Everyone seems to have a grocery store they prefer. Sometimes it’s about prices, but things like fresh produce, helpful employees, and getting through checkout without waiting forever can matter just as much.

A new nationwide ranking lets shoppers see how their favorite supermarket compares with some of the biggest names in the country. And this year’s winner managed to pull ahead after sharing the top spot last year.

Trader Joe’s takes the top spot for 2026

The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2026 Retail and Consumer Shipping Study named Trader Joe’s the highest-scoring supermarket for customer satisfaction, giving the chain an ACSI score of 86 out of 100. That’s up from 84 in 2025, when Trader Joe’s and Publix were tied for the highest score.

Publix maintained its score of 84 this year, putting it in second place, while H-E-B improved from 82 to 83 to take third. Sam’s Club followed with 82, while Aldi, Costco, and Whole Foods all scored 81.

Here’s how the grocery stores ranked

The ACSI evaluated 19 named supermarket brands, along with an “All Others” category representing smaller companies. Here’s how the named chains scored for 2026:

Trader Joe’s — 86
Publix — 84
H-E-B — 83
Sam’s Club — 82
Aldi — 81
Costco — 81
Whole Foods — 81
ShopRite — 79
Target — 79
Ahold Delhaize — 78
Kroger — 78
Meijer — 78
Save A Lot — 78
Wegmans — 78
BJ’s Wholesale Club — 77
Hy-Vee — 76
Walmart — 75
Albertsons Companies — 74
Giant Eagle — 73

The supermarket industry as a whole scored 78, down slightly from 79 in 2025. An additional “All Others” category scored 79 but isn’t included in the numbered list above because it represents multiple smaller supermarket companies rather than an individual chain.

Trader Joe’s wasn’t the only store that improved

Only three supermarket chains increased their overall customer satisfaction scores this year. Trader Joe’s rose 2% to 86, H-E-B climbed 1% to 83, and Save A Lot recorded the biggest improvement, jumping 4% from 75 to 78.

Not every chain moved in the same direction. Wegmans experienced the largest decline, falling from 83 in 2025 to 78 in 2026, while Hy-Vee and Albertsons Companies each declined 3%.

What shoppers care about goes beyond price

The rankings aren’t simply a comparison of which supermarket has the cheapest groceries. ACSI measures numerous parts of the shopping experience, including store hours and locations, store layout and cleanliness, the quality and freshness of meat and produce, merchandise selection and availability, staff helpfulness, promotions and checkout speed.

Digital conveniences matter, too. The study considers things like mobile app quality and reliability, website satisfaction, pickup accuracy, and how quickly pickup orders are ready. Several of those measures improved in 2026 even though overall supermarket satisfaction slipped slightly.

Where you live can change the favorites

The national ranking doesn’t tell the entire story because ACSI also found some noticeable regional differences. Trader Joe’s was particularly strong in the West with a regional score of 87, while Sam’s Club led the South at 84.

Aldi performed well across several parts of the country, including a score of 82 in the Midwest and 83 in the South. In the Northeast, Aldi, ShopRite and Walmart tied for the highest regional score at 79.

The grocery store experience still matters

Price will always matter when choosing where to buy groceries, but it’s clearly not the only thing shoppers notice. Fresh food, helpful employees, clean, easy-to-navigate stores, convenient locations, and a smooth checkout experience can turn a grocery run into a store people actually want to return to.

And while everyone may have their own favorite, this year’s results show just how differently the experience can feel from one grocery chain to another.