Grocery store edges out Publix as America's favorite
Publix and Trader Joe's had previously been tied in the American Customer Satisfaction Index rankings
Trader Joe's has notched the top spot on the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 supermarket rankings.
According to the "Satisfaction Benchmarks by Company" list, Trader Joe's earned an 86 compared to second-place Publix's 84. H-E-B came in third with an 83.
The web page notes that "2026 results" are based on data collected from January to December 2025.
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The entrance to a Publix Super Market on July 30, 2024, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
The 2025 rankings placed both of the popular grocery chains at 84.
Giant Eagle was the worst performer in the ACSI's 2026 rankings, earning just a 73. It also placed last the prior year with a 74.
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A Trader Joe's logo is displayed on a sign outside a market on Jan. 9, 2026, in San Diego, Calif. (Kevin Carter / Getty Images)
Publix's footprint is confined to just eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, according to the company's website.
There are more Publix locations in Florida, the state in which it was founded, than in all other seven states combined, the site's store count indicates.
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Miami Beach, Florida, Publix grocery store supermarket, produce organic apples fruit display. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Trader Joe's has locations in 42 states, as well as the District of Columbia, according to its website.