11 Best Grocery Stores In America

The 11 best grocery stores in America are a combination of the perfect shopping experience, comprising comprehensive collections of products for sale, staff friendliness, good quality products at affordable prices, efficient checkout facilities, store appearance, and much more.

Groceries are an essential item on one’s shopping list, the demand for which is never going to slow down even during a recession. There has been a shift in how groceries are shopped for in the present day. According to Cowen & Co., about 12% of U.S shoppers bought their groceries online in 2016. Today’s generation suffers from a lack of time in their lives and therefore prefers to choose convenience and means that are more efficient and time-saving. Online shopping for groceries is the best answer to this problem. The 11 best grocery stores in America have realized this and are, therefore, expanding their line of business into the e-commerce space.

You might also like to check out our list of the 11 largest grocery chains by revenue in America.

According to a report, American consumers will spend more than $100 billion on food items online by 2025, with online grocery sales being set to capture 20% of the market by that time. Some of the large grocery stores like Kroger Company (NYSE:KR) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) are already expanding their e-commerce reach. Wal-Mart is the biggest player in the U.S, commanding over 17% marketshare of food and beverage retail sales. Wal-Mart, Kroger and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) are expected to become the top three players in the $900 billion grocery market by 2021, according to Cowen & Co.

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Stores like Amazon Go are set to revolutionize the retail food industry, foregoing the need for human cashiers. Rising levels of tech-savvy customers will fuel online grocery shopping in the future. However, there are many who still prefer an overall good shopping experience over saving time or money. Hence, the retail food industry should see a healthy convergence of online as well as ‘brick and mortar’ stores in the very near future.

Over the next few pages, you can read our picks for the 11 best grocery stores in America, created by finding the most common choices from customer surveys compiled by five websites – American Customer Satisfaction Index, MSN.com, Epicurious, Clark.com and Morning Consult. Customers have ranked these stores on various factors such as availability of items, the ease of finding an item, store cleanliness, cashier courtesy, value for money, etc.

For example, Whole Foods Market Inc., which tops the list, was common across all five websites. For the stores which are mentioned by the same number of lists, we have ranked them based on the number of stores they operate, which means it’s more likely you’ll have the possibility to shop at one.

Head to the next page to begin the list!

11. Meijer

Websites Chosen By – 2

Number of Stores – Over 220

Meijer operates over 220 stores in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. With more than fifty years of experience, Meijer’s brands are known for their value and quality. Some of the well-known ones are True Goodness, Markets of Meijer, Home, and Falls Creek. Apart from groceries, Meijer stores also offer fashion, home decor, health and beauty, pharmacy, and electronic products.

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10. Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)

Websites Chosen By – 2

Number of Stores – Over 1,800

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) is the second-largest discount store retailer in the U.S. The company also sells fresh food, frozen food, meal solutions, dairy & beverage products, and much more. Founded in 1946, Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves the people of America through 1,806 stores. It has more than 800 vendor facilities that produce Target-brand foods such as Archer Farms, Market Pantry and Simply Balanced. Target is a preferred choice for customers looking for fast checkouts, store cleanliness and ease of finding items.

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9. Trader Joe’s

Websites Chosen By – 3

Number of Stores – Over 460

Trader Joe’s is a specialty chain grocery store known for great-tasting and innovative food items. The company owns more than 460 stores located in 40 states, mostly in Southern California, and offers many gluten-free, kosher and vegan products. Stores are stacked with over 4,000 different products offered at affordable prices. Trader Joe’s ranks highly on customer preference lists based on ease of finding items, fast checkouts, cashier courtesy, and specialty department services.

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8. Publix Super Markets Inc. (OTCMKTS:PUSH)

Websites Chosen By – 3

Number of Stores – 1,100

With 1,100 stores in the U.S, Publix Super Markets is known for its excellent customer service. In 2016, Publix Super Markets employed over 180,000 people and reported revenue of $32 billion, according to Forbes.  The company operates retail food supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and is the largest employee-owned grocery store in the country. Publix Super Markets are well known for their vast availability of items, fast checkouts and store cleanliness.

