NEW YORK – In partnership with Newsweek and Winsight Grocery Business, BrandSpark International announces the fifth annual grocery edition of its BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, as voted by American shoppers. BrandSpark surveyed 10,082 Americans in the BrandSpark American Grocery Trust Study to capture their real opinions of which grocery stores they trust the most. Trust leaders were identified by 8 store formats nationally and in four major regions and across 36 key attributes as well as the top 5 grocery retailers nationally.
After a year of spiking prices for household groceries, this list can help Americans choose a store that is trusted by other shoppers and best suits their needs in 2023.
“Now that the holidays have passed, retailers need to work on building a strong 2023 by prioritizing trust building initiatives with consumers”, says Adam Bellisario, AVP BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards. “As inflation continues to hit grocery categories heavily, conventional stores with strong private label offerings are going to be popular with consumers because they can meet their needs in terms of price and effective options”, says Philip Scrutton, VP of Shopper Insights, BrandSpark International. “We are already seeing retailers like Walmart and Aldi performing very well nationally. Both brands not only have an extremely strong presence but offer consumers attractive private label options offering greater value than national brands, which is very attractive to consumers who will continue to see their grocery budgets being stretched. Despite inflation, the trust drivers are remarkably stable – suggesting that retailers should stick to their strategies. Even with shoppers’ increased focus on prices, quality-driven conventional grocers still rank highly in each region, including Kroger (South and Midwest), Safeway (West), Publix (South) and ShopRite (Northeast)”, says Philip Scrutton.Notable findings regarding the most important drivers of grocer trust (attributes)
- Aldi, H-E-B, and Walmart are most trusted for affordability.
- H-E-B, Walmart, and Kroger are strongest for store brand/private label products.
- H-E-B, ShopRite, and Kroger deliver on fresh produce.
- H-E-B is most trusted for quality fresh food and an enjoyable in-store experience.
- Kroger, H-E-B, and ShopRite deliver the most valuable circulars.
- Walmart is #1 for curbside pickup while Amazon Fresh leads for delivery.
Notable findings regarding trust across 8 key store formats
- Aldi is the most trusted discount and small format grocer, and Walmart is the most trusted conventional Grocer nationally but faces some stiff competition regionally where ShopRite is #1 in the Northeast, and Kroger is #1 in the Midwest.
- CVS is the most trusted pharmacy chain ahead of Walgreens, but we now see that Walmart Pharmacy is in third position posing a threat for the two major national chains.
Other findings
- Rapidly expanding “Dollar Store” retailers Dollar General, Dollar Tree had the highest shopper reach increase in 2022, with Dollar General topping the list as most trusted Dollar Store Chain.
- 2022 saw 44% of shoppers ordering groceries online, consistent with 45% in 2021. Half of these shoppers ordered from Walmart vs. 1 in 6 from Amazon Fresh, but Amazon Fresh achieved the greatest growth.
- Club stores strengthened trust with existing members who relied on them even more in 2022 for bulk orders at fair prices. BJ’s Wholesale Club, Sam’s Club, and Costco Wholesale all increased trust with their own shoppers.
- Grocer Food Lion built trust with fair prices and loyalty rewards, and it paid off: achieving the highest trust growth, increasing their trust score, and jumping from #7 to #4 for most trusted grocery retailer for value since 2021.
- Among own shoppers H-E-B has an impressive lead in trust compared with all other grocery stores covered in the Study.
Trust plays an integral role in the decision of where to shop, especially during these challenging inflationary times. There is a risk that if customers switch retailers now they may not return even when cost of living pressures ease. “This is an important moment for retailers to build trust with shoppers, and they can do so by communicating why they are trusted and how they plan to help Americans through this”, says Adam Bellisario.
The BrandSpark/Newsweek Partnership aims to make shopping easier for Americans. “We are excited to partner with Newsweek, one of the world’s most recognizable media brands, which will be promoting the full list of winners to ensure that consumers have the most reliable shopping information available to them”, says Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark International. “Winners now have the opportunity of sharing their valuable wins not only with their customers but also with their teams and investors”.The winners and how they are determined
In the BrandSpark American Grocery Trust Study 10,082 American shoppers determined the 2023 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards winners, and results are ranked based on the greatest number of votes. Brand citations of ‘most trusted’ retailer by format are determined by consumers’ unaided write-in votes for their ‘most trusted’ retailer. The brand(s) voted most trusted is/are listed as Rank #1. Any brand Ranked 1-3 is considered a “Top 3 Trust Leader”, any brand Ranked 4-5 is considered a “Top 5 Trust Leader”, and any brand Ranked 6-10 is considered a “Top 10 Trust Leader”, having garnered a significant trust share in the category. Brand citations as the ‘most trusted’ overall retailer and ‘most trusted’ by attribute are determined by consumers choosing from a list of the 66 largest grocery retailers nationally.
