10 Grocery Store Chains With Major Expansion Plans In 2026

It's no secret that Americans take grocery store loyalty very seriously, and there are few things more exciting than seeing your local favorite is getting a remodel or expansion. If you feel the same as we do, we have some great news: 2026 is going to see major expansions done by some of the country's biggest chains. And we mean big. From 1992 to 2024, Americans spent about $895 billion at grocery stores, according to Statista. 

That said, there's an incredibly heartbreaking side to the U.S. grocery market, too. In mid-2025, it was estimated that around 18.8 million people didn't have easy access to food, according to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas. Areas like this are called food deserts, and it's an incredibly complex issue that involves everything from distance to grocery stores, produce availability, cost-of-living dynamics, and regional trends means that things are different across the country. That brings up our question: What grocery stores are expanding in 2026?

The good news is that there are a number of chains that have announced expansion plans, including some that are already the largest out there. Expansion doesn't always mean numbers, either. Let's talk about stores that are expanding tech, affordable store brand options, delivery services, and accessibility, as well as numbers. There is, however, one caveat: Information is accurate at the time of writing, but subject to change. 

There are only six states that don't have a Whole Foods. Residents of Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia ended 2025 needing to cross state lines to visit one of these wildly popular stores, but will that change in 2026? Unfortunately, that doesn't seem likely. Expansion plans and new locations elsewhere are confirmed, however, with Queens, New York, getting its second store. That's on the heels of a few openings in late 2025, including locations in Rockledge, Florida, and Lakewood, Colorado. 

There's something interesting going on at Whole Foods, though, and that's the announcement that more of the chain's small-format stores will open in 2026. Whole Foods Daily Shop is geared toward being precisely that — a quick stop for things like snacks and essentials — with a much, much smaller footprint than traditional stores. Most Whole Foods run about 40,000 square feet, while Daily Shop locations will be between 7,000 and 14,000 square feet and carry a smaller stock of a few hundred items.

Hoboken, New Jersey, got a Daily Shop in December of 2025, and one was quickly announced for Brooklyn in early 2026. There are four of these mini-stores in total scheduled, and it's also worth mentioning that Whole Foods is also eyeing a major U.K. expansion for the year. Although Amazon Fresh stores are shuttering in the U.K., at least five will likely become Whole Foods.

Trader Joe's popularity is undeniable. That makes it unsurprising that new stores opened in multiple states in 2025, ending the year with eight grand openings in December alone. It seems incredibly likely that the openings will continue in 2026. At the time of this writing, full-picture details are sparse, but that's not entirely surprising as the chain has a history of new openings that hit later in the year.

We can glean some things from past trends, though, and that's the fact new locations are likely to appear in affluent areas. That tends to be the case: Trader Joe's might have a reputation as a budget-friendly store, but historically it's appeared in higher-than-average income communities.

We know that in December 2025, Trader Joe's announced locations but no opening dates for 10 stores in eight states, with stores in Miller Place, New York, and New Orleans, Louisiana, apparently slated for 2026. The chain's product line will also expand, as products including mini beef tacos, uncured salami snackers, cans of cold brew coffee, dark chocolate bark, and new varieties prebiotic sodas lead the way and hit shelves.

Way back in 2022, Walmart announced it was going to expand by competing with Amazon's grocery fulfillment services. Based on the 2026 announcement of new stores, it will continue raising the stakes on its grocery game as part of its "Store of the Future" program. This includes the construction of new stores and a remodel of 650 existing stores. While details will no doubt vary by location, we can look to the changes in New York's Islandia Shopping Center Walmart for an example. Announced in late 2025, the project will turn a Walmart store into a Supercenter, adding 55,000 square feet (and absorbing what was previously a T.J. Maxx location).

Another likely blueprint for these newly remodeled locations can be seen in the renovation done at the East Windsor, New Jersey store. Now also a Supercenter, it opened after less than a year of work and included expanded grocery, deli, and bakery departments, a remodeled pharmacy and vision center, and expansions to clothing and health products. 

