The Best Grocery Store in America, According to Customer Ratings

Food & Wine • February 22, 2026 • business

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Trader Joe's has taken the top spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) grocery store rankings for the first time, surpassing Southern chain Publix after tying with it last year.
The ACSI surveyed about 31,000 shoppers in 2025, rating grocery chains on factors like store hours, app reliability, product quality, and checkout speed, with overall supermarket satisfaction dipping 1% to an average score of 78.
Trader Joe's achieved the highest score of 86, a 2% increase from last year, while Publix maintained a strong score of 84, highlighting the appeal of both national and regional chains based on customer loyalty and experience.
Other top-performing stores include H-E