This Poll Reveals the Grocery Store with the Best Reputation

The customers were asked, and the customers answered!

In 2021, America’s favorite place to stock up on groceries and other goods—while also getting excellent service—was Wegmans. As shoppers’ budgets and intentions have shifted, this year’s champion has secured the coveted spot at the top of the Axios Harris Poll Corporate Reputation Rankings for 2022.

While you’re here, you’ll definitely want to read all about these grocery store secrets and how to save money on groceries. Plus, do you know the difference between grocery stores and supermarkets?

Which grocery store has the best reputation?

To determine this ranking, social scientists, strategists and storytellers at Harris Insights & Analytics look at public opinion, corporate reputation, brand strategy and additional research. At their core, they want people to know the truth. And when it comes to the best grocery stores, the truth is clear: Wegmans is number one again. If you don’t have a Wegmans near you, try shopping at one of the other grocery stores that made the list! And don’t forget to check out these perks only Wegmans shoppers know about.

In the 2022 survey, Wegmans beat out Publix and Kroger, among other companies. Many of the factors that allowed Wegmans to hold on to its title included high scores for ethics, culture, citizenship and trust. Top-ranking companies also tended to fare well by displaying resilience through what experts are calling the Great Resignation, maintaining high employee retention rates and benefits offered.

It’s important to note that the overall winner in the corporate ranking reputations poll was Trader Joe’s, though it’s considered a retail business, rather than a grocery store. Here are some cheap items you should only ever buy at Trader Joe’s.

How is the survey ranked?

The Reputation Quotient (RQ) rankings are determined in two phases: nominations and ratings. The nominations phase comes from the general public. Survey respondents are asked for their opinions on companies they feel have the best and worst reputations overall. Although we’re focusing on grocery stores, the survey is meant for companies of all sorts.

The ratings phase is conducted online, again polling the general public. Respondents rate two companies they are “very” or “somewhat” familiar with; for this particular survey, 33,096 people in the United States participated. The companies are then ranked based on seven dimensions of corporate reputation: citizenship, ethics, culture, trust, vision, growth, and products and services. Finally, each company receives an RQ score out of 100: 80 and above is “excellent,” 75 to 79 is “very good,” 70 to 74 is “good,” 65 to 69 is “fair,” 55 to 64 is “poor,” 50 to 54 is “very poor” and below 50 is “critical.”

Now that you know America’s favorite grocery store, you’ll want to learn more about these grocery store items with the highest markups, the best grocery shopping apps and how changing your grocery shopping habits can save you loads of cash.

Sources:

  • The Harris Poll: “The Axios Harris Poll 100: 2022 Corporate Reputation Rankings”
  • Wegmans: “Making a Difference, Together”

Kiersten Hickman
Kiersten is the Social Media Editor at Reader's Digest and writes for Taste of Home and The Family Handyman. She firmly believes that no matter where you go, picnics are always a good idea. Especially if it’s paired with a good book. She’s an advocate for meal prepping and passionate about living a plastic-free life.