These 2 Supermarkets Just Tied for No. 1, Beating Costco
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) just released its 2025 Annual Retail and Consumer Shipping Study, and two supermarkets are tied for a surprising top spot. The results are based on surveys conducted from December 2023 to December 2024, with scores on a scale of 0 to 100. While some chains either went down in customer satisfaction and others stayed steady, this year two supermarkets tied for the number one spot, and customers of either store will not be surprised. Read on to find out who won, and who didn't do so well.
Costco
Retail giant Costco comes in at number 6, with 81 points, a -5% dip from the year before. Costco also experienced a 2% drop for online retail satisfaction. "Retailers that offer strong mobile shopping options and are ready to deliver quickly have a great opportunity. Mobile
shopping capabilities are also becoming increasingly important for the 18-25 age group, who expressed significantly lower satisfaction levels compared to older demographics—particularly in the online retailer category," the ACSI says.
H-E-B
Texas-based H-E-B is number 5 on the list with 82 points, experiencing a -4% drop from the year before. Despite this dip, the store was still named the top United States grocery retailer for the third year in a row, according to the dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index (RPI).
"They carry high quality products, they have an incredible private brands program, they run very efficient, high-caliber stores—they're always clean and well merchandised," says Scott Benedict, director and executive professor at the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University. "They understand their customer, which is tough for retailers to master."
Whole Foods
With 82 points Whole Foods holds steady at number 4, without either an increase or drop in customer satisfaction compared to the year before. "Always, when I talk to the merchants, my goal is to make Whole Foods as inclusive and as accessible to as many customers as we can, and that means that we offer a full spectrum of price points in all the categories that we do business [in], from opening price point all the way up to our specialty offerings," Whole Foods chief merchandising and marketing officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk tells Progressive Grocer.
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is doing great with 83 points, also no change in satisfaction since the year before. The Walmart chain dominates in the Midwest. "Moving forward, supermarkets that prioritize efficiency and customer service will be best positioned to combat large-scale economic changes and attain high levels of customer satisfaction," says the ACSI.
Wegmans
Wegmans has 83 points and a 1% increase in satisfaction compared to the year before. Wegmans is most popular in the Northeast. "Supermarket brands with small score increases are those that capitalized on improvements made in previous years to provide an additional avenue of value and quality to shoppers, either in store or through the mobile app," says the ACSI.
Publix and Trader Joes
Publix and Trader Joes are tied with 84 ACSI points each, with -1% change for Publix and no change for TJ's. "Trader Joe's is first in the West, with H-E-B and Publix sharing the lead in the South. Most regional winners show stronger scores in their areas than they do at the national level. This may indicate a home-field advantage and successful local marketing for these popular brands," the ACSI says.
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