Regional chains like H-E-B and Wegmans are among the best grocery stores in America, according to shoppers

Shoshy CimentJan 9, 2020, 00:09 IST

Shoshy Ciment/Business InsiderTrader Joe's, the favorite grocer for the previous two years, was replaced by H-E-B.

H-E-B is a regional grocer with over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico.
It was just rated the top US grocer for the first time in a report from data science firm Dunnhumby, up from fourth place last year.
Other regional grocers like Market Basket and Wegmans earned top slots on the list of 14 stores.
Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Regional grocers are having a moment.

For the first time on Wednesday, H-E-B - a regional grocer with over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico - was rated the top US grocer in a report from data science firm Dunnhumby.

The San-Antonio based grocer rose from its fourth-place ranking last year and beat out grocers like Trader Joe's, Walmart, and Costco. The report noted that Trader Joe's was the highest-ranking US grocer for the last two years.

Dunnhumby's Retailer Preference Index (RPI) ranked grocers according to their performance in seven categories: price, quality, digital, operations, convenience, discounts and rewards, and speed. The report evaluated 60 US retailers according to how 7,500 US consumers responded to questions related to these categories, and published the top 14.

"One of the most important findings is that leading traditional regional grocers are experiencing a resurgence in customer preference, by winning with relevance and convenience," Jose Gomes, president of North America for Dunnhumby, said in the published report.

In addition to H-E-B, other regional grocers like Wegmans and Market Basket earned top spots on the list.

Here are the top 14 grocery stores, according to the report:

See Regional chains like H-E-B and Wegmans are among the best grocery stores in America, according to shoppers >>

14. Shop Rite

There are over 250 Shop Rite stores on the East Coast, across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

13. Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market has over 350 stores across the US, though most stores are located in California.

12. Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has 75 locations across the Midwest.

11. WinCo

WinCo operates 126 employee-owned stores, mostly located in western and Midwestern states.

10. Publix

Publix has 1,237 stores in the Southeast.

9. Walmart

Walmart was America's largest grocer in terms of sales in 2019, according to the Progressive Grocer.

8. Sam's Club

Sam's Club has almost 600 stores across the US and Puerto Rico.

7. Aldi

Aldi operates more than 1,900 stores across 36 states.

6. Costco

Costco operates 539 locations in the US and Puerto Rico.

5. Wegmans

Wegmans operates 101 stores in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region.

4. Market Basket

Market Basket operates 80 stores across New England.

3. Amazon

Amazon owns Whole Foods as well as smaller-format Amazon Go stores. The e-commerce giant is also launching another grocery chain that will be separate from those two ventures.

2. Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's operates 488 stores in 41 states and was the top-rated grocer for the previous two years, according to Dunnhumby.

1. H-E-B

H-E-B is a regional grocer with over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website