America's Favorite Grocery Store Is No Surprise

(RTTNews) - Trader Joe's is America's favorite grocer for the third straight year in terms of customer satisfaction and referral, shows a survey by Market Force Information.

Publix came in second, and German discount chain Aldi was in third place, while WalMart came in last. Brands such as WinCo Foods, Albertsons and Sam's Club made this year's list.

The survey solicited the opinion of about 7,200 consumers to find out their grocery-shopping habits, including why they prefer certain brands, and how they engage with various grocers and their social media use.

The survey showed that in terms of value, Aldi lead the fray, followed by WinCo, Costco and Sam's Club. Trader Joe's came in 5th.

As for sales and promotions, ShopRite was ranked no.1, followed by Publix and Kroger. For the pace of checkouts, Publix, Kroger and Trader Joe's bagged the first three spots.

Publix was in the lead in a range of metrics, including cleanliness, product stocking, and ease of finding items. Trader Joe's was in the lead for cashier courtesy.

Whole Foods Market missed the list for a second straight year as it was not ranked as primary grocery store by a sufficient number of survey respondents, MarketWatch said, quoting Market Force Chief Strategy Officer Cheryl Flink.

The survey also found about half of respondents said they prefer to buy organic products, including meat and dairy. About a third of consumer prefer to buy meals at least once a week from grocers, a 10% increase from 2014.

The study also showed only 5% of respondents have bought groceries using online-order option with store pickup.

Also,61% of respondents said they never used a grocery app, while 23% have used a specific grocer's app. Respondents also favored print fliers that provide information on grocery deals.