Business phone system for supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee

How many supermarkets and grocery stores operate in Tennessee

The Census Bureau counted 1,077 supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 445110). They employed 53,032 people in mid-March and reported $1.5 billion in annual payroll. That is the 16th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Supermarkets and grocery stores make up 0.72% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 14.9 supermarkets and grocery stores, 19.5% below the national rate of 18.5. The average establishment has 49.2 employees against 44.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $27,723, 7.0% below the U.S. figure of $29,817.

Where supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee are concentrated

Census published grocery store counts for 27 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Nashville, TN, with 314 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 65% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee

23.2% of Tennessee's supermarkets and grocery stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 32.9% nationally. 32.1% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Calls a grocery store in Tennessee has to catch

Independent grocers take calls about stock, deli and bakery orders, and departments need calls routed to them. Holiday orders bring call peaks. That holds for supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee:

• A customer calls about hours.
• A customer calls to order a holiday platter from the deli.
• The store calls a customer when an order is ready.

Business texting for supermarkets and grocery stores

Grocers text order-ready notices.

Texting from a local number in Tennessee requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Phone system pricing for a 49-person grocery store

Supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee average 49.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 49-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $1,222.55 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $1,470.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $979.00 a month for 49 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $5,892 less than RingCentral for a grocery store in Tennessee of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Tennessee

Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a grocery store can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for supermarkets and grocery stores in Tennessee

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Tennessee is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.