King Soopers
King Soopers is a Kroger-owned supermarket chain serving Colorado and nearby parts of the Rocky Mountain region.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
King Soopers is an American supermarket brand concentrated in Colorado and associated with the Rocky Mountain region. It operates conventional grocery stores as well as larger Marketplace locations and Fresh Fare-format stores. The chain is headquartered in Denver and has its strongest presence along Colorado’s Front Range, extending from the Cheyenne, Wyoming, area south through the Denver metropolitan region and toward Pueblo. It also has stores in selected foothill communities west of Denver and Colorado Springs, together with one location in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The chain was established by Lloyd J. King with Charles W. Houchens and Robert C. Loury. Its name combines the King family name with “Soopers,” an alternate rendering of “super” associated with the Archie comics that was familiar to one of King’s sons. The business expanded from its initial store into a regional grocery operation serving the Denver area and Colorado Springs. During its early development, King Soopers became known for adopting supermarket features that were relatively advanced for the period, including an in-store pharmacy and, within its first several years, a meat department. King Soopers changed ownership as it grew. Dillon Companies acquired the chain in 1957, after which the original store was moved from Olde Town Arvada to Arvada Plaza. Dillon Companies was subsequently acquired by The Kroger Company during 1982–1983. King Soopers remained a distinct consumer-facing banner within Kroger’s portfolio, alongside other regional supermarket names including Dillon’s. Kroger later used King Soopers to introduce expanded store concepts in Colorado. In 2012, the company opened its first Fresh Fare King Soopers in Englewood. The Fresh Fare approach places greater emphasis on organic foods, fresh products, and a somewhat more upscale presentation while continuing to offer ordinary household groceries. That same year, the first King Soopers Marketplace opened. Based on the broader Marketplace model associated with Kroger and Fred Meyer, these stores offer a wider assortment than a standard supermarket, extending beyond food into additional household and general-merchandise categories. By 2017, ten King Soopers Marketplace stores were reported in Colorado. The chain’s retail offer includes fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli items, packaged groceries, frozen food, beverages, health and beauty products, household goods, pharmacy services, and fuel or other ancillary services where available. Fresh Fare locations emphasize organic and specialty selections, while Marketplace stores provide a larger general assortment. Exact offerings vary by store format and location. As of June 2025, King Soopers operated 120 locations. All but one were in Colorado, with the remaining store in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The brand continues to function as a regional Kroger supermarket banner rather than as a separately listed company. Its identity is closely tied to Colorado grocery retail, local store coverage, and the practical combination of conventional supermarket shopping with selected upscale, pharmacy, and general-merchandise formats.
History
King Soopers developed as a regional supermarket chain in the Rocky Mountain United States, with its center of gravity in Colorado. Lloyd J. King founded the business with Charles W. Houchens and Robert C. Loury. The name refers to the King family name and to “Soopers,” a playful spelling of “super” linked in the company’s origin story to the Archie comics read by one of King’s sons. The first King Soopers store was opened in Arvada, Colorado. That original location was later demolished, and an Arvada public library was built on the site in 2005–2006. As the chain expanded, it established a significant presence in the Denver metropolitan area and Colorado Springs. Its early development included supermarket innovations such as an in-store pharmacy and a meat department, helping it evolve beyond a small grocery outlet into a more complete food-shopping destination. Dillon Companies acquired King Soopers in 1957. Following the acquisition, the original store was relocated from Olde Town Arvada to Arvada Plaza. The chain continued operating under the King Soopers name while becoming part of Dillon’s broader business interests. In 1982–1983, The Kroger Company acquired Dillon Companies. This placed King Soopers within Kroger’s national portfolio of regional supermarket banners. The brand retained its local identity and store presence even though strategic ownership, purchasing scale, and corporate oversight became connected to Kroger. Kroger subsequently introduced new store formats under the King Soopers banner. In 2012, the first Fresh Fare King Soopers opened in Englewood, Colorado. Fresh Fare was designed as a somewhat more upscale supermarket concept, with increased attention to organic products and fresh-food presentation while preserving the conventional grocery assortment expected from a full-service supermarket. Also in 2012, King Soopers opened its first Marketplace store. The Marketplace format was influenced by Kroger’s larger-format strategy and the Fred Meyer model, offering food alongside a broader range of household necessities and general merchandise. Ten King Soopers Marketplace locations were reported in Colorado by 2017. The modern chain is geographically concentrated rather than nationally distributed. Stores run along much of Colorado’s Front Range, from the vicinity of Cheyenne in the north through Denver and south toward Pueblo. Additional locations serve foothill communities west of Denver and Colorado Springs. By June 2025, the chain operated 120 locations, with all but one in Colorado; the exception was in Cheyenne, Wyoming. King Soopers’ history also includes events affecting the wider public rather than changes to the retail proposition. A store in Boulder’s Table Mesa neighborhood was the location of a mass shooting on March 22, 2021. In 2022, Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons created a major regulatory and political issue for the parent company and its banners. Several states challenged the plan, and Colorado’s attorney general expressed concerns about possible store closures, higher prices, job losses, reduced customer service, and weaker supply-chain resilience. These developments placed King Soopers within broader debates about supermarket consolidation, even though the brand itself remains a regional Kroger banner.
