Kroger and HEB are two well-known grocery stores. While they’re similar, their differences can make or break your shopping experience.
Be sure to consider both stores before choosing where to spend your money. That way, you can make the most of your shopping trips.
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How Do Kroger and HEB Compare?
You can find Kroger stores all over the country, but HEB is only in Texas. Kroger also carries almost four times as many products as HEB. The Texas grocery store tends to cost a bit more for most product categories.
If you live near both, consider which shop meets your needs. Kroger may be cheaper and larger, but that doesn’t always make it the best choice.
Store Brand Pricing
You should think about how much store brand items cost at Kroger and HEB. HEB offers lower prices on its house brand dry goods. However, Kroger’s store brand is less expensive in all other areas, from beverages to personal items.
Of course, you might want to compare name-brand products as well. While those prices are usually similar across stores, you never know which store may offer more sales. So check out your local Kroger and HEB for a few weeks.
If you notice one store offers cheaper prices, shop there more. You could also shop at each store for the items it sells for less. Then, you can save more on groceries overall.
Number of Products
Regardless of the price, you need to know if you can get the products you want. If you prefer a specific brand of something, consider which grocery store carries it. Then, you can decide if you should use that store or switch brands.
HEB sells 18,000 different items. But that pales in comparison to the 70,000 items you’ll find at your local Kroger. Sure, the stock may vary, and when one store is out of something, the other might have a few available.
Still, Kroger’s massive variety of products is nice. If you want to do all of your grocery shopping in one place, it’s probably the better option.
Product Recalls
The number of products a store carries doesn’t matter if a lot of them face recalls. Recalls occur when something is bad or unsafe. Kroger has had to recall 49 products across the animal and vet, cosmetics, drugs, and food and beverage departments.
Meanwhile, HEB has had 22 recalls. These have occurred in the animal and vet, cosmetics, and food and beverage sections. At both stores, food and beverage make up the majority of the recalls.
While Kroger has recalled more items, 49 products only make up 0.07% of the 70,000 items. On the other hand, HEB has had to recall 0.12% of its 18,000 products.
Locations
Another thing to consider is where you can shop at each store. Not only does Kroger sell more items, but it has more locations. You can find a Kroger in 35 states, and there are roughly 2,800 locations across the country.
For better or worse, HEB only operates in one state (Texas). However, you can find a few near the border with Louisiana. Still, HEB owns about 340 stores in total. Kroger operates in Texas as well, so you might get to choose which you prefer.
If you tend to travel a lot, you’ll have an easier time locating a Kroger. Unless you prefer to travel within Texas, then HEB might be easier to find.
Rewards Program
Shopping for groceries can get expensive over time. Fortunately, both stores offer a rewards program to help you get a good deal.
The Kroger Rewards Program helps you save money on fuel. As you shop, you can earn points, and you can redeem those for savings at the pump. They even have a credit card that you can get where you’ll save $0.55 per gallon for a year.
HEB also has a generous rewards program. You can save money on your purchases, and that includes curbside pickup orders. The card works online and in stores to help you get the most out of your membership.
Working There
Maybe you’re looking to work for a grocery store. If you live near Kroger and HEB or are willing to move closer to one or the other, consider what it’s like to be an employee.
Kroger tends to pay better if you’re a manager or assistant manager. However, HEB pays their cashiers and stockers more. The hourly rates for those positions aren’t great, and the manager salaries aren’t the best for families.
However, the positions can be good for students and single adults. Also, the exact pay can depend on the location. Be sure to ask your local store how much they pay to determine if one is a better employer than the other.
Shop at Both Kroger and HEB
If you live in Texas, you can shop at both Kroger and HEB. Doing so can be a nice way to save money since you can compare prices. Then, you can choose which products to buy from where, and you can watch out for sales at multiple stores.
However, Kroger is your best bet if you live outside of Texas. You won’t find an HEB in any other state, so you’ll need to move if you prefer HEB.
Is Kroger or HEB Better?
Kroger and HEB are both good grocery stores. On the one hand, Kroger is cheaper and has more locations. However, HEB is a household name in Texas and pays their hourly workers better than Kroger. Try both stores to see which you like more.