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7. Aldi

Websites Chosen By – 3

Number of Stores – Over 1,600

Headquartered in Illinois, Aldi has over 1,600 stores across 35 states and caters to the needs of more than 40 million customers every month. The grocery stores stock four to five aisles of daily essentials only. The majority of its products are offered under Aldi-exclusive brands. Aldi focuses on delivering quality food at affordable prices. Its ‘weekly must-have’ boxes not only save time for customers but also offer the best brands, including Fit&Active, Seasons’ Choice, Tuscan Garden, Live Gfree, and Boulder. Aldi offers a wide variety of food, including gluten-free and organic fruits and vegetables. The company is set to open 900 new stores over the next few years.

6. Albertsons Companies

Websites Chosen By – 3

Number of Stores – Over 2,300

Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food retailers in the U.S, ranking in third spot on Forbes’ 2016 America’s top 25 private companies. Albertsons Companies ranks sixth on our list of the 11 best grocery stores in America with more than 2,300 stores under 19 well-known banners including Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY). The merger of AB Acquisition LLC and Safeway has created one of the largest food and drug retailers in the country. Albertsons is preferred by customers owing to its vast, reasonably-priced collection of items and its specialty service departments. Its brands include Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw’s, Amigos, and Tom Thumb. Albertsons Companies has a strong local presence across 35 states and the District of Columbia.

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5. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Websites Chosen By – 3

Number of Stores – Over 5,000

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) started out with just one store in 1962, which has since been expanded to more than 5,000 stores and clubs in 28 countries. The company is the largest of its kind, with reported revenue of more than $485 billion and 2.3 million employees worldwide. Customers have a preference for Walmart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s goods as they offer value for money and huge discounts on groceries. The company also has a good online presence, with e-commerce websites in 11 countries allowing customers to shop online without any monthly or annual subscription fee. Walmart is successfully growing its e-commerce businesses, with 60% growth reported in U.S e-commerce sales last year.

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4. H-E-B Grocery Company

Websites Chosen By – 4

Number of Stores – 340

Starting out with just one store in 1905, H-E-B has expanded to more than 340 stores today, and has over 76,000 employees. It is one of the nation’s largest independently-owned food retailers, with stores in Texas and Mexico. The company is known for its reasonably-priced, quality products. H-E-B offers a wide range of bakery, grocery, deli, drinks, meat, and seafood products to its customers. Other than food items, H-E-B also deals in home & kitchen, health & beauty, and pet products classified into 13 brands. H-E-B stores rank highly for their ease of finding items and their cashier courtesy.

3. The Kroger Company (NYSE:KR)

Websites Chosen By – 4

Number of Stores – 2792

The Kroger Company (NYSE:KR) is one of the world’s largest food retailers, with fiscal 2016 sales of $115 billion. It operates 2,792 stores in 35 states under a range of local banners like Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Smith’s, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Fry’s, Dillons, and City Market. The Kroger Company (NYSE:KR) operates its grocery retail stores in supermarket, multi-department, price-impact warehouse, and marketplace store formats. Other than grocery stores, the company also operates multi-department stores, convenience stores and jewelry stores. However, ‘food stores’ is its primary business, accounting for more than 90% of total company sales. Kroger also operates 38 food manufacturing facilities producing high-quality products.

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2. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.

Websites Chosen By – 4

Number of Stores – Over 90

Wegmans Food Markets is a leading regional food and grocery chain with 92 stores operating across the U.S, each of which typically has up to 70,000 products for sale. With more than $8 billion in revenue and over 47,000 employees, Wegmans is one of the largest private companies in the U.S. Wegmans Food Markets is a family-owned company which was founded in 1916 and is known for its fresh, quality produce, and top service. With a century’s experience, Wegmans’ brand has become synonymous with quality, taste and trust. The store offers a wide variety of products ranging from bakery and beverages, to frozen and international foods.

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1. Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM)

Websites Chosen By – 5

Number of Stores – 462

Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM), a leading provider of natural and organic foods, tops the list of the 11 best grocery stores in America. It operates more than 460 stores in the U.S, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Amazon.com made an offer to acquire Whole Foods Market at $42 per share last month, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2017. Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM) has failed to keep pace with the online shift, which Amazon will help push forward alongside its own grocery plans. Currently, Whole Foods Market offers over 30,000 organic stock keeping units (SKUs), covering various areas such as packaged goods, bulk, frozen, dairy, meat, and bakery. Customers prefer shopping at Whole Foods for the easy availability of items, fast checkouts and store cleanliness.

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Disclosure: None