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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
A shopping trolley with food sits parked in an aisle as customers shop at a supermarket in Nice, France.

A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organised into departments. It is larger in size and has a wider selection than a traditional grocery store, also selling items typically found in a convenience store, but is smaller and more limited in the range of merchandise than a hypermarket or big-box store.

Let's have a look at some of the retail giants in the world.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
A shopper carries her purchases from Walmart Neighborhood Market in Chicago.

1. Wal-Mart (United States)

The world's largest retail company, Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Incorporated on October 31, 1969, Walmart has 8,500 stores in 15 countries.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
A customer pushes a shopping trolley down an aisle at Carrefour Planet supermarket in Nice, France.

2. Carrefour (France)

Carrefour S.A. headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France, opened on January 1, 1958, in suburban Annecy.

The group was built by Marcel Fournier, Denis Defforey and Jacques Defforey. In 1995 it merged with Promodes, known as Continent, one of its major competitors in the French market.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
A shopper stands near bottles of alcohol at a supermarket in Kiev, Ukraine.

3. Metro (Germany)

Founded in 1964, Metro AG is a diversified retail and wholesale/cash and carry group based in Dusseldorf, Germany. It has the largest market share in its home market.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
Man passes a branch of the Tesco supermarket in central London.

4. Tesco (United Kingdom)

Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom.

Founded in 1919, it has stores in 14 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
An employee packs the bag for a custumer at the cash desk of a Lidl supermarket in Zurich.

5. Lidl Stiftung and Co (Germany)

Founded in the 1930s by a member of the Schwarz family, Lidl stores are present across 20 countries in Europe.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
Women buy bread in a supermarket in Bucharest, Romania.

6. The Kroger Co (US)

Founded in 1883, The Kroger Co is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. As of 2010, Kroger has 3,619 stores.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
A man checks for prices in a supermarket in Rome.

7. Costco (US)

Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. Costco is also one of the largest retailers of fine wine.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
Shoppers at a supermarket in Shanghai.

8. Aldi (Germany)

Albrecht Discount (Aldi), is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany started by brothers Karl Albrecht and Theo Albrecht.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
Cristal Lubbers, garden receiver, straightens merchandise in the garden centre at a Home Depot store in Westminister, Colorado.

9. Home Depot (United States)

The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. It has stores in 2,248 locations.

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Top 10 supermarket giants in the world

Last updated on: August 29, 2012 11:06 IST
Shoppers checkout at a Target store in Virginia.

10. Target Corp (United States)

Founded in 1902 as Dayton Dry Goods, Target Corporation is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, after Walmart.