The 2023 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards winners are listed below. See details at www.BrandSparkMostTrusted.com and contact us for more information on any category. *
| MOST TRUSTED GROCERY RETAILERS BY STORE FORMAT | |||||
| Region | Rank #1 | Rank #2 | Rank #3 | Rank #4 | Rank #5 |
| Conventional Grocery Store | Walmart | Kroger | Publix | Safeway | H-E-B Grocery / ShopRite (TIE) |
| Discount Grocery Store | Aldi | Walmart | Grocery Outlet | Dollar General | Save-A-Lot |
| Small Format Grocery Store | Aldi | Trader Joe’s | Walmart Neighborhood Market | Kroger | Save-A-Lot |
| Natural & Organic Grocery Store | Whole Foods Market | Trader Joe’s | Sprouts Farmers Markets | Walmart | Natural Grocers |
| Online Grocery Service | Walmart | Amazon Fresh | Instacart | Kroger | — |
| Convenience Store Chain | 7-Eleven | Circle K | Wawa | Casey’s | QuikTrip |
| Dollar Store Chain | Dollar General | Dollar Tree | Family Dollar | 99 Cent Only Stores | — |
| Pharmacy Retail Chain | CVS | Walgreens | Walmart Pharmacy | Rite Aid | Kroger |
| MOST TRUSTED CONVENTIONAL AND DISCOUNT GROCERY RETAILER BY REGION | |
| Format | Rank #1 |
| Conventional Grocery Retailer (National) | Walmart |
| Conventional Grocery Retailer (West) | Safeway / Walmart (tie) |
| Conventional Grocery Retailer (South) | Walmart |
| Conventional Grocery Retailer (Midwest) | Kroger |
| Conventional Grocery Retailer (Northeast) | ShopRite |
| Discount Grocery Retailer (National) | Aldi |
| Discount Grocery Retailer (West) | Grocery Outlet |
| Discount Grocery Retailer (South) | Aldi / Walmart (tie) |
| Discount Grocery Retailer (Midwest) | Aldi |
| Discount Grocery Retailer (Northeast) | Aldi |
| MOST TRUSTED GROCERY RETAILERS OVERALL BY REGION (RANK #1-5) | |||||
| Region | Rank #1 | Rank #2 | Rank #3 | Rank #4 | Rank #5 |
| National | Walmart | Kroger | Aldi | CostcoWholesale | Publix |
| West | Walmart | Safeway | CostcoWholesale | Kroger | WinCo |
| South | Walmart | Kroger | Publix | H-E-BGrocery | FoodLion |
| Midwest | Walmart | Kroger | Aldi | Meijer | Hy-Vee |
| Northeast | Walmart | ShopRite | Stop & Shop | Aldi | Wegmans |
| MOST TRUSTED GROCERY RETAILERS OVERALL BY REGION (RANK #6-10) | |||||
| Region | Rank #6 | Rank #7 | Rank #8 | Rank #9 | Rank #10 |
| National | H-E-B Grocery | Sam’sClub | Safeway | TraderJoe’s | Meijer |
| West | Albertsons | TraderJoe’s | Amazon Fresh | Ralph’s | FredMeyer |
| South | Aldi | Sam’sClub | Costco Wholesale | DollarGeneral | WholeFoods Market |
| Midwest | Sam’sClub | Jewel-Osco | Costco Wholesale | Target | GiantEagle |
| Northeast | Giant Food Stores (PA) | Hannaford | BJ’s Wholesale Club | TraderJoe’s | Costco Wholesale |
| MOST TRUSTED GROCERY RETAILERS BY ATTRIBUTE (RANK #1-5) | ||||||
| Segment | Category | Rank #1 | Rank #2 | Rank #3 | Rank #4 | Rank #5 |
| Value | Affordability | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Aldi | WinCo | Grocery Outlet |
| Value | Loyalty Program Rewards | Kroger | Giant Eagle | Stop & Shop | Food Lion | Jewel-Osco |
| Value | Valuable Circulars / Flyers | Kroger | H-E-B Grocery | ShopRite | Hy-Vee | Price Chopper |
| Value | Valuable Coupons | H-E-B Grocery | Meijer | Kroger | Price Chopper | Stop & Shop |
| Value | Great Promotions | H-E-B Grocery | Hy-Vee | ShopRite | Walmart | Kroger |
| Service | Easy Checkout Experience | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Kroger | Publix | Amazon Fresh |
| Service | Enjoyable In-Store Experience | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Publix | Kroger | Meijer |
| Service | Home Delivery | Amazon Fresh | Walmart | Amazon Go | H-E-B Grocery | ShopRite |
| Service | In-Store Health & Safety Measures | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Publix | Wegmans | Kroger |
| Service | In-Store Pharmacy Services | Walmart | Giant Eagle | Kroger | H-E-B Grocery | Publix |
