Top Grocery Stores for Customer Satisfaction During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Craig Johnson | November 6th, 2020

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If you think that grocery shopping these days doesn’t seem as fun as it used to be (if it ever was), you’re not alone,

A recent report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has soured many shoppers on the grocery store experience.

Top Grocery Stores During COVID-19 According to Customers

ACSI has ranked the major grocery store chains in order of best-to-worst customer satisfaction.

The information is part of ACSI’s larger 2020 Retail Study, which shows how customers feel about five retail segments measured from April to September 2020. The stores were ranked on a 100-point scale.

Here are some key findings from the report:

Trader Joe’s and Wegmans tie for first with an 84. Costco follows right behind with an 83.
Compared to ACSI’s 2019-2020 Retail Report, the overall grocery market is down 3.8%, scoring an average of 75.
Rounding out the bottom of the list in the total list of rankings are Walmart (71) and Albertsons (69).

Here are the ASCI grocery store rankings for customer satisfaction amid the pandemic.

Top 15 Major Grocery Store Chains for Customer Satisfaction
Grocery Chain	April-September 2020
Trader Joe’s	84
Wegmans	84
Costco	83
Publix	83
H-E-B	82
Aldi	80
Sam’s Club (Walmart)	80
BJ’s Wholesale Club	79
Hy-Vee	78
Ahold Delhaize	76
Target	76
Whole Foods (Amazon)	76
Kroger	75
Meijer	75
Save-A-Lot	75
All Grocery Stores	75 (Average)

“From the onset of COVID-19, consumer expectations of retailers took a massive hit,” said David VanAmburg, managing director at the ACSI. “Customers braced for delayed packages, empty grocery store shelves, and hard-to-find name brands.”

Conclusion

While there’s little you can do personally about limited supplies and long lines, there are ways you can make the most out of your grocery shopping experience. That includes:

Choosing the best time to shop based on known crowd peak times.
Taking advantage of curbside pickup in your area.
Using unit pricing to find the best bargains.

Most of all, Team Clark really wants you to save money when you shop. The next time you go to the grocery store, try some of these savings strategies.