Consumer Reports released a survey Tuesday that lists consumers favorite grocery stores. Let us just say that Wal-Mart is not going to be too happy.
The results were compiled from more than 24,000 responses across the nation. Wegmans, Trader Joes and Publix came in as the country’s favorite grocery stores, while Wal-mart, Pathmark and Shaw’s were the least favorite.
Ratings on the grocery stores included service, cleanliness and prices. Readers also got a chance to complain about their least favorite things about the stores. One top complaint was that there aren’t enough check out lines. Clutter aisles, and sale items that weren’t actually in stock were other complaints.
As to a reason why someone would switch store loyalty? Grocery food prices was the top reason. With food prices rising everywhere, this is not surprising. Forty-three percent of the people surveyed said that they switched stores looking for lower prices.
Lower prices are getting harder and harder to find these days. Combining coupons with sales and rebates can certainly help lower the grocery bill, as well as shopping for items that are whole and unprocessed, another thing that is getting harder to find.
You might have to trade off convenience for pricing with some store. Wal-mart rated high in good prices, although it was ranked low in everything else. Aldi’s is a low cost supermarket, but you’ll get no frills, no name brands and even no grocery bags.
Sometimes you can improve your experience at the grocery store just by the timing of when you shop. Shopping when the store is not busy can go a long way to relieving congested aisles and long lines at the checkout. You may also be more likely to find all of the sale items that you need when you shop before the mad rush of the weekend. Ask the manager when the delivery truck is expected and shop right after it is scheduled to arrive. This way, you will have first pick of the sales and stock items.
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