Market Force Information is out with its annual grocery industry study, polling more than 10,000 consumers across the country to rank the nation's favorite grocery stores.
This year, for the first time in four years, Trader Joe's did not rank number one, and was supplanted in that position by Wegmans. Publix ranked second, followed by Trader Joe's, Hy-Vee, and Aldi.
The study also revealed that "Aldi was the price leader, followed by WinCo and Costco," and "Publix led in fast checkouts, cleanliness and item availability." Almost half of customers polled preferred to buy organic products, 27 percent are buying prepared foods at least weekly, and almost eight out of ten "plan their grocery shopping based on the deals in the weekly circular."
And, the study said, "Despite the rise in alternative shopping and delivery methods, 99% still do their grocery shopping traditionally – a trip to the store to buy and bring home products. In the past 90 days, just 5% ordered online for home delivery, 2% ordered online and picked up groceries in-store, and 2% used 'Click and Collect' – ordering online and collecting through the grocer’s drive-up."
One important note: "Of the 4% who have ever tried Click and Collect, 73% were satisfied with the experience and nearly half are repeat users."
This year, for the first time in four years, Trader Joe's did not rank number one, and was supplanted in that position by Wegmans. Publix ranked second, followed by Trader Joe's, Hy-Vee, and Aldi.
The study also revealed that "Aldi was the price leader, followed by WinCo and Costco," and "Publix led in fast checkouts, cleanliness and item availability." Almost half of customers polled preferred to buy organic products, 27 percent are buying prepared foods at least weekly, and almost eight out of ten "plan their grocery shopping based on the deals in the weekly circular."
And, the study said, "Despite the rise in alternative shopping and delivery methods, 99% still do their grocery shopping traditionally – a trip to the store to buy and bring home products. In the past 90 days, just 5% ordered online for home delivery, 2% ordered online and picked up groceries in-store, and 2% used 'Click and Collect' – ordering online and collecting through the grocer’s drive-up."
One important note: "Of the 4% who have ever tried Click and Collect, 73% were satisfied with the experience and nearly half are repeat users."
- KC's View:
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Y'think the Wegmans folks ever get tired of being ranked at the top of pretty much every relevant retailing list? Y'think they ever worry about resting on their laurels and breathing their own exhaust to the extent that they take their foot off the gas pedal a bit? (Man, am I mixing my metaphors here!) I doubt it ... but in so many ways I think complacency has to be Wegmans' biggest potential problem.
I also think that companies not in the e-commerce business should avoid any level of complacency about the low numbers cited in this study. All they tell us is how much growth there is in this segment, and they, in fact, should be very worried about it. They can be part of that growth, or they can be left behind.
Their choice.
