The Unexpected Grocery Chain That's One Of The Top Sushi Sellers In The US

There's no doubt that "grocery store sushi" has some negative connotations to it, but not all store-bought sushi is built the same. In fact, there is one grocery chain that is actually one of the top sushi sellers in the entire country — and which one may surprise you. According to a company spokesperson, Kroger is the nation's top sushi seller with 44-million rolls sold in 2022, according to Business Insider. In 2023, those numbers were still going strong, with The Wall Street Journal reporting more than 40-million pieces of sushi sold by Kroger annually. So, how did the oldest grocery chain in the U.S. become such a heavy peddler of this traditional Japanese dish?

Kroger got its start in the late 1800s in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Barney Kroger opened the first location using the entirety of his personal savings. Today, the company operates in 35 states with more than 2,700 locations, and sushi is a huge part of its continued success. Kroger began offering fresh sushi to its customers in 1991 and continues to offer a full lineup of sushi, sashimi, cooked rolls, poke bowls, and other traditional sushi sides and appetizers.

A huge part of why a grocery chain like Kroger can take the title of largest sushi seller in the country is because of convenience and quality. Providing shoppers access to a variety of fresh sushi rolls right alongside all their regular grocery needs gives Kroger a huge leg up on the competition, catapulting the brand to the top of the industry.

In a time where food costs are rising, Americans are dining out at a much lesser rate. Nation's Restaurant News reports a 37% decline in eating out for the average American compared to last year. So, it makes sense that shoppers are filling the gap and getting their prepared food fix at the grocery stores they already frequent. Kroger is capitalizing on this shift in food budgeting by offering an array of fresh sushi options that gives its patrons the quality of a sushi restaurant without the high expenses of eating out.

Kroger offers all the sushi staples, from California rolls, crunch rolls, and traditional nigiri, maki, and sashimi. They even have limited edition specialty rolls like the Cheetos Flamin' Hot California Roll and the Doritos Flamin' Hot Limón Shrimp Tempura Roll that the company released for International Sushi Day in 2024. Customers agree that the sushi is consistently reliable on quality, with one person sharing to Reddit that Kroger sushi is, "Always a good and safe option. It'll always taste good and fresh and so convenient when craving and in a pinch!"

Beyond offering a great selection, Kroger also offers its customers a great price on sushi, with $5 sushi rolls on Wednesdays. At this rate, it doesn't look like Kroger will be giving up its title as the biggest sushi seller in the country (and one of the best grocery stores for sushi) anytime soon.