- 2025
Reported network reaches 120 locations
[1]As of June 2025, King Soopers is reported to operate 120 stores, primarily in Colorado and with one location in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
- 2022
Kroger and Albertsons announce proposed combination
[1]Kroger and Albertsons announce a merger agreement that leads to opposition and legal challenges by several states.
- 2021
Boulder Table Mesa store shooting
[1]A King Soopers store in Boulder’s Table Mesa neighborhood is the site of a mass shooting on March 22.
- 2012
First Fresh Fare King Soopers opens
[1]Kroger introduces the Fresh Fare concept to King Soopers with a store in Englewood, Colorado.
- 2012
First King Soopers Marketplace opens
[1]The first King Soopers Marketplace store opens, adding a broader general-merchandise assortment to the supermarket banner.
- 1982
Kroger acquires Dillon Companies
[1]The Kroger Company begins the acquisition of Dillon Companies during 1982–1983, bringing King Soopers into the Kroger group.
- 1957
Acquisition by Dillon Companies
[1]Dillon Companies acquires King Soopers as the chain expands in the Denver area and Colorado Springs.
First King Soopers store opens in Arvada
[1]Lloyd J. King, Charles W. Houchens, and Robert C. Loury establish the first King Soopers store in Arvada, Colorado.
Early adoption of pharmacy and meat-department services
[1]Within its early growth period, King Soopers becomes one of the first grocery chains in the United States to operate an in-store pharmacy and is among the early supermarkets to add a meat department.
Products and positioning
A regional full-service supermarket chain positioned around convenient grocery shopping in Colorado, with Kroger-backed scale and additional Fresh Fare and Marketplace formats for organic, specialty, and general-merchandise assortments.
Supermarket grocery retail
Standard King Soopers supermarkets
The core King Soopers format provides full-service grocery shopping, including produce, meat, seafood, bakery, deli, packaged groceries, frozen foods, beverages, household goods, and personal-care products. Store-level assortments and ancillary services vary by location.
Upscale supermarket format · 2012
Fresh Fare King Soopers
Fresh Fare King Soopers is a format introduced to provide a more upscale presentation and a stronger emphasis on fresh, organic, and specialty foods while retaining the everyday grocery categories associated with the main banner. The first reported location opened in Englewood, Colorado, in 2012.
Supermarket and general merchandise · 2012
King Soopers Marketplace
Marketplace stores extend the conventional supermarket assortment with a wider selection of household necessities and general merchandise. The format reflects Kroger’s larger-store strategy and the influence of the Fred Meyer model. The first King Soopers Marketplace opened in 2012.
Pharmacy service
King Soopers pharmacy
In-store pharmacy departments form part of the chain’s full-service supermarket proposition. Pharmacy service was also an early feature in King Soopers’ development, when the chain became one of the first grocery businesses in the United States to operate an in-store pharmacy.
Brand decisions
2022
Proposed Kroger–Albertsons mergerM&ABackground
Kroger and Albertsons announced a proposed combination that would affect major supermarket operations, including the competitive environment surrounding Kroger banners such as King Soopers.
Action taken
The parent companies signed a merger agreement. Several states challenged the plan in court, citing potential effects on competition, prices, employment, store operations, and supply chains.
Aftermath
The proposal became the subject of regulatory and legal opposition. Colorado’s attorney general publicly summarized concerns about store closures, higher prices, fewer jobs, weaker customer service, and less resilient supply chains.
2012
Expansion into the Fresh Fare formatProduct launchBackground
Kroger was extending its Fresh Fare supermarket concept to regional banners, with an emphasis on organic and fresh foods and a more upscale shopping environment.
Action taken
King Soopers opened its first Fresh Fare location in Englewood, Colorado.
Aftermath
The Fresh Fare concept became one of the formats used within the King Soopers network, alongside conventional stores and Marketplace locations.
2012
Launch of King Soopers MarketplaceProduct launchBackground
Kroger was developing larger supermarket formats influenced by Fred Meyer and its own Marketplace stores, combining food with broader household and general-merchandise categories.
Action taken
King Soopers opened its first Marketplace store in Colorado.
Aftermath
Ten King Soopers Marketplace locations were reported in Colorado by 2017.
Recent events
King Soopers workers strike over wages[2]
Reported:
More than 8,000 workers at nearly 80 King Soopers stores went on strike over wages as negotiations stalled. Kroger said it brought in workers from across the country and hired temporary staff to limit the strike's impact.
Kroger and ClusterTruck launch delivery-kitchen partnership[3]
Kroger and ClusterTruck launched a partnership to offer freshly prepared meals through delivery-only kitchens, with an initial rollout in Indiana, Ohio, and Denver.
Sources4 sources
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