| Service | Service / Friendly Staff | H-E-B Grocery | Hy-Vee | Publix | Kroger | Walmart |
| Service | Store Organizatio n (layout, shopability) | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Publix | Kroger | Hy-Vee |
| Service | Up-to-Date / Modern Stores | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Publix | Wegmans | Amazon Fresh |
| Service | Curbside Pickup | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Kroger | Hy-Vee | Target |
| Service | In-Store Cleanliness / Tidiness | Publix | H-E-B Grocery | Wegmans | Meijer | Walmart |
| Fresh | Fresh Meat | H-E-B Grocery | Giant Eagle | Hy-Vee | Kroger | ShopRite |
| Fresh | Fresh Produce | H-E-B Grocery | ShopRite | Kroger | Publix | Hy-Vee |
| Fresh | Fresh Seafood | H-E-B Grocery | Publix | Wegmans | Kroger | Price Chopper |
| Fresh | Fresh Prepared Meals | H-E-B Grocery | Hy-Vee | Wegmans | Publix | Jewel-Osco |
| Fresh | Healthy Prepared Foods | H-E-B Grocery | Whole Foods Market | Hy-Vee | Wegmans | Sprouts Farmers Markets |
| Fresh | In-store Deli | Publix | Giant Food Stores (PA) | Hy-Vee | H-E-B Grocery | Giant Eagle |
| Products | Beauty Products | Walmart | Target | Meijer | H-E-B Grocery | Amazon Go |
| Products | Beer, Wine & Spirits | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Hy-Vee | Wegmans | Meijer |
| Products | Bulk Food | Costco Wholesale | Sams Club | BJs Wholesale Club | WinCo | Walmart |
| Products | Food for Holidays or Entertaining | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Publix | ShopRite | Kroger |
| Products | Gourmet Foods | Whole Foods Market | Wegmans | H-E-B Grocery | Hy-Vee | The Fresh Market |
| Products | Home Goods | Walmart | Target | Meijer | H-E-B Grocery | Costco Wholesale |
| Products | Household Care Products | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Target | Meijer | ShopRite |
| Products | Internationa l Food Products | Wegmans | H-E-B Grocery | Trader Joe’s | Giant Food Stores (PA) | Walmart |
| Products | Mexican Food | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Hy-Vee | Kroger | Meijer |
| Products | Natural / Organic Foods | Whole Foods Market | Sprouts Farmers Markets | Trader Joe’s | Wegmans | H-E-B Grocery |
| Products | Over-the- Counter Health Products | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Meijer | Kroger | ShopRite |
| Products | Packaged Food & Beverage Products | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | ShopRite | Kroger | Publix |
| Products | Pet Food & Treats | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Amazon Fresh | Meijer | Giant Eagle |
| Products | New Products | Walmart | H-E-B Grocery | Hy-Vee | ShopRite | Wegmans |
| Products | Store Brand / Private Label Products | H-E-B Grocery | Walmart | Kroger | Publix | ShopRite |
| MOST TRUSTED GROCERY RETAILERS BY ATTRIBUTE (RANK #6-10) | ||||||
| Segment | Category | Rank #6 | Rank #7 | Rank #8 | Rank #9 | Rank #10 |
| Value | Affordability | ShopRite | Kroger | Amazon Fresh | Save-A-Lot | Food Lion |
| Value | Loyalty Program Rewards | ShopRite | Safeway | Meijer | Hy-Vee | Fred Meyer |
| Value | Valuable Circulars / Flyers | Meijer | Walmart | Publix | Harris Teeter | Giant Eagle |
| Value | Valuable Coupons | Walmart | Hy-Vee | ShopRite | BJs Wholesale Club | Von’s |
| Value | Great Promotions | Meijer | Stop & Shop | Costco Wholesale | Food Lion | Grocery Outlet |
| Service | Easy Checkout Experience | Wegmans | Hy-Vee | Meijer | Stop & Shop | Safeway |
| Service | Enjoyable In- Store Experience | ShopRite | Costco Wholesale | Trader Joe’s | Food Lion | Wegmans |
| Service | Home Delivery | Publix | Meijer | Kroger | Wegmans | Grocery Outlet |
| Service | In-Store Health & Safety Measures | Meijer | Safeway | Food Lion | ShopRite | Costco Wholesale |
| Service | In-Store Pharmacy Services | Meijer | Hy-Vee | Wegmans | Fred Meyer | Stop & Shop |
