Walmart may rule the world in revenue, but American shoppers still don’t rank it first when it comes to satisfaction. A different big-box store is winning over more customers — though the gap is narrowing.
The findings come from the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s Retail and Consumer Shipping Study 2026, which is based on over 31,000 completed surveys. Shoppers were contacted at random and asked to rate their recent experiences with the country’s largest retailers on a 100-point scale.
How the big-box stores ranked
Here’s how the four major “hypermarkets” — meaning stores that combine a department store and a supermarket under one roof — stacked up in 2026 along with their scores on a 100-point scale:
- Fred Meyer: 82 — up from 75 in 2025
- Meijer: 81 — up from 76 in 2025
- Target: 78 — down from 80 in 2025
- Walmart: 76 — up from 73 in 2025
Fred Meyer, a Kroger-owned chain with locations primarily in the Pacific Northwest, made the biggest jump of any hypermarket this year. A series of store renovations in 2025 drove gains in the in-store experience, pushing it to the top of the category.
Meijer, a family-operated chain with more than 500 locations across the Midwest, also moved up sharply. The company invested in technology to expand home delivery and simplify in-store pickup, which improved order fulfillment accuracy and mobile app performance in the eyes of customers.
What’s happening with Target and Walmart
Last year, Target took the top spot, but this year it slipped 3%. The retail giant has 2,000 locations across America this year but still outranks Walmart, which runs over 4,600 U.S. stores and has held the bottom spot among hypermarkets for the last two years.
That said, Walmart’s 3-point gain is worth noting. The company has been redesigning stores — adding new signage, expanding selection and improving online pickup and delivery — and customers are responding.
Walmart also remains No. 1 in the world by revenue. Customer satisfaction and sales volume don’t always move together.
The broader takeaway from the 2026 ACSI study is that convenience is increasingly driving satisfaction. Retailers that invest in in-store pickup, mobile apps and order accuracy are the ones gaining ground, regardless of size.
Shoppers are more cost-conscious, which poses a challenge for retailers, says Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI. Morgeson notes in a summary of the findings:
“These individuals are starting holiday shopping earlier, avoiding last-minute splurges, and trading down to discount and thrift options to stretch every dollar. Together, these shifts are tightening the field between retail winners and laggards and rewarding brands that deliver clear value and a smooth experience online and in store.”
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