This Is 2025's Most Trusted Grocery Store In The Entire US (And It's Not Costco)

Trader Joe's has taken the number one spot in the 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100, earning the chain the title of America's most trusted grocery store. Trader Joe's scored an 82.1 on the poll, just narrowly beating Patagonia's score of 82 and Costco's score of 80.6 (the second best grocery store). Moreover, this was a significant improvement from the year prior with Trader Joe's increasing its score by 3.5 points.

Americans were surveyed three times to rate various companies. Trader Joe's consistent focus on unique offerings coupled with friendly service helped preserve its strong public image, even amid minor food safety and workplace concerns earlier in 2025. Shoppers continue to praise the chain for its affordable selections (including some of Trader Joe's best sauces), seasonal items, and quirky packaging that keeps customers coming back. Additionally, the chain's ability to balance value and variety with a positive shopping experience (consider Trader Joe's gift card policies) has clearly resonated with many consumers across the country, cementing its top spot in the poll. With that mind, it's easy to see why Trader Joe's has such a good reputation. If you plan on shopping there soon, keep an eye out for the best Trader Joe finds of Summer 2025.

The Axios Harris Poll 100 uses a three survey system that has been successfully used since 1999. During the 2025 ranking, it was built from a representative online sample with the first survey asking around 6,000 Americans to name the two companies they believe have the best and worst reputations. These responses were used to compile a list of the 100 most visible brands in the country. The second survey asked respondents to rate two of the visible brands they were familiar with across several different key reputation dimensions. These responses were used to generate the company's Reputational Quotient score, which determines the companies ranking. The final survey asked respondents about topics concerning brands and politics. The Axios poll tests its accuracy using a Bayesian credible interval and reports a 95% confidence level within +/- 2.5 percentage points per wave of surveys.