13 of the Nation’s Top Grocery Chains Are in KY — a Few Might Surprise You

If going on vacation, and I plan to stay at my destination for more than just a few days, I scope out the grocery stores I'm not used to seeing.

What can I say? I take after my dad in that I really like seeing what other chains have to offer that the ones most familiar to me do not. There's one little drawback, though, and it's not the fault of the stores in question. If I'm far enough away from home, I can't bring things like unique frozen items back home with me. Coolers only work so well. Still, it's fun to check them out.

One of the best chains I ever visited was in western New York. It's a regional chain called Wegman's, and they can also be found in Pennsylvania, New England, and the mid-Atlantic states.

The Nation's Top Grocery Chains Located in Kentucky

Because I don't feel Wegman's sees a need in expanding away from its very successful model up and down the East Coast, I don't waste my time hoping one will come to Kentucky. But that's okay. There are plenty of grocery store chains NOT in my neck of the woods that are still close enough to home. By the way, Wegman's makes a list of the top 25 grocery store chains in the U.S. and so do 13 more that you can find right here in the good old Commonwealth of Kentucky.

So drop the back seat so you can have more room, and let's do a little grocery shopping. Oh...one more thing. While there are names here that might surprise you--like convenience stores, for example--there's one omission that ALSO might surprise you. It certainly surprised me.

Now, on with the list...a, ahem, GROCERY list, if you will.