The 10 largest grocery chains in the world by sales

Brian Snyder/Reuters

US-based companies took the top four spots.

• Some grocery stores have gotten so popular it seems they're practically taking over the world.
• Ecommerce insights firm Edge by Ascential recently ranked the biggest chains by net sales, as part of its July 2019 report on the grocery business.
• Walmart handily won the top spot, but a number of grocery companies based outside the US also broke into the rankings.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Grocery stores are a ubiquitous sight across the globe.

But which companies boast the biggest chains?

Ecommerce insights firm Edge by Ascential recently ranked the international grocery chains by net sales, as part of its July 2019 report on the state of the business.

The company calculated its estimates on in-store and online net sales for 2019 based on its database, Retail Market Monitor, which analyzes 2,500 retailers globally. The report also provided forward-looking estimates for in-store and, when applicable, online sales for 2024.

Read more: The top 25 grocery chains with the most loyal shoppers in America

Edge by Ascential analysts draw on data from public sources in most cases, and also make its own estimates based on industry averages, comparable store formats, and historical performance.

The report found that retailers based in the United States snagged the four top spots on the list. A number of non-US companies did make the top 10 rankings, however.

Here's a look at the biggest global retailers by overall net sales - and how they're slated to grow in the coming years: