Trader Joe's has lost the top spot as America's favorite supermarket chain.
That's according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index Retail and Consumer Shipping Study. Despite receiving the same score it got in 2023, the Monrovia, Calif.-based supermarket is now in fourth place behind the three chains tied for first: Costco, Publix and H-E-B
Rounding out the top five is the Walmart-owned wholesale retailer Sam's Club.
The index gives chains a satisfaction score out of 100, based on factors including a store's layout and hours, merchandise selection, courtesy and helpfulness of staff as well as speed of the checkout process.
The scores were calculated based on interviews with 40,264 customers between January and December of 2023. Those customers were asked to evaluate their recent experiences at the nation's biggest chains.
Costco, Publix and H-E-B all scored 85 points this year, narrowly beating out Trader Joe's score of 84. Costco and H-E-B scored the highest when it came to value, while consumers rated Publix positively when it came to staff courtesy and store cleanliness, according to the study.
In an interview with Real Simple, ACSI director of research emeritus Forrest Morgeson said that customers were drawn to retailers that gave them the most bang for their buck.
"Leading up to the holiday season, consumers looking to stretch their dollars responded positively to discounters and retailers that excelled in sales and promotions or pumped more value into the experience through private label offerings," he said.
The overall supermarket category received a score of 79 thanks in part to slowing food inflation, according to the study. That's a 4% increase from last year's score.
These are the top 10 supermarket chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index:
- Costco (85 points)
- H-E-B (85 points)
- Publix (85 points)
- Trader Joe's (84 points)
- Sam's Club (83 points)
- BJ's Wholesale Club (82 points)
- Target (82 points)
- Wegmans (82 points)
- Whole Foods (82 points)
- Aldi (81 points)
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