.

Christian Haub, Chairman, president, CEO

879

10.4 e

2/28/04

A&P operates 638 corporate stores in the U.S. and 177 corporate stores in Canada; it also operates 64 Food Basics franchised stores in Canada. Sales in Canada account for approximately 25% of the company's total.

18) Sobeys

Stellarton, Nova Scotia

Bill McEwen, President CEO

1,326

7.0 e ($U.S.)

5/1/04

Sobeys operates 413 corporate stores, including 220 supermarkets, 128 convenience stores and 65 drug stores, and supplies 913 franchised stores.

19) BJ's Wholesale Club

Natick, Mass.

Michael T. Wedge, President, CEO

147

6.6 e

1/31/04

Groceries, encompassing food and sundries, account for approximately $4.6 billion, or 70% of BJ's total sales.

20) Wakefern Food Corp.

Elizabeth, N.J.

Thomas Infusino, Chairman

Elizabeth, N.J.

49

6.1 a

9/27/03

Wakefern supplies products to three other Top 75 companies -- Foodarama, Village Super Markets and Inserra Supermarkets -- and volume from those companies is reflected in the sales totals for Wakefern. Wakefern declined to indicate what percentage of total sales is generated by corporate stores.

21) Super Target

Minneapolis

Robert J. Ulrich, corporate chairman, CEO

118

5.8 e

1/31/04

Super Target's sales represent approximately 12% of Target Corp.'s total sales, which are estimated at $48 billion for 2003.

22) Giant Eagle

Pittsburgh

David Shapira, chairman, CEO

215

4.7 e 6/30/04

Volume total encompasses sales from 131 corporate stores and sales to 84 franchised independent stores.

23) Shaw's Supermarkets

West Bridgewater, Mass.

Paul Gannon, president, CEO

2014.6 e

2/28/04

Shaw's is a division of Sainsbury, London, and accounts for 16% of Sainsbury's sales.

24) Hy-Vee Food Stores

Des Moines, Iowa

Ric Jurgens, president, CEO

2184.2 a

9/28/03

Hy-Vee operates 192 supermarkets and 26 drug stores.

25) Pathmark Stores

Carteret, N.J.

Eileen Scott, CEO

1434.0 e

1/31/04

26) Nash Finch Co.

Minneapolis

Ron Marshal, CEO

l1093.9 e

1/3/04

Corporate stores at Nash Finch account for 24% of total sales.

27) Roundy's

Milwaukee

Robert A. Mariano, Chairman, CEO

1113.9 e

1/3/04

Corporate stores at Roundy's account for approximately 54% of total sales.

28) Associated Wholesale Grocers

Kansas City, Kan.

Gary A. Phillips, president, CEO

743.7 e

12/27/03

Corporate stores at AWG account for 10% of total sales.

29) Aldi

Batavia, Ill.

Charles Youngstrom, president

6303.5 e

12/31/03

Aldi is the U.S. subsidiary of Aldi Group, Essen, Germany.

30) Metro

Montreal

Pierre Lessard, president, CEO

5453.5 a ($U.S.)

9/27/03

Metro operates 142 corporate stores and supplies 403 franchised stores that each account for approximately 50% of total sales.

31) Wegmans Food Markets

Rochester, N.Y.

Danny Wegman, president

653.3 e

12/31/03

32) Raley's Supermarkets

Sacramento, Calif.

William Coyne, president

134

3.2 e

6/26/04

33) Whole Foods Market

Austin, Texas

John Mackey, chairman, president, CEO

1453.1 a

9/28/03

34) Unified Western Grocers

Los Angeles

Al Plamann, president, CEO

0

2.8 a

9/27/03

35) Stater Bros. Markets

Colton, Calif.

Jack Brown, chairman, president, CEO

157

2.8 a

9/28/03

36) Trader Joe Co.

Monrovia, Calif.

Dan Bane, CEO

2142.5 e

6/30/04

Trader Joe is wholly owned by the Albrecht family of Germany.

