America Has a New Favorite Grocery Store

Move over, Trader Joe’s.

Wegmans is now America’s favorite grocery store, according to a recent survey of more than 10,000 consumers. It was conducted by market research company Market Force Information.

This was the first time in four years that Trader Joe’s did not rank No. 1.

The rankings are based on how survey participants rated their satisfaction with their most recent grocery shopping experience, and how likely they are to refer other people to that grocery store. Results were then averaged to come up with one score for each chain.

Wegmans took the top spot with a score of 76 percent, followed closely by Publix with a score of 75 percent. Trader Joe’s came in No. 3 this year, earning a score of 73 percent.

Market Force describes Wegmans as being known for its fresh produce, reasonable prices and large store, saying:

The Rochester, New York-based chain is expanding modestly, but steadily, and winning over more devoted customers along the way. Its focus on employee training to ensure customers have the best experience has been a winning strategy that creates superfans eager for a new location to open near their home.

The findings of the Market Force survey track closely with those of a separate supermarket survey conducted by Consumer Reports’ last year. In that survey, Wegmans also took the No. 1 spot, while Publix and Trader Joe’s shared the No. 2 spot.

The rankings of all 15 stores in the Market Force Information survey are:

1. Wegmans
2. Publix Super Markets
3. Trader Joe’s
4. Hy-Vee
5. Aldi
6. Costco
7. H-E-B
8. Kroger
9. WinCo Foods
10. ShopRite
11. Meijer
12. Giant Food Stores
13. Safeway
14. Stop & Shop
15. Walmart

Market Force’s survey also found that print circulars and grocery apps are popular money-saving tools among shoppers.

Circulars are so popular that 79 percent of survey participants said they plan their shopping trips based on what is in them.

Meanwhile, approximately half of survey respondents said they used a grocery app in the previous 90 days. Apps offered by specific grocery chains were most popular among survey participants.

By contrast, a nominal amount of participants use third-party grocery apps such as Checkout 51, SavingStar and Yummly.

Consumers primarily use grocery apps to:

• Obtain coupons
• Scan bar codes
• Compare prices and availability

To learn more about these types of apps, check out “9 Ways Your Phone Can Slash Grocery Costs.”

To learn more about saving money at the grocery store, check out “25 Ways to Spend Less on Food” and “6 Secret Places to Find Coupons for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.”

Which grocery store chain would you rank as No. 1? Sound off in our Forums. It’s the place where you can speak your mind, explore topics in-depth, and post questions and get answers.