A growing divergence in consumer spending is splitting the U.S. grocery market, with value-focused and premium fresh-format grocers rapidly gaining momentum and foot traffic, according to JLL’s 2026 Grocery Tracker report. The report finds this market bifurcation is creating clear winners among grocery-anchored sites/centers, driving performance for the real estate they occupy.
On one end of the market, shoppers under pressure from inflation are focused on value-oriented grocers. This has fueled the continued success of discount chains like Aldi, which was the fastest growing grocer in the United States in 2025 with 180 new stores and 800 expected by 2028, as well as Grocery Outlet, which also saw significant unit growth by adding 37 new locations.
At the same time, shoppers focused on high-quality offerings are driving traffic to fresh-format and specialty stores. This trend has benefited grocers like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods seeing same-store visits surge by
