These were Denver's top grocery stores by market share in 2023

Data: Chain Store Guide; Note: Stores under the same brand name have been combined, e.g. Walmart and Walmart Supercenter; Chart: Axios Visuals

King Soopers, the Kroger-owned supermarket, rules the throne in Denver, according to new data from Chain Store Guide, a sales-tracking firm.

The big picture: The state's largest grocery store chain, which is headquartered in Denver, has worn the crown for at least six straight years .

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By the numbers: King Soopers made up 36% of the market share in 2023, up 3 percentage points compared to the previous year.

• Walmart and Safeway were the second- and third-most popular grocers — but, even together, fell short of King Soopers' share at about 28%.

State of play: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is suing to block Kroger's nearly $25 billion merger with Albertsons because he says it reduces head-to-head competition and would give Kroger an unfair 50% of the market share statewide.

• He has been leading a multi-state investigation for years and is the second to sue following Washington.