| Service | Service / Friendly Staff | Trader Joe’s | Wegmans | Grocery Outlet | ShopRite | Meijer |
| Service | Store Organization (layout, shopability) | Meijer | Food Lion | Wegmans | ShopRite | Amazon Fresh |
| Service | Up-to-Date / Modern Stores | Kroger | Stop & Shop | Meijer | ShopRite | Target |
| Service | Curbside Pickup | Acme | Amazon Go | BJs Wholesale Club | Fred Meyer | ShopRite |
| Service | In-Store Cleanliness / Tidiness | Kroger | Harris Teeter | Costco Wholesale | ShopRite | Target |
| Fresh | Fresh Meat | Publix | Meijer | Wegmans | Stop & Shop | Costco Wholesale |
| Fresh | Fresh Produce | Meijer | Walmart | Wegmans | Sprouts Farmers Markets | Whole Foods Market |
| Fresh | Fresh Seafood | ShopRite | Giant Eagle | Giant Food Stores (PA) | Whole Foods Market | The Fresh Market |
| Fresh | Fresh Prepared Meals | ShopRite | Kroger | Meijer | Walmart | Costco Wholesale |
| Fresh | Healthy Prepared Foods | Giant Eagle | Publix | The Fresh Market | Kroger | Walmart |
| Fresh | In-store Deli | ShopRite | Wegmans | Kroger | Jewel-Osco | Hannaford |
| Products | Beauty Products | ShopRite | Fred Meyer | Amazon Fresh | Giant Eagle | Kroger |
| Products | Beer, Wine & Spirits | Kroger | Giant Eagle | Jewel-Osco | Costco Wholesale | Publix |
| Products | Bulk Food | H-E-B Grocery | Amazon Go | Amazon Fresh | Wegmans | Grocery Outlet |
| Products | Food for Holidays or Entertaining | Costco Wholesale | Wegmans | Food Lion | Stop & Shop | Harris Teeter |
| Products | Gourmet Foods | Trader Joe’s | Publix | Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets | Harris Teeter | Meijer |
| Products | Home Goods | Amazon Go | BJs Wholesale Club | Amazon Fresh | Stop & Shop | Fred Meyer |
| Products | Household Care Products | Costco Wholesale | BJ’s Wholesale Club | Kroger | Dollar General | Amazon Fresh |
| Products | International Food Products | Kroger | Hy-Vee | Publix | Meijer | Amazon Fresh |
| Products | Mexican Food | WinCo | Publix | Giant Eagle | Amazon Fresh | ShopRite |
| Products | Natural / Organic Foods | Amazon Fresh | Hy-Vee | Kroger | Publix | The Fresh Market |
| Products | Over-the- Counter Health Products | Target | Giant Eagle | Jewel-Osco | Harris Teeter | Costco Wholesale |
| Products | Packaged Food & Beverage Products | Amazon Fresh | Meijer | Costco Wholesale | Stop & Shop | Food Lion |
| Products | Pet Food & Treats | Kroger | Target | ShopRite | Stop & Shop | Fred Meyer |
| Products | New Products | Amazon Fresh | Costco Wholesale | Publix | Meijer | Grocery Outlet |
| Products | Store Brand / Private Label Products | Costco Wholesale | Amazon Fresh | Fred Meyer | Aldi | Jewel- Osco |
About BrandSpark International
Founded in 2001, BrandSpark International is a marketing research firm that uniquely combines real world omni-channel consumer insights with a deep understanding of competitive context, providing our clients with highly actionable insights. We are strategic thinkers and storytellers that fuse our passion for insights with our clients’ need to drive results. Our multi-disciplinary, highly-responsive team takes a customized consulting approach to solving brand and marketing challenges, refining brand positioning, building consumer trust, and improving success with new product launches.
Newsweek Media Partnership
Newsweek will feature the winners and will offer winning brands unique high-value advertising opportunities for brands anchored by editorial content. The BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards has updated its highly influential logo to include the iconic and instantly recognizable Newsweek logo to generate even more impact for shoppers and brands.
*Permission and authorization from Best New Product Awards Inc. are required to reference the BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards win or use the Most Trusted Logo or winning Claims.