37) Price Chopper

Schenectady, N.Y.

Neil Golub, president, CEO

1062.5 e

4/25/04

38) Super Kmart

Troy, Mich.

Edward Lampert, corporate chairman

602.5 e

1/28/04

Food sales at Super Kmart, encompassing groceries, consumables and restaurant, account for approximately 32% of Super Kmart's total sales, or $990 million. Super Kmart's volume represents approximately 10% of the company's total sales, which are estimated at $25 billion for 2003.

39) Harris Teeter

Matthews, N.C.

Fred Morganthall, president

140

2.4 a

9/28/03

Harris Teeter is a division of Ruddick Corp., Charlotte, N.C.

40) Save Mart Supermarkets

Modesto, Calif.

Robert M. Piccinini, chairman, CEO

1232.2 e

12/28/03

41) Schnuck Markets

St. Louis

Craig Schnuck, chairman, CEO

100

2.2 e

9/30/03

42) Spartan Stores

Grand Rapids, Mich.

Craig Sturken, chairman, president, CEO

752.2 e

3/31/04

Corporate stores, encompassing 54 supermarkets and 21 deep-discount drug stores, account for 45% of total sales.

43) Federated Cooperatives

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Dennis Banda, president

152.1 e ($U.S.)

10/31/03

Food sales at Federated account for 42% of total sales, or $880 million (U.S.). Corporate stores at Federated account for 4% of food sales.

44) Alex Lee Inc.

Hickory, N.C.

Boyd George, chairman, CEO

1082.1 a

9/27/03

Sales at Alex Lee Inc. include $1.1 billion from Lowes Food Stores, Winston-Salem, N.C.; $1.4 billion from Merchants Distributors Inc., Hickory, N.C., a wholesaler (approximately 47% of whose sales go to Lowes); and $308 million from Institution Food House, Hickory, N.C., a food-service distributor.

45) WinCo Foods

Boise, Idaho

William D. Long, chairman, CEO

432.0 e

3/27/04

46) Weis Markets

Sunbury, Pa.

Robert F. Weis, chairman

158

2.0 e

12/27/03

47) Ingles Markets

Black Mountain, N.C.

Robert P. Ingle, chairman, CEO

199

2.0 a

9/27/03

48) Overwaitea Food Group

Langley, British Columbia

Steve Vanderleest, president

852.0 e ($U.S.)

12/31/03

49) Demoulas Market Basket

Tewksbury, Mass.

William J. Shea, chairman

581.9 e

1/3/04

50) Smart & Final

Los Angeles

Ross Roeder, chairman, CEO

229

1.8 e

12/28/03

Smart & Final operates 183 warehouse stores and 46 cash-and-carry stores. Volume total includes food-service sales of approximately $190 million for about half of the fiscal year, after which that business was sold.

51) Purity Wholesale Grocers

Boca Raton, Fla.

Sal Ricciardi, president, CEO

0

1.8 e

6/30/04

52) Brookshire Grocery Co

Tyler, Texas.

Bruce Brookshire, chairman

153

1.7 e

9/30/03

53) Bashas'

Chandler, Ariz.

Eddie N. Basha Jr., chairman, CEO

1421.7 e

12/31/03

54) Marsh Supermarkets

Indianapolis

Donald W. Marsh, chairman, CEO

280

1.7 e

3/31/04

Marsh's store totals include 113 supermarkets and 167 convenience stores.

55) Penn Traffic Co.

Syracuse, N.Y.

James A. Demme, chairman

159

1.7 e

1/31/04

Penn Traffic also serves as a wholesaler to 75 licensed franchisees and 42 independent operators. The company is restructuring under Chapter 11 protection, and was opting to sell and close stores prior to the end of the fiscal year that may not be reflected in the numbers in this chart.

56) White Rose Foods

Somerset, N.J.

Stephen Bokser and Richard Neff, co-CEOs

0

1.5 e

12/27/03

White Rose is a division of DiGiorgio Corp.

