Walmart, Kroger Lead Ranking of America’s Most Trusted Food Retailers

Jockeying to stake claim to a bigger slice of the sizzling $670 billion U.S. grocery pie, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and The Kroger Co. emerged as the top two contenders on a first-ever national survey identifying America’s Most Trusted Food Retailers.

The national chains’ standing as the Most Trusted U.S. Food Retailers is among the key findings of a collaborative market study conducted by Winsight Grocery Business and research firm BrandSpark International, which teamed up for a comprehensive, real-time assessment of American consumers’ perceptions of grocery retailers from coast to coast. Findings for the Most Trusted Food Retailers’ exclusive research—which appears as the cover story of the November launch issue of Winsight Grocery Business—were garnered from a national panel of U.S. residents above the age of 18 who participate in grocery shopping for their households. The national sample of 2,488 respondents was recruited via email to an online survey in September 2017.

Insights for the Most Trusted U.S. Food Retailers’ underscore the unprecedented level of pressures confronted by both existing and emerging competitors, which are battling in a climate tantamount to an escalating grocery arms race—and nowhere moreso than the uppermost ranks of the ladder, where its top contenders are deploying a careful balancing act of firepower on both digital and experiential shopping journeys to advance their charge.

Aldi and Publix Super Markets also factored high on the most trusted retailers’ leaderboard as the remaining two to surpass the 5% benchmark, followed next by Trader Joe’s and Safeway, which each earned a 4% Most Trusted grade, and Target and ShopRite, which scored a 3% nod among U.S. food shoppers.

Meanwhile, banners grabbing a 2% share of the nation’s most trusted retailers’ roster include Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, Albertsons, Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Meijer, Food Lion, WinCo, Hy-Vee and Save-A-Lot.

Among the retailers which command a 1% share include: Giant Eagle, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Winn-Dixie, Harris Teeter, Price Chopper, Cub Foods, DeMoulas Market Basket, Giant Food, Food City, Grocery Outlet, Kroger’s Los Angeles-based Ralph’s division, Weis Markets and Schnuck Markets.

The Most Trusted U.S. Food Retailers top-line data is the first of a three-part series of exclusive research conducted by WGB and BrandSpark. Other topics that will be explored in the coming months include the most influential attributes increasing trust in food retailers, the foremost factors that build trust in food retailers, and grocery e-commerce.