Frugal Shoppers Trust These 2 Grocery Stores Most

When it comes to affordable grocery shopping, two chains have swept the nation.

BrandSpark, a marketing research firm, completed a national survey of more than 26,000 American shoppers. It used that data to determine the winners of its 2024 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, including the best grocers for low prices. The chains that overpowered the rest in that category, BrandSpark writes, demonstrate the importance of committing to providing affordable solutions for consumers.

Following are the grocery stores that ranked in the top three for low prices in each region of the country, including the two that swept the No. 1 rankings. So if you’re looking for more affordable shopping options, you may want to join the thousands of customers who put their trust in these names.

Walmart

How this grocery chain ranked for low prices in each region of the U.S.:

• No. 2 in the Midwest
• No. 2 in the Northeast
• No. 1 in the South
• No. 1 in the West

Having opened its first store in 1962, Walmart has had six decades to expand its empire. It now has more than 4,000 stores in the U.S. and more than 5,000 abroad. In 2021, its global market share was 2.6%, a statement of its large success.

Aldi

How this grocery chain ranked for low prices in each region of the U.S.:

• No. 1 in the Midwest
• No. 1 in the Northeast
• No. 2 in the South
• N/A in the West

The Albrecht Family opened the world’s first discount grocery store in Germany before opening the first Aldi store in Iowa in 1976. The chain has since expanded, with locations in more than 30 states.

WinCo

How this grocery chain ranked for low prices in each region of the U.S.:

• N/A in the Midwest
• N/A in the Northeast
• N/A in the South
• No. 2 in the West

First, there was Waremart, which opened in 1967 and expanded into a small chain in the 1970s. But the company faced an uncertain future in the early 1980s after the founder died. Employees weren’t ready to let the chain go. So, Waremart’s employees established WinCo Foods’ employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) in 1985 and bought stakes in the company to keep it running. WinCo was born and became an employee-owned company.

Kroger

How this grocery chain ranked for low prices in each region of the U.S.:

• No. 3 in the Midwest
• N/A in the Northeast
• No. 3 in the South
• N/A in the West

In 1883, Barney Kroger took his life savings and opened a grocery store in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kroger now runs more than 2,700 stores in the U.S. — and you may not even know you’re shopping at one. The company behind Kroger stores, Kroger Co., also owns more than 20 other grocery store chains, including Ralphs, Smith’s and Harris Teeter.

ShopRite

How this grocery chain ranked for low prices in each region of the U.S.:

• N/A in the Midwest
• No. 3 in the Northeast
• N/A in the South
• N/A in the West

Eight mom-and-pop grocers decided to work together in 1940 to create Wakefern Food Corp., which oversees ShopRite. The founders believed in the power of operating under one name. Today, ShopRite is a cooperative with 50 member grocery store chains.