Ingles Markets

What Ingles Markets does

Ingles Markets, Incorporated is a publicly traded (NASDAQ: IMKTA) regional supermarket chain headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, founded in 1963 and operating approximately 197-198 stores across six southeastern US states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama) with a workforce of approximately 27,000 people. The company operates a vertically integrated grocery retail model anchored by its wholly-owned Milkco subsidiary, which processes milk and ice cream for private label distribution, alongside an in-house distribution network that supports supply chain control and product differentiation. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: in-store grocery and perishable sales (produce, meat, deli, bakery), in-store pharmacy services (prescription fulfillment, vaccinations, and medication management, nationally ranked #1 for personalized clinical care for three consecutive years), Gas Express fuel stations at select locations, and shareholder dividend distributions maintained for 40 consecutive years.

The technology stack centers on standard grocery retail infrastructure: the shop.ingles-markets.com e-commerce platform, iCurbside contactless curbside ordering, iOS and Android mobile apps with digital Load to Card coupons, and the Ingles Advantage Card loyalty program with weekly AdvantageMail email marketing. Customer acquisition relies on loyalty-driven repeat shopping, weekly digital circulars, social media presence, and community programs (notably the Tools for Schools initiative that has donated over $18.6 million since 1998). The company uses a dual-class share structure that concentrates board control with Chairman Robert P. Ingle, II, though activist investor Summer Road LLC secured a board seat at the April 2026 annual meeting via nominee Rory A. Held, with approximately 62% of outstanding shares voting in favor. Recent operational performance shows margin recovery with H1 FY2026 net income up 65.3% YoY and gross margin expanding to 24.9%, indicating an emerging turnaround after multi-year profitability compression.

Name

Ingles Markets

Legal name

Ingles Markets, Incorporated

Website

https://ingles-markets.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Ingles Markets is a publicly traded regional supermarket chain operating approximately 197-198 stores across six southeastern US states, serving consumers with groceries, pharmacy, fuel, and vertically integrated private-label dairy products through its Milkco subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket and Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Supermarket Operators with In-Store Foodservice/Prepared Foods Focus (CRAHAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bakery & Confectionery Wholesale (AFAIABAG), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Grocery retail stores
• Supermarket chain operations
• Pharmacy services
• Online grocery ordering
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Black Mountain

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grocery Retail Sales: Core revenue from selling food and non-food products through supermarket locations. Includes perishable departments (produce, meat, deli, bakery) and dry grocery goods.
2. Pharmacy Services: In-pharmacy services including prescription fills, vaccinations (flu, COVID-19), and medication management. Ranked #1 nationally for personalized medication management and clinical care.
3. Fuel Stations (Gas Express): Convenience fuel operations at select store locations, branded as Gas Express.
4. Dividend Payments: Quarterly cash dividends to shareholders. Has maintained dividend payments for 40 consecutive years. Quarterly dividend of $0.165 per Class A share and $0.15 per Class B share.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ingles Markets operates 197-198 company-owned supermarkets across six southeastern U.S. states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama), selling groceries, fresh produce, meat, deli, and bakery items. The company also operates in-store pharmacies, Gas Express fuel stations, and an iCurbside online ordering platform with contactless curbside pickup, supported by the Ingles Advantage Card loyalty program and a wholly-owned Milkco dairy and ice cream processing subsidiary.

Product overview

Ingles Markets operates as a regional supermarket chain with a vertically integrated business model. The core offering consists of 197 retail supermarket locations across six southeastern states, supplemented by proprietary brands (Milkco for dairy/ice cream), the Ingles Advantage Card loyalty program with digital Load to Card coupons, iCurbside online ordering with curbside pickup, and a pharmacy division. The company's digital ecosystem includes the main website for store information and savings, the shop.ingles-markets.com e-commerce platform for online ordering, the ingles-pharmacy.com pharmacy portal for prescription management, the jobs.inglescareers.com career portal, and the Ingles Table content platform featuring recipes and the digital magazine. Community programs include Tools for Schools fundraising and regular community giving initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Milkco: Milk and ice cream processing subsidiary providing vertical integration for the supermarket chain
• Ingles Advantage Card
• iCurbside
• Gas Express

