Do you have a favorite grocery chain you do all your shopping at? Or do you choose where you shop based on which stores have the best prices? A new study from Solitaired has determined both the best and worst grocery store chains, along with the worst individual grocery stores across the country. The results may surprise you.
For the study, Solitaire compared Google reviews from the 100 most populated cities in the United States in 2023, focusing on the first 30 grocery store results in each city. They used these 3,000 individual grocery store review pages in order to determine where certain grocery stores stood out or fell short for their customer service, prices, speed of checkout lines and food quality. Here’s what they found.
Best grocery chains
Starting off on a positive note, these are the best grocery store chains across the country, along with their average star rating.
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- 1. Trader Joes: 4.638
- 2. Costco: 4.600
- 3. Wegmans: 4.600
- 4. Publix: 4.510
- 5. Central Market: 4.491
- 6. HEB: 4.478
- 7. WinCo Foods: 4.464
- 8. Lidl: 4.443
- 9. Aldi: 4.439
- 10. The Fresh Market: 4.433
When comparing the top individual grocery stores in the U.S., nine out of ten were Trader Joe's. Coming in second place was Central Market in Fort Worth, TX. Based on the results above, your nearest Trader Joe’s is probably one of your best options when it comes to grocery shopping. However, while you’ll likely have a positive customer experience at Trader Joe’s, you may find it lacking on one department — produce. According to Eat This Not That, several customers have issues with Trader Joe’s produce section, encouraging shoppers to focus on TJ’s frozen foods and to go elsewhere to buy their fresh vegetables. Additionally, they found that assessments of Costco’s produce were divisive, citing both positive and negative reviews.
Before you go: check out these 18 things you should know before shopping at Trader Joe’s.
Worst grocery chains
On the other hand, these are the grocery chains that ranked at the bottom of the list, along with their average star rating.
- 1. King Soopers: 3.938
- 2. Save A Lot: 4.019
- 3. Kroger: 4.023 stars
- 4. Walmart: 4.024
- 5. Giant Eagle: 4.040
- 6. ACME: 4.063
- 7. Safeway: 4.071
- 8. Piggly Wiggly: 4.075
- 9. Jewel-Osco: 4.140
- 10. Fred Meyer: 4.170
When looking at the top worst specific grocery stores across the country, six out of ten are Walmart locations, although Giant Eagle Supermarket in Pittsburgh, PA was found to be the worst store overall. Safeway in Denver, CO also made the list, as did Kroger in Columbus, OH.
Although the low prices may be attractive to many customers, Walmart scored the top spot on Eat This Not That's list of worst grocery chains for fresh produce, and was on the bottom of the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranking of general merchandise retailers for 2023.
Meanwhile, grocery prices continue to rise, making it even more frustrating for shoppers dealing with poor store conditions. Essentials like eggs, dairy and meat have seen price hikes, forcing consumers to stretch their budgets further. If you're looking for ways to cut food costs, check out Egg Prices Soar: Use These Cards to Lower Food Costs for credit card strategies that can help you save.
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