Last updated on 15 June 2025.
This is obviously NOT a list of every noteworthy regional chain that has ever existed and only includes chains on which I have done some research. Most–but not all–of these chains are defunct or close to it. I’m no longer updating these chain histories; my focus in more on the location lists at this point.
If your favorite chain is not included, I encourage you to read about my methodology and maybe even submit a history to be included here.
These are histories of chains that were limited to one specific geographical region; use this link to see national chains.
In this section
- Almacs
- American Stores/ACME
- Alpha-Beta
- H.C. Bohack
- Cala Foods and Bell Markets
- Centromart
- Colonial Stores, Pender’s, and Big Star
- Food Lion, Bloom, and Bottom Dollar
- First National/Finast
- Giant Eagle
- Giant Food (Washington, DC)
- Grand Union
- Harris Teeter
- Littleman Stores
- Lucky Stores
- Mayfair Markets
- Metro
- Penn Fruit
- Purity Stores (California)
- QFI
- Raley’s and Bel-Air
- Ralphs Grocery Company
- Steinberg
- Thriftimart
- Vons
- Winn-Dixie