Products and services

• Ingles Supermarkets Regional supermarket chain operating 197-198 stores across six southeastern U.S. states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama), offering groceries, fresh produce, meat, deli, bakery, and household items for everyday consumers.
• Ingles Pharmacy In-store pharmacy services including prescription fills, vaccinations (flu and COVID-19), medication management, and clinical care. Nationally ranked #1 for personalized medication management and clinical care for three consecutive years.
• iCurbside Online Ordering with Curbside Pickup Online grocery ordering service with contactless curbside pickup at local Ingles store locations. Customers order via shop.ingles-markets.com and pick up at their store parking lot with a minimum purchase threshold.
• Gas Express Fuel Stations Convenience fuel operations branded as Gas Express at select Ingles store locations, providing on-site fuel purchases for supermarket customers.
• Milkco Milk and Ice Cream Vertically integrated milk and ice cream processing subsidiary that produces private label dairy products distributed across Ingles supermarkets, enabling supply chain integration and product differentiation.
• Ingles Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable for purchases at Ingles supermarkets and online, available for purchase in-store and online.
• Ingles Bakery (Cakes and Cookies) Fresh in-store bakery department offering custom cakes, cookies, and baked goods with online ordering available for special occasion items.
• Ingles Deli Party Trays and Catering Deli department offering party trays, platters, and catering services including own-brand and Boar's Head products for events and gatherings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Donated over $18.6 million to schools since 1998 through Tools for Schools program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Publix Super Markets: Employee-owned regional supermarket chain operating across the southeastern US, including overlapping states (NC, SC, GA, TN, VA, FL, AL). Directly comparable in store format, fresh/perishable focus, in-store pharmacy, and loyalty program strategy.
• Food Lion (Ahold Delhaize USA): Regional supermarket banner of Ahold Delhaize operating heavily across the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee — direct geographic overlap with Ingles' core footprint and similar value-oriented grocery positioning.
• Harris Teeter (Kroger): Upscale regional supermarket chain concentrated in the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. Comparable store format, in-store pharmacy, fresh departments, and VIP loyalty program — overlapping customer base with Ingles.
• Winn-Dixie (SEG Grocers): Southeastern-focused regional supermarket chain with overlapping stores in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and the Carolinas. Similar value-oriented positioning and pharmacy offerings.

Broad incumbents

• The Kroger Co. Largest pure-play US supermarket operator with national scale, private label, fuel, pharmacy, and digital ordering. Competes with Ingles across all six of its southeastern states through both corporate and banner stores (including Harris Teeter).
• Walmart: Largest US grocer by sales; competes with Ingles on price, assortment, and increasingly on curbside pickup/delivery across every state Ingles operates in. Sets the competitive pricing floor for the region.
• Wegmans Food Markets: Large regional supermarket chain known for fresh/perishable excellence, in-store pharmacy, and digital ordering. Limited geographic overlap with Ingles today, but entering the southeastern US, posing future competitive risk.

Regional players

• Piggly Wiggly (C&S Wholesale Grocers): Licensed supermarket brand with concentration in the southeastern US and Midwest, supplied by C&S Wholesale. Comparable format and regional overlap, though franchised model differs from Ingles' corporate structure.

Emerging players

• Sprouts Farmers Market: Specialty natural/organic grocery chain growing into the southeastern US. Not a direct competitor on price but increasingly draws fresh, perimeter-of-store share from regional supermarkets like Ingles.
• Aldi US: Hard-discount grocer aggressively expanding stores across the southeast. Competes with Ingles on price for staples and private label, though with limited fresh/perishable breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inglesadvantage
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/INGMARKETS
• Facebookfacebook.com/inglesmarkets
• Instagraminstagram.com/InglesMarkets
• Pinterestpinterest.com/inglesmarkets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ingles-markets-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ingles Markets