New stores are on the docket, too: Heading into 2026, Walmart has already confirmed that Florida will get four new stores slated for Apollo Beach, The Villages, Ocala, and Jacksonville. With that in mind, we'd wager it's a safe bet more will be announced in the future. Expansion is coming to Walmart in another way, too, with 78 stores scheduled to have EV charging stations installed in 2026.

Aldi's growth has been jaw-dropping, with a 2025 plan that included the addition of 225 new locations. Back in August of 2025, Aldi announced its plans to open stores in several states, including Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, and others. That includes one new location on 42nd St. in Times Square that the company is calling a pretty big deal. 

Early confirmations from Aldi include 2026 plans for stores in Northport, Alabama, and in four Florida cities (Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Chiefland, and Port Orange) on its website. More will follow without a doubt, as Aldi's expansion plans for 2024 to 2028 included a goal of adding 800 new stores across the country. Some of those won't be new builds, and instead, you'll see brand-changed and overhauled Winn-Dixie and Harveys grocery stores. Aldi planned to purchase these stores back in 2023, and current estimates suggest that about 200 of them will make the switch in 2026 and 2027. 

Regular Aldi shoppers know that you'll rarely find name-brand items on the shelves, so here's some more good news. The chain's famous store brands will expand as well, with items like a Mama Cozzi Cauliflower Crust Pizza, new Choceur chocolates and Moser Roth truffles, new oat breads, and crunchy rice rolls slated for a 2026 debut. You'll also notice Aldi brands getting a packaging makeover.

Winn-Dixie and Harveys are going through some interesting ownership changes, and yes, potentially hundreds will be turned into Aldi stores after a sale. But here's where things get complicated. After the 2023 sale, a group of private investors bought some of the stores back and formed The Winn Dixie Company. The idea was to make the chain a Florida- and Georgia-only regional store, which meant closing those outside of the state at the same time it acquired a few Hitchcock's Markets.

Two of the three Hitchcock's Markets will re-open as Winn-Dixie in 2026 (with the third having already opened in December 2025). The goal is to open more Winn-Dixie stores in both north and south Florida, and the chain is taking a page out of Aldi's playbook: You'll see the chain's store brand offerings expanding and a partnership with Amazon Delivery.

Plans are in the works to open more than grocery stores, and locals probably know that there are liquor stores under the Winn-Dixie umbrella, too. Details are scarce, but we know the company is planning on expanding these stores, adding new formats to the portfolio, and expanding online shopping and delivery options.

It might not come as a major surprise that California is the state with the most Sprouts locations, and it's been that way for a long time. Texas and Florida are at the top of the list, too, but it's not even close. The good news is that in 2026, Sprouts has plans to expand outside of California. Daytona Beach will open in February, while Barstrop, Texas, and Clermont, Florida, debut in March, but that's just the beginning of the chain's expansion plans.

Although a precise timeline is vague, Sprouts put forward a goal of having 1,000 stores in its portfolio. That means a lot of openings, seeing as the chain had only 464 locations at the time of the announcement. Key states targeted for expansion include New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts, a change from its previous focus on the Southwest. New stores will open to promote grocery delivery services and the relatively new rewards program, but for those of you in California, don't worry: You're getting some goodies, too.

In late 2025, Sprouts announced it was expanding its relationship with Klatch Coffee, and that meant opening new cafes in Southern California stores. The expansion will continue through 2026, with 20 new cafes scheduled.

If you know any facts about the beloved grocery chain that is Publix, you probably know that it's concentrated in the South, and it's the largest employee-owned company in the country. Fortunately, in 2026 the chain will continue making its way north, with a new store opening in Manassas, Virginia. Winchester and Stephens City — both also in Virginia — will get stores, along with Georgetown, Louisville, and Owensboro in Kentucky. 

