Grocery shopping is a time and money-consuming errand, but like it or not, it is a mandatory activity for any household in the US, which makes finding the top US supermarkets a very important thing. As more and more chains of supermarkets develop and evolve, our choices for grocery shopping are ever increasing, offering us new selections of products, enticing deals and offers, and more chances for finding the best possible price.
Top supermarkets can provide benefits above and beyond others that can enhance the shopping experience, improve the ease of finding products, and saving you money in the process. Of particular importance is food selection and quality, which can vary drastically between different outlets. In terms of freshness of produce, different supermarkets tend to be very hit-or-miss, with some simply having inadequate supply chains to keep their stores stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables.
As this is such an important consideration for consumers, we decided to compile a list of the top US supermarkets, based on a survey recently released by Consumer Reports. Experts at Consumer Reports surveyed over 27,000 readers and asked them to rank 55 different supermarkets in the country. Surprisingly or not, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), despite actually having a fairly lengthy history as a supermarket chain compared to some of the other entries, ranked dead last in the Consumer Reports’ survey, with customers complaining about slow checkouts and questionable food quality. Other supermarket chains that fared poorly in the survey included Shaw’s, Pathmark, Acme, and Pick’n Save.
Let’s forget about them however, and find out what the consumers (you) rated as the top US supermarkets. If you’re still interested in more reading on great shopping experiences afterwards, be sure to check out our feature on The 10 Biggest Outlet Malls in USA.
No. 10: WinCo Foods
No. of locations: 93 stores in California, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, and Washington
Consumer Reports score: 81
Positives: decent service, decent quality of perishables, great prices, cleanliness
No. 9: Stater Bros.
No. of locations: 167 stores throughout the state of California
Consumer Reports score: 82
Positives: good service, good quality of perishables, great prices, cleanliness
No. 8: Fairway Stores
No. of locations: 14 stores in the entire tri-state area
Consumer Reports score: 83
Positives: great service, good quality of perishables, great prices, cleanliness
No. 7: Raley’s
No. of locations: 85 stores in Nevada and California
Consumer Reports score: 83
Positives: good service, great quality of perishables, cleanliness. However, readers ranked this supermarket chain as having particularly bad prices.
No. 6: Market Basket
No. of locations: 71 stores in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire
Consumer Reports score: 83
Positives: good service, good quality of perishables, great prices, cleanliness
No. 5: Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (NASDAQ:SFM)
No. of locations: 150 stores in California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Georgia, and Utah
Consumer Reports score: 84
Positives: good service, great quality of perishables, good prices, cleanliness
No. 4: Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
No. of locations: 648 stores across the globe
Consumer Reports score: 84
Positives: decent service, great quality of perishables, great prices, cleanliness
No. 3: Publix
No. of locations: 1,080 stores in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina
Consumer Reports score: 85
Positives: good service, great quality of perishables, decent prices, cleanliness
No. 2: Trader Joe’s
No. of locations: 408 stores in 30 states
Consumer Reports score: 87
Positives: good service, great quality of perishables, good prices, cleanliness
No. 1: Wegmans
No. of locations: 83 stores in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
Consumer Reports score: 88
Positives: service, quality of perishables, good prices, cleanliness