57) Grocers Supply Co.

co-CEOs

Max and Milton Levit

0

1.5 e

12/31/03

58) Associated Food Stores

Salt Lake City

Richard Parkinson, president, CEO

23

1.3 e

3/27/04

Corporate stores at Associated account for 30% of sales.

59) Neighborhood Markets

Bentonville, Ark.

Ed Kolodzieski, senior VP, Wal-Mart operations

60

1.3 e

1/31/04

60) Big Y Foods

Springfield, Mass.

Donald D'Amour, chairman, CEO

53

1.2 e

6/27/04

Big Y operates 51 conventional supermarkets and two fine wine, liquor and gourmet food stores under the banners Table & Vine and Town & Country.

61) K-VA-T Food Stores

Abingdon, Va.

Jack Smith, chairman

87

1.2 e 12/31/03

62) Foodarama

Freehold, N.J.

Richard Saker, president, CEO

24

1.1 e

11/1/03

63) Associated Wholesalers Inc.

Robesonia, Pa.

J. Chris Michael, president, CEO

9

1.1 e

7/31/04

Corporate stores at AWI account for 7% of total sales.

64) Fiesta Mart

Houston

Louis Katipodis, president, CEO

50

1.1 e

5/30/04

65) Wild Oats Markets

Boulder, Colo.

Perry Odak, president, CEO

102

0.96 e

12/27/03

66) Inserra Supermarkets

Mahwah, N.J.

Lawrence R. Inserra, chairman, CEOs

22

0.93 e

12/27/03

67) Minyard Food Stores

Coppell, Texas

Gretchen Minyard Williams

and Liz Minyard, co-chairs, co-CEO

74

0.91 e

6/30/04

68) Village Super Market

Springfield, N.J.

James Sumas, chairman

23

0.90 e

7/26/04

69) Associated Grocers

Seattle

Robert Hermanns, president, CEO

10.90 a

9/26/03

70) United Supermarkets

Lubbock, Texas

Gantt Bumstead, president

44

0.90 e

1/31/04

71) Bozzuto's

Cheshire, Conn.

Michael Bozzuto, chairman

10

0.89 e

9/27/03

Corporate stores at Bozzuto's account for 3% of total sales.

72) King Kullen Grocery Co.

Bethpage, N.Y.

Bernard Kennedy, chairman, CEO

50

0.80 e

10/3/03

King Kullen operates 48 supermarkets and two Wild by Nature natural foods stores.

73) Brookshire Bros.

Lufkin, Texas

Jack Gabriel, president

71

0.80 e

4/24/04

74) Haggen Inc.

Bellingham, Wash.

Dale C. Henley, president, CEO

30

0.78 e

12/27/03

Haggen operates 29 supermarkets and one freestanding pharmacy.

75) Redner's Markets

Baldon, Pa.

Richard Redner, president, CEO

47

0.73 e

12/31/03

Redner's store totals include 36 supermarkets and 11 convenience stores.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

IGA, the Chicago-based voluntary network of independent operators, was unable to supply volume estimates for 2003 because of the financial difficulties and eventual demise of Fleming, which had supplied 40% of IGA's stores in the United States. Company representatives said overall sales for 2003 will approach last year's $24 billion, with sales in Canada ($6 billion in 2002) holding steady and overseas sales ($10 billion last year) remaining strong; however, U.S. sales ($8 billion in 2002) may be down. IGA said year-end sales have been stronger than had been anticipated earlier in the year, but it will not have definitive volume numbers before the end of the first quarter. IGA members are supplied by 14 licensed wholesalers in the United States and two in Canada.

Piggly Wiggly Co. is a Dallas-based umbrella organization for approximately 600 franchised stores in 16 states with a combined 2003 volume of approximately $3 billion. Piggly Wiggly stores, which are supplied by a variety of different wholesalers, became an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Brattleboro, Vt., in 2002 when C&S acquired some of Fleming's assets.