Survey ranks customers' favorite grocery shopping destinations

BOULDER, Colo. — Giant-Landover and ShopRite are shoppers' two favorite supermarkets, according to results of a survey released Tuesday.

Market Force Information released results of a survey of 6,428 U.S. and Canadian consumers conducted in March, showing Giant-Landover in the top spot, followed by ShopRite, Walmart, Publix and Costco. Giant, officially known as Giant Food and based in Landover, Md., got high marks for its fast checkouts and organic options, but discount grocer Aldi beat out the others on price, while Publix was recognized for atmosphere and courteous staff. Walmart was recognized for convenience as a one-stop shopping destination, but placed last for courteous staff and high-quality meat and produce.

Shoppers ranked the deli, butcher and baker as the most important departments, and considered high-quality produce more important than high-quality meat, with long wait times in the checkout lines causing the most dissatisfaction. The survey also found that private-label products showed little differentiation from retailer to retailer, indicating an opportunity for grocers to distinguish themselves.

"We discovered that merely satisfying customers isn't enough to move them to action," Market Force chief marketing officer Janet Eden-Harris said. "When grocers can create experiences that truly delight customers, they can establish brand advocates who are almost guaranteed to recommend that grocery store to friends and family."

The survey found that among "delighted" customers — those who rated their shopping experience at 5 on a five-point scale — 70% were likely to recommend the store to another person, while only 11% of those who rated their experience at 4 were likely to recommend it. A large majority, 88%, said they were either somewhat or very satisfied by their experience, while 12% were neutral, dissatisfied or not at all satisfied. Among those reporting dissatisfaction, 52% reported long wait times at the checkout line as the reason, while 48% cited the inability to find a desired item, 39% cited poor cashier service and 29% cited produce quality.