The Impressive Accolade Trader Joe's Holds Over Its Competition

Trader Joe's makes its mark with its persistently cheap prices, charmingly quirky aesthetic, and fantastic customer service. Even its stubborn refusal to jump on bandwagons like offering self-checkout aisles or grocery delivery hasn't deterred us from our weekly stop. But perhaps the most noteworthy way it has set itself apart? By snagging the acclaimed accolade of the USA's No. 1 favorite grocery store.

While certain retailers indisputably reign supreme in other regions of the country — like Publix in the Southeast and the Wegmans in the Northeast — across the board, Trader Joe's is the top dog of all major retailers according to an 2025 study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Many of America's best-known retailers ranked high on the scale of 100 possible points, but Trader Joe's clocked in at a very impressive 84. Technically, Trader Joe's shares this illustrious first place ranking with Publix. But considering Publixes are only regionally located in Southern states, and foodies living in most areas of the country can shop at Trader Joe's, it's safe to say TJ's is on top nationally. 

The ACSI also keeps tabs on how popularity of each retailer ebbs and flows from year to year. Trader Joe's held steady with a 0% change from 2024 to 2025, unlike other stores that jumped around quite a bit on the list.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index is a method of reporting on customer satisfaction across a wide range of industries — not just grocery store popularity. It also looks at travel, government, retail, and restaurants. The goal is to help leaders and decision-makers across industries improve their shoppers' experiences.

For this report, the ACSI considered many factors, including the visuals of the store, the quality of items themselves, user experience, and the store hours. 18 factors in total contribute to each store's overall score. This includes categories Trader Joe's couldn't possibly have ranked high in, like pharmacy offerings, ease of pickup process, ability to provide brand names, and other offerings that Trader Joe's famously eschews.

The report doesn't reveal how each retailer ranked in all 18 categories or how each is weighed compared to the total score. But we'd have to guess Trader Joe's was able to pull ahead and snag the top spot by making up for these lost points in other categories related to quality, freshness, layout, cleanliness, and staff helpfulness. So whether you visit TJ's primarily for the low prices, the in-demand cult favorite items, or its certain je ne sais quoi that sets it apart from the others, you're in good company when it comes to your love of Trader Joe's.