Trader Joe’s Loses #1 Spot For Grocery Store Customer Satisfaction
Trader Joe’s has its hardcore fans. Their unique products like Cookie Butter and Mandarin Orange Chicken, friendly staff at the cash register and cheap $3 bottles of wine have helped the chain grow from coast to coast. We have 2 locations here – the original location in Tampa and the second location in St. Pete. A third location will open in the next year in Palm Harbor.
Every year the American Custom Satisfaction Index releases its report of businesses with the best customer satisfaction rates. There’s a big shake up this year at the #1 spot for grocery shopping. For years Trader Joe’s has come out on top. Not this year. Not only did Trader Joe’s drop out of the lead… 3 other grocery chains passed them for a 3 way tie for first place.
The odd part about this is Trader Joe’s customer satisfaction score didn’t change. It held steady at 84% for 2024. That’s the exact same score Trader Joe’s got last year. But three other grocery market chains stepped up their game. So who’s in the 3 way tie for #1?
Trader Joe’s came in at #2 for customer satisfaction with grocery stores this year. But it wasn’t just one chain that passed them… there was a 3 way tie this year for the #1 spot. One is a local favorite. One is one of those national big box membership clubs. And the other isn’t even in Florida.
Who beat Trader Joe’s?
According to the ACSI, local favorite Publix has moved in to the top spot nationwide. Publix only has stores in less than 20% of the U.S., but they still managed to make the top of the list with an 85% customer satisfaction score. That’s up 4% from their score last year in 2023. The Publix slogan “where shopping is a pleasure” seems to be true. But Publix wasn’t the only one scoring that 85% customer satisfaction rating – giant retail club Costco and H-E-B, a grocery store chain very popular in Texas, both passed Trader Joe’s this year.
Publix scored really well with customers on their in-store experience. That includes things like sta courtesy, cleanliness and ease of the store’s layout. Costco and H-E-B did particularly well with offering value prices.
Other well known grocery store chains that made the top 10 include Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Target and Wegmans, Whole Foods and Aldi. So who scored the poorest on the survey? According to the ACSI report, Walmart had only a 74% customer satisfaction score. In their defense, that’s up a few points from last year.
Customer Service Winners In other Categories
For department stores, Macy’s beat out Belk and Kohl’s with a 82% customer satisfaction score. As for the discount stores, TJ Maxx and Marshalls beat out Big Lots, Burlington and Dollar Tree. In the “hypermarket” category, Target outscored Meijer, Kroger and Walmart.
For specialty retail, O’Reilly Auto Parts just barely beat Auto Zone in automotive. Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply tied for the top spot in hardware and home improvement. Hobby Lobby took #1 for the hobby and home category. When it comes to shopping for pets, Pet Supplies Plus outscored PetSmart and Petco. [Source: ACSI]
The Most Popular Trader Joe's Items According To Customers
