H-E-B vs Kroger

H-E-B (founded in 1905) and Kroger (founded in 1883) are two supermarket chains that have remained in competition since their inception. Although each has evolved into a massive business, both stores are superior in different categories.

H-E-B is a privately owned and operated chain store in Texas, with 340 stores. Kroger is a competing chain store with over 2800 stores in 35 states. In general, H-E-B is known for higher quality products, while Kroger is known for its larger variety and affordability.

In the rest of this article, I will discuss the quality and price of their products, the salaries they pay their employees, and their mobile apps and delivery services. I will also clear up any doubts about whether H-E-B is a part of Kroger or not.

Which Is Better, H-E-B or Kroger?

Overall, H-E-B is better for customers looking for high-quality products, while Kroger is better for those who want a cheaper option and more variety. Kroger also has stores in 35 states, making them more accessible than H-E-B, which operates only in Texas.

To find out which of the two stores is better, I have compared them below. The following chart examines: 

• Product Quality
• Average Price
• Product Variety
• Delivery Costs
• Disability Friendliness

These categories have been chosen based on the average customer requirements.

Product Quality

To determine product quality, I looked up the FDA Recalls Page and customer reviews on the companies’ official websites.

Overall, H-E-B has fewer products recalled and higher customer reviews than Kroger. Therefore, although both supermarkets have high-quality products, H-E-B’s products seem to be higher quality than Kroger’s.

Product Variety

Overall, Kroger has a larger variety of products. H-E-B’s product catalogue includes almost 18,000 products, while Kroger’s catalogue includes almost 70,000 products.

Because Kroger has so many more stores, it also makes sense that they stock their stores with a wider variety of products. 

Affordability

Below is a quick look at which store has lower prices for some of the most commonly shopped products.

As you can see above, Kroger has more affordable options in milk, meat, eggs, and fruits and vegetables. H-E-B only offers more affordable bread options than Kroger.

Thus, Kroger is the most affordable option overall. I also wrote a comparison between HEB vs. Walmart

Delivery Charges

Of the two, only Kroger offers free delivery. To avail of the free delivery, you have to place an order worth at least $35. Kroger will charge between $9-$11 on average as a delivery fee for orders under that amount. You can check the latest updates to their delivery services on their website.

H-E-B usually charges $5 per home delivery plus a personal shopper’s fee of $4.95. As of now, H-E-B has waived the personal shopper’s fee for Curbside Pickup of orders worth at least $35. To find out their latest delivery policies, you can check their website.

Disability Friendliness

Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), both companies allow customers to bring licensed service dogs into the store. However, regular pets are not allowed. H-E-B also says that service animals are not allowed to ride in shopping carts for hygiene and safety purposes.

Which Is Better for Employees?

H-E-B is better for most employees. It rates higher on salaries at a lower employment level and overall job satisfaction across positions. However, Kroger pays better in an upper management position but rates lower in job satisfaction.

To find out the average salary of employees in both companies, I took two common jobs – cashier and assistant manager – as representative jobs of the upper management and the regular employees.

Based on the projected average salaries on Indeed for the jobs mentioned above, Kroger pays better for upper management. In contrast, H-E-B pays better for non-salaried jobs.

According to employee reviews on Glassdoor, H-E-B rates higher than Kroger in the following categories: 

• Overall job satisfaction
• CEO approval
• Perks and benefits
• Work-life balance

H-E-B vs Kroger App

Between 2017 to 2019, H-E-B and Kroger released their new home-delivery apps, My H-E-B and Kroger App. Customers can search and purchase products from the store’s catalogue through these apps. These orders are then delivered to the customers’ homes.

I’ve taken a quick look at the My H-E-B and Kroger apps. The categories I looked at were Delivery/Shipping Options and User Friendliness.

Delivery/Shipping

Below is a glance at some of the delivery options for each app.

Pickup

Pickup is an option on both apps, wherein you can place an order through the app, opt for Pickup, and drive to the nearest store. An employee will meet you at your car with your order and load your bags outside the store. On the My H-E-B app, the option is known as Curbside Pickup.

Free Delivery

As of now, only Kroger offers free delivery. However, they don’t offer free delivery on all orders. In order to be eligible for this particular perk, you need to place an order totaling $35 or more. Anything less than $35 includes a delivery fee. 

Third-Party Delivery

Kroger offers third party delivery for all shoppers. Partner firms like Shipt and Instacart carry out third-party deliveries. Kroger also offers delivery through their own trained delivery persons in select regions. Check out their website for more information. 

Tipping

The My H-E-B app automatically calculates tipping for the driver at the checkout page. This is usually set at $5 or 5% of the total, whichever is more. You can manually adjust the tipping at the checkout page.

Kroger allows tipping for third party deliveries; however, it is not allowed for their own drivers.

User Friendliness

The My H-E-B app has a higher overall review on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Common problems with the Kroger app, according to reviews, are the lag and glitches/bugs in the app.

Both apps are fairly easy to use. You first need to create an account or sign in to an existing one. After that, you can browse products by category or use the search bar to look for specific brands.

You can check out how to use the Kroger App on this YouTube video from the Kroger channel.

If you want to know how to use the My H-E-B app, you can look at a similar YouTube video on the H-E-B channel.

Is H-E-B Part of Kroger?

H-E-B is not part of Kroger. Kroger was founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, while Florence Butt founded H-E-B (formerly C.C. Butt Grocery Store) in 1905. Both have been competing against each other since H-E-B’s inception.

Kroger is a larger public organisation with over 2800 stores across 35 states. On the other hand, H-E-B is a privately-owned company with over 340 stores in Texas and a couple of stores in New Mexico.

Final Thoughts

Both H-E-B and Kroger have their advantages, and the answer to “which is best” depends on your shopping preferences. Kroger is your best bet if you’re looking for more convenience and affordable products. However, if you want to support a family-owned business that treats its employees well and provides higher quality products, H-E-B is the place to go.