Aldi was recently named America’s most popular grocery store overall, but it wasn’t the favorite among every demographic, according to YouGov’s latest consumer poll.
YouGov, a market research and data analytics firm, ranked grocery stores based on their popularity score – aka the percentage of people who have a positive opinion of that store. The firm also tracked “fame” scores, indicating the percentage of people who have heard of a particular retailer.
1. Aldi
At the end of 2022, Aldi was the number one grocery store among all U.S. adults, with a popularity score of 65%. The German discount chain has become a household name in the states, receiving a fame score of 91%.
2. Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s, renowned for its loyal fanbase, came in as a close second overall with a popularity score of 63%. Notably, despite the fact that Aldi has roughly four times as many U.S. locations as Trader Joe’s, more American consumers have heard of TJ’s. The California-based retailer’s fame score was 95%.
3. Kroger
Kroger nabbed the third spot in the rankings with a 61% popularity score and a 95% fame score. However, slightly more people had negative feelings about the largest supermarket chain in the top three. Among the consumers surveyed, 8% said they dislike Kroger, compared to 6% for both Aldi and Trader Joe’s.
Other noteworthy findings from the report:
Trader Joe’s won among baby boomers and Gen X.
Even though Aldi was number one overall, Trader Joe’s was the most popular choice among baby boomers and Gen X, who gave the retailer popularity scores of 61% and 64%, respectively.
7-Eleven was consistently ranked fourth among every demographic.
Apparently, everybody likes 7-Eleven, but not enough to land the convenience store in the top three. Instead, 7-Eleven stayed firmly in the number four spot among millennials, Gen X, baby boomers, men and women alike. And although virtually everyone in the baby boomer generation has heard of the multinational chain (it received a 100% fame score), 7-Eleven was least popular with this demographic, receiving a popularity score of only 57%.
Millennials chose Whole Foods over Trader Joe’s.
Whole Foods was the second most popular grocer among millennials, coming in right behind Aldi and bumping Trader Joe’s to the number three spot. Shoppers born between 1982-1999 gave Aldi a popularity score of 70%, Whole Foods a score of 66%, and Trader Joe’s a 64%.
Amazon Fresh was more popular with younger generations.
Amazon Fresh was ranked 10th among millennials and ninth on the Gen X list. Baby boomers, however, were decidedly less fond of the Amazon subsidiary. The online and physical grocery retailer landed in 17th place, with a 33% popularity score, among those born between 1946-1964.
