According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the United States has chosen a new favorite grocery store for 2026: Trader Joe’s.
It came as a bit of a shock to many people who keep up with such things, as Publix was number one in 2025, but if you look at the numbers, Publix maintained its place, meeting 84 satisfaction benchmarks as it did last year. Trader Joe’s just jumped ahead, meeting 86.
H-E-B, Sam’s Club, and a tie between Costco, Whole Foods, and Aldi rounded out the top five. On the whole list, Wegmans saw the biggest drop, falling from 83 to 78 between 2025 and 2026. Save A Lot saw the biggest increase.
The annual survey, which started in 1994, gets its rankings from 30,000 Americans surveyed between January and December of the previous year, so, for example, the 2026 ratings came from 2025 surveys. Some of the categories used to make the determination include store hours and location convenience, store layout and cleanliness, quality and freshness of meat and produce, speed of check-out or pick-up orders, courtesy and helpfulness of staff, and website and mobile app satisfaction. You can check out the rest of the rankings here.
So, what makes the California-based Trader Joe’s so special all of a sudden? According to Supermarket News:
Overall, customers rated several categories higher in 2026 than in 2025, including convenience of store hours (85 from 84), ease of the pickup process (85 from 84), mobile app reliability (85 from 83), website satisfaction (84 from 83), speed of order readiness for pickup (83 from 81), variety and selection of merchandise (83 from 82), availability of merchandise (82 from 80), courtesy and helpfulness of staff (81 from 80), frequency of sales and promotions (80 from 79), call center satisfaction (79 from 76) and speed of the checkout process (79 from 78).
ACSI remarked that this was especially noteworthy given that Trader Joe’s is currently undergoing a big national expansion, which often strains operations and can have a negative impact on customer satisfaction.
Trader Joe’s now operates more than 600 stores in 43 states, and its formula remains intentionally simple: limited selection, private-label products, and everyday low prices.
The company avoids sales, coupons, and loyalty programs. Instead, it buys directly from suppliers to keep costs down and passes those savings on to customers – a strategy that appears to be resonating as shoppers manage tighter budgets amid lingering inflation concerns.
Trader Joe’s says its goal is for customers to leave feeling they got the best possible deal, every time.
And, according to the New York Post, “Bargain-loving beauty fans are jokingly dubbing Trader Joe’s ‘the new Sephora,’ claiming the cult-favorite grocery store is quietly serving up skincare and haircare dupes that rival luxury brands — at prices that won’t torch your wallet.”
I have to confess that I’ve never actually stepped foot inside a Trader Joe’s, so I’ll have to take their word for it. Many of my friends and family love to shop there, but there’s not one close to me, and I’ve just never made the effort. I’m a Publix loyalist, and even when I’m out of town, that’s where I shop. I also like Sprouts, and I often shop at Aldi or Sam’s Club to save money. Next week, I’m getting my first ever Costco membership to see what all the fuss is about there. I’m very excited about that.
So, what say you, PJ Media readers? Is Trader Joe’s number one? Or do you prefer something else? Let us know in the comments?
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