Move Over, Pub Subs: Publix Is No Longer the Most Beloved Grocery Chain in the U.S.
Celia Funderburk
Sun, February 1, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC
2 min read
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- Trader Joe’s has been ranked as the grocery store with the highest customer satisfaction rating this year by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
- Trader Joe’s climbed to the number one spot after tying with Publix in 2025, while Publix remained stagnant in its rating.
- Aldi ranked fifth nationally but took the top spot in the Northeast and Midwest, while Costco followed closely behind at number six nationally.
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People have strong feelings about the best place to grocery shop. Scroll through social media and you’ll see that some people make it a part of their whole personality. In fact, there are entire accounts dedicated to finding the best new products at places like Aldi and Costco. Now, we have an official answer to which grocery store is most beloved.
Recently the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a national cross-industry measure of U.S. customer satisfaction, revealed which supermarket scored the highest customer satisfaction rating this year. The score comes from a weighted average of three survey questions “that measure different facets of satisfaction with a product or service.” The organization also uses customer interviews “as input to a multi-equation econometric model developed at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.”
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Out of 20 major supermarkets, Trader Joe’s topped the charts with a satisfaction rate of 86. After tying for the top-rated spot with Publix in 2025, Trader Joe’s officially made the climb to No. 1 while the Florida-headquartered store stayed stagnant from the year before . Behind Publix came H-E-B and Sam’s Club. Overall, Aldi took the fifth spot nationally, but ranked number one in the Northeast and Midwest. Costco came in just below Aldi at number six nationally.
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Why Trader Joe’s? There’s a recent Reddit thread titled just that, with countless customers chiming in with answers. One user credited the store’s prices, snack foods, and convenience. Another cited “their tote bags are an international status symbol.” Their national pricing system came up, too. Trader Joe’s is unique in maintaining relatively consistent prices for its products across its stores in the United States. While some prices shift as a result of sourcing local produce or state laws, the price of your favorite bag of chips or jarred sauce from Trader Joe’s should cost about the same in New York City as it does in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I, for one, have been a faithful Trader Joe’s shopper for years now, so knowing other customers are just as satisfied as I am feels good. Are you a fan of Trader Joe’s? Let us know your favorite grocery store in the comments below.
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