According to Dunnhumby’s second annual Retailer Preference Index (RPI), Trader Joe’s was the top grocery retailer, followed by Costco, Amazon, H-E-B and Wegmans. In a survey of 7,000 U.S. households, the RPI examined 56 grocery retailers to determine which companies have the strongest combination of consumer emotional sentiment and financial performance.
Market Basket finished 6th, followed by Sam’s Club, Sprouts Farmers Markets, WinCo Foods, Walmart, Aldi, Peapod and The Fresh Market.
Dunnhumby said the rankings focused on seven “pillars”: price; quality; digital; operations; discounts, rewards and information; convenience; and speed.
The company concluded that the top retailers on the index are mostly nontraditional grocers that have developed a highly targeted offering to bolster the value perception for their customer base.
“More traditional, regional grocery banners with a long history are hurting because of it, having relatively poorer-performing financials and/or emotional bonds,” Dunnhumby said. “The reason: These traditional banners have inferior price perception and/or quality.”
Trader Joe’s also finished atop the rankings last year.