Leading Brands in U.S. Grocery Stores: Q1 2025 Performance Overview

In the competitive landscape of U.S. grocery stores, Kroger, Publix Super Markets, and Safeway have emerged as leading brands with significant digital presence. This article explores their performance from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, leveraging Sensor Tower’s comprehensive data insights.

Kroger

Kroger stands as a cornerstone in the grocery industry, known for its extensive network and innovative digital strategies. Its digital footprint is substantial, with its website, kroger.com, and the Kroger app playing pivotal roles.

• Audience Trends: From Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, kroger.com maintained a stable visit count, peaking in December with over 63M visits. Unique visits remained above 8M monthly, with a slight increase in March 2025.

• App Engagement: The Kroger app’s monthly active users fluctuated slightly, ending Q1 2025 with over 8.7M users, indicating strong mobile engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Kroger’s advertising efforts saw a spike in January 2025, with monthly spend reaching nearly $14.8M and impressions peaking at around 1.8B. Facebook and Instagram were the dominant channels, delivering significant impressions.

Publix Super Markets

Publix is renowned for its customer service and community engagement, with a robust digital strategy encompassing its website, publix.com, and the Publix app.

• Audience Trends: Publix.com experienced noticeable growth in web visits, reaching over 38M in March 2025. Unique visits rose steadily, surpassing 4.5M monthly by the end of Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: The Publix app saw a consistent increase in monthly active users, ending Q1 2025 with nearly 3.9M users, reflecting a growing mobile audience.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Publix’s monthly ad spend was highest in December 2024, exceeding $4.6M, with Facebook and OTT channels providing substantial reach.

Safeway

Safeway, a key player in the grocery sector, is known for its strong community ties and competitive pricing. Its online presence is anchored by safeway.com and the Safeway Deals & Delivery app.

• Audience Trends: Safeway.com maintained stable web visits, with a high of over 20M in December 2024. Unique visits hovered around 2.5M monthly.

• App Engagement: The Safeway app consistently grew its monthly active user base, reaching over 5M users by March 2025.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Safeway’s monthly ad spend peaked in March 2025, with significant investments in Facebook and Instagram, totaling over $2.2M.

Conclusion

Sensor Tower’s unparalleled data insights reveal the dynamic digital strategies of Kroger, Publix, and Safeway. With detailed cross-platform user behavior analysis via our Web Insights and Pathmatics offerings, these brands continue to adapt and thrive in the grocery store sector. For a deeper dive into these trends, explore our comprehensive data solutions.