CINCINNATI, OH - The grocery market in Houston, Texas, is reportedly turning into an aggressive competition for consumer attention, and Kroger Co. sees this as a prime opportunity to invest in further expansion.

"We’ve got a very aggressive plan," Bill Breetz, Kroger's Southwest Division President, told the Houston Business Journal’s Roxanna Asgarian. "We’re going to spend north of $500 million in just the next three years. That’s a significant investment — that’s unheard of in other markets, those kind of numbers."

According to Asgarian’s report, Kroger has expansion plans in Houston alone that include both renovations of current stores as well as the additions of new ones.

Kroger now has plans set in motion for five new locations in the Houston area, an investment of about $162 million, this year, and seven more next year. The store locations already going up will be located in:

• Katy, Texas
• Huntsville, Texas
• Cypress, Texas
• Clute, Texas
• Baytown, Texas

As for remodeling, more than 30 stores are reportedly getting a facelift over the next couple of years.

Breeze told the Houston Business Journal that business is good, stating that the area is one of the most competitive markets in the U.S. because “everybody’s here.” Retailers in the area include Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Wal-Mart, Aldi, and H-E-B.

The good news that comes with that though, according to Breeze, is the local economy is very strong, therefore there's been a tremendous amount of job growth over the last couple of years.

AndNowUKnow will continue to update you on this competitive market as it develops.

Kroger Co.