
Consumer experience and satisfaction have been in decline over the past few years (well, duh) but it appears to have stabilized a bit, including within the supermarket category. This is all according to a new report from The American Customer Satisfaction Index, a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of quality for U.S. products and services.
The index used data from interviews with roughly 85,000 customers to compile a score between 1-100, rating grocers on everything from cleanliness to store layout and the quality of meat and produce. While the larger grocery category average score held steady at 78—following a two-year dip in score from 2016-2018—certain individual supermarket chains fared better than others in the report.
H-E-B, a privately owned supermarket chain with locations in Texas and Northern Mexico, took the top slot, tied with Trader Joe’s, whose founder passed away last weekend, and Northeast-based Wegman’s, all scoring an 84 on the index. These were followed by another three-way tie between ALDI, Costco, and Publix, who each racked up a respectable 83.
Down at the bottom of the index is national chain Albertsons and discount grocer Sav-A-Lot, which each scored a 75, with big-box superstore Walmart bringing up the rear, clocking in at 73. Whole Foods, now owned and operated by Amazon, landed in the middle of the pack, scoring a 79 for the second straight year, while BJ’s Wholesale makes the biggest jump, adding four points to its 2018 score.
Find the full Customer Satisfaction Index for U.S. supermarkets below.
- H-E-B – 84
- Trader Joe’s – 84
- Wegman’s – 84
- Aldi – 83
- Costco – 83
- Publix – 83
- BJ’s Wholesale Club – 82
- Sam’s Club – 80
- ShopRite – 80
- Kroger – 79
- Target – 79
- Whole Foods (Amazon) – 79
- Hy-Vee – 78
- Meijer – 78
- Ahold Delhaize – 77
- Giant Eagle – 76
- Southeastern Grocers – 76
- Supervalu – 76
- Albertsons Companies – 75
- Sav-A-Lot – 75
- Walmart – 73
Do you agree with these rankings? Let us know in the comments below.
Header image courtesy of Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury / Getty Images.