Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Safeway: No. 1 Grocery Store Is?

By MARY ANN BARTON AND DEB BELT

America's favorite grocery store is Wegmans, according to a survey out this week.

This is the first time in four years that Trader Joe’s did not rank first, the company said.

Findings from a new large-scale consumer study of more than 10,000 consumers conducted by Market Force Information ranked Wegmans as America’s favorite grocery retailer, followed by Publix Super Markets and Trader Joe’s.

Wegmans has a handful of stores in Maryland: Bel Air, Columbia, Crofton, Frederick, Germantown, Hunt Valley and Woodmore near Bowie.

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Founded in 1916, Wegman's is known for its fresh produce, reasonable prices and massive stores. The Rochester, NY-based chain focuses on employee training to ensure customers have the best experience; it's been a winning strategy that creates "super fans" eager for a new location to open near their home.

You can find Trader Joe's locations across Maryland, including in Towson, Pikesville, Elkridge, Annapolis, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Bethesda and more.

For the rankings, Market Force asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their most recent grocery shopping experience and their likelihood to refer that grocer to others. The results were averaged to rank each brand on a Composite Loyalty Index.

After not earning enough votes to make the list in 2015, Wegmans garnered double the votes in 2016, resulting in a score of 76 percent, enough to secure the top spot.

Publix – which is a fixture in Georgia, Florida and other Southeastern states – has no Maryland stores, but ranked second for the fourth year in a row with an earned a score of 75 percent, followed by Trader Joe’s, which slipped 5 percentage points from 2015 for a score of 73 percent. Hy-Vee and ALDI rounded out the top five.

Giant stores ranked 12th, followed by Safeway at 13th in the index. Harris Teeter, with stores across Maryland, was not included in the survey, but its parent company, Kroger, ranked 8th in the index.

Market Force sought to uncover which brands excel in specific operational and service categories that set leading grocers apart. It found that Publix and Wegmans led in most areas, including the ability to find desired items, cleanliness and specialty department service.

ALDI was the price leader, followed by WinCo and Costco.

Trader Joe’s, known for its friendly service, ranked first for cashier courtesy. ShopRite, Meijer and Kroger offer the best sales and promotions. Hy-Vee – a Midwestern chain based in Iowa -- also performed well across the board, ranking in the top five in many categories.

»Photo from Shutterstock