The Cincinnati-based chain has been growing rapidly over the years, including a 2013 acquisition of another chain, Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc., and executives said this week that the company has a vested interest in expanding into a new market, though they weren’t specific about which.

One version of the theory has Kroger buying Bi-Lo/Winn-Dixie, the grocery chains held by Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers LLC since September 2013.

Florida makes sense for a Kroger expansion in a lot of ways, according to some retail analysts.

In 2014, the Sunshine State surpassed New York as the third-largest state by population. Florida is a top tourism destination, too, for part-time residents who are loyal to the chains they know from the Midwest, Northeast and elsewhere. Florida also is home to educated and savvy consumers who cross-shop now more than ever, said Jeff Green, retail analyst who’s familiar with the Southwest Florida market.

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