Ralphs

The oldest grocer west of the Mississippi, Ralphs Grocery Company runs about 255 Ralphs supermarkets in Southern California, where it's one of the top food retailers, along with Safeway-owned Vons and Stater Bros. About a dozen stores in upscale neighborhoods fly the Ralphs Fresh Fare banner. The company also runs some 115 warehouse-style stores under the Food 4 Less and Foods Co. banners in California. Ralphs closed about 20 stores in Southern and Central California in 2005, citing poor performance, and in 2006 began closing or selling stores in Northern California, including the last of its stores in the Sacramento area. Founded in 1873, Ralphs became a division of Kroger, the US's #1 grocery chain, in 1999.