[PaulDavisThe1st]

Actually, the one example you've picked there (grocery stores/supermarkets) is quite a bad one. There are very few national supermarkets in the US. Ironically, Whole Foods Market (now owned by Amazon) is as close as any to this title. Safeway may once have been widespread, but in terms of stores bearing that brand (as opposed to be owned by the company), there are not many Safeways anymore.

Instead, there are regional supermarket chains, some of which branch out a little into areas where they are not the dominant store.

Examples:

Albertsons: mostly in the western states

HEB: Texas only

Publix: southern states (all the way down to Key West)

Piggly Wiggly: hard to describe, but mostly a stripe running up through the midwest

Fairway: NYC, NJ and almost nowhere else

Now, had you written that about, say drug stores, it would be more true. Everywhere you go it will either be a CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreens. There are independents, but these 3 dominate the entire country, with some regional focus, but always a national reach.

[lhorie]

Trader Joes has a pretty wide presence across the country (in 43 out of 50 states). And while they're not supermarkets per se, Walmart and Target have also got into groceries in recent years. There's also Costco in a similar boat.

[degenerate]

Trader joes is the best example of homogenous because they sell mostly their own brand cross-country, so local stock doesn't dictate what is available on the shelf. The prices remain static across most of their stores as well (for most items) which is a HUGE reason why New York and Cali folks love shopping there.

[bombcar]

And there are regional brands in many areas - just below Subway and McDonalds you’ll find things like Culver’s or Jack in the Box or In-n-Out - regional. Gas stations and restaurants are often regional, especially as cuisine varies.

Of course you can find McDonalds everywhere but you’ll find those in Europe, also.

I think the main thing that makes it feel superficially homogeneous is the shared language - which is now even more shared since the advent of Hollywood and national entertainment.

[vitus]

While Albertsons itself might be mostly in western states, the parent company owns plenty of other chains in other states, e.g. Safeway or Jewel-Osco. These chains all run the same promotions, carry the same generic brands, etc.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

Thanks. I didn't realize that the parent company of Safeway had gobbled up Albertsons as well. Good to know.

[vitus]

It was actually the other way around. :)

[bluedino]

Is Walmart not a national supermarket?