That's pretty telling. The first Publix in Kentucky only opened in 2024, and this new expansion will bring the total to seven. Meanwhile, it's also continuing to open more stores in its home state of Florida, with announcements made about locations in Venice, Naples, and a second in Babcock Ranch. Interestingly, the chain is lauded for its role in helping grow the town, which is notable for running entirely on solar power.

That comes on the heels of ending 2025 with a month that saw new stores in Florida and South Carolina. It's safe to say that not only are we going to see more stores opening, but Publix is experimenting with different formats, too, to ensure new stores are just getting bigger, better, and presenting customers with a whole experience. When Lexington, Kentucky got its second Publix in mid-2025, it included an expanded bakery, deli, ready-to-eat section, burrito bar, sushi bar, scratch-made pizza section, popcorn station, and a cafe with 13 beers on tap.

Given the wild popularity of Costco, it's not surprising that there's a lot in the works for the juggernaut. After 27 new stores hit in 2025, 2026 is set to see even more. In September of 2025, announcements for plans for 35 openings in 2026 and five stores were scheduled for a relocation. That in itself is interesting: Since Costco owns the overwhelming majority of property its stores are built on, those five relocations will leave empty buildings that will likely house Costco Business Centers.

As of January 2026, details are unclear. That's not entirely surprising, as Costco typically only releases concrete dates and locations three months ahead of a grand opening. We can make educated guesses, though, and say that Costco locations probably aren't going to be in entirely new markets: The chain is known for opening stores close enough to existing clubs where there's already an audience of membership-holders. There are plenty of locations that are still speculation, but Costco has confirmed stores in West Roseville, California, Port St. Lucie, Florida, Liberty Hill and Forney, Texas, and St. George, Utah for the early months of 2026. 

Mission Viejo, California, will get the chain's first standalone gas station, while many stores will see expansions to pharmacy services, scan-and-go tech; additionally, more products will be added to the Kirkland Signature range. Costco is also expanding its production facilities, including investing in new real estate for a coffee roaster and a new hot dog facility.

What's happening with Kroger is a little strange, and we're going to preface things by noting that in July of 2025, it was reported that more than half the country was buying groceries online. It makes sense, then, that grocery store chains are investing more in fulfillment centers, but in late 2025 Kroger announced it was going in the opposite direction and closing three of its eight centers. The problem was that the company had leaned on robotic tech and AI, which was a wildly expensive upfront cost that it failed to recover — but that's not to say that Kroger doesn't have expansion plans for 2026.

On the contrary, the goal is to open a fair number of new stores, although precise numbers haven't been released. We do know that 14 new stores were slated for the end of 2025, and some very early 2026 locations have been confirmed. That includes stores in Fate and McKinney, Texas, and Kentucky has also been named as being prepped for 2026 expansion.

Vague promises were made in December 2025, and included the likelihood that the chain was going to concentrate its efforts on opening new stores in the Southeast. Expanded partnerships with delivery services like Uber Eats were also in the works; it was expected that the chain would sink around $400 million into its e-commerce infrastructure.

There's a lot to love about Sam's Club, including the way the chain manages unsold groceries and minimizes food waste. (Much of it is donated to Feeding America, while some goes to be repurposed into animal feed.) The club's popularity is undeniable, leading to expansion plans that include six new store openings in 2026. Confirmed locations include Lebanon, Tennessee, Lathrop and Visalia in California, and the Texas cities of Baytown, Tomball, and Weslaco. 

There are also expansion plans in place for the offerings and services found at stores across the country, and include beefing up convenience and pre-made foods, as well promising more healthier options. Meanwhile, the club is leaning heavily into new technology. All Sam's Club stores are scheduled for a remodel to include revamped checkouts and an increase in Scan & Go technology, aided by AI checkouts at the exits. 

Stores will likely shift to mimic that in Grapevine, Texas. It was unveiled in 2024, and included tech like a pizza-making robot, automated warehouse equipment, register-free checkouts, and expanded services in areas like the pharmacy. Going forward, it set a goal of opening 15 new stores annually, counting on the remodeled plans to allow it to continue to challenge the likes of Costco.