New Report Ranks 9 Popular Massachusetts Grocery Stores

MASSACHUSETTS — We all have a favorite grocery store in Massachusetts, but how well does it stack up against the others in terms of prices, promotions, quality and other measures?

The data analytics firm dunnhumby helps customers sort it out in its seventh annual Retailer Preference Index released earlier this month. The index is made up of the 65 largest U.S. retailers selling everyday food and non-food items. The ranking system looked at five categories: price, promotions, and rewards; quality; digital; operations; and speed and convenience.

Overall, Texas-based H-E-B was ranked as the top U.S. grocery store, followed by Amazon, Costco, Market Basket, Sam’s Club, Wegmans, Aldi, ShopRite, Walmart Neighborhood Market stores and Walmart, respectively.

When it comes to just quality, the list shakes out differently, with H-E-B coming in at No. 7 and outranked by No. 1 Wegmans, followed by Trader Joe’s, The Fresh Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Fresh Thyme Market and Publix, respectively. Big Y, Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods rounded out the top 10.

Here’s a look at how well stores in Massachusetts ranked in other measures considered by dunnhumby:

Top retailers by price in Massachusetts include Market Basket at No. 1, Aldi at No. 3, Walmart at No. 5, and Save A Lot at No. 8.

In the top retailers by promotions and rewards category, the only Massachusetts grocery store listed was Price Chopper at No. 9.

When prices are combined with promotions and rewards, the top retailers in Massachusetts are Market Basket at No. 1, Aldi at No. 3, Walmart at No. 6, and Save A Lot at No.9.

In the speed and convenience category, top stores in Massachusetts are Aldi at No. 3, The Fresh Market at No. 8, and Save A Lot at No. 9.

In the operations category, top stores in Massachusetts are Costco at No. 1, Market Basket at No. 4, Wegmans at No. 5, and BJ's at No.7.