- H-E-B remains America’s most trusted grocery retailer for the fourth year in a row, according to Dunnhumby’s 2025 Retailer Preference Index, which found regional chains dominating the top spots.
- With 56% of Americans unable to cover a $400 emergency, shoppers are prioritizing affordability and reliability — making price, promotions, and rewards the biggest drivers of customer loyalty.
- Regional grocers like H-E-B and Market Basket are thriving by understanding local needs and offering dependable, well-priced options that build trust during financially uncertain times.
Americans are shopping for groceries as if their budgets depend on it—because they do. According to Dunnhumby’s ninth annual Retailer Preference Index, Texas-based H-E-B claimed the top spot as the nation’s most preferred grocery retailer for the fourth year in a row. For the first time in the report’s history, regional chains swept all three of the top positions, signaling a shift in where shoppers are placing their trust.
The pressure behind that shift is real. Dunnhumby’s Consumer Trends Tracker shows that 56% of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency, and roughly 58 million people are now facing food insecurity, forcing many to skip meals just to save money. For many households, the grocery store has become one of the few places where they still feel some control over their finances.
“2025 threw a lot of curveballs at the U.S. consumer,” said Matt O’Grady, President of the Americas for Dunnhumby. “Shopper confidence dropped as concerns about higher prices, fewer job opportunities, and stagnant wages eroded purchasing power. Consumers across all income levels are feeling the squeeze and making more price-conscious choices. In this environment, building trust with American shoppers has never been more critical.”
How Dunnhumby measures grocery store loyalty
Dunnhumby is a customer data science company that has published its Retailer Preference Index (RPI) annually since 2017. The report ranks grocery retailers that make the strongest case for shopping there. To build those rankings, Dunnhumby analyzes consumer and financial data for 72 of the largest supermarket, discount, superstore, club, and online retailers in the country, examining how shoppers feel about where they buy groceries and why.
What gives the RPI its weight is its predictive power. According to Dunnhumby, retailers that rank higher grow up to 2.5 times more over the long term than those that rank lower. Ignoring what shoppers care about can cost a retailer up to 25% of its revenue over five years. The report offers more than a snapshot of who’s winning. It shows how shopper priorities stack up and what happens when retailers miss them.
What the rankings get right about the future of grocery shopping
This year’s top 10 grocery retailers, according to Dunnhumby’s Retailer Preference Index, are H-E-B, Market Basket, Woodman’s, Costco, Aldi, WinCo Foods, Trader Joe’s, Amazon, Wegmans, and ShopRite. For the first time in the report’s history, the top three spots are held entirely by regional chains, signaling a meaningful shift in how Americans are choosing where to shop.
At the center of that shift is money. Saving it matters more now than at any point since the report began. Price, promotions, and rewards account for 41% of a retailer’s long-term success, up three percentage points from last year. Quality still plays an important role, but it carries less weight than before. At the same time, digital experience has softened, while in-store fundamentals — dependability, speed, and the ability to get in and out efficiently — have become more important.
| RANK | SUPERMARKET CHAIN |
| 1 | H-E-B |
| 2 | Market Basket |
| 3 | Woodman’s |
| 4 | Costco |
| 5 | Aldi |
| 6 | WinCo Foods |
| 7 | Trader Joe’s |
| 8 | Amazon |
| 9 | Wegmans |
| 10 | ShopRite |
| 11 | Walmart |
| 12 | Walmart Neighborhood Market |
| 13 | Publix |
| 14 | Sam’s Club |
| 15 | Lidl |
H-E-B and Market Basket stand out because they capture a larger share of their customers’ grocery spending than most competitors. That advantage comes from how deeply they understand their shoppers. H-E-B understands Texas. Market Basket understands New England. When a store consistently stocks what local families actually cook and prices it in a way that respects tight budgets, loyalty follows.
Trader Joe’s made one of the biggest moves this year, jumping eight spots in the rankings. The chain isn’t nationwide, but where it operates, it delivers on both value and the feeling of making smart choices. Its limited selection is part of the appeal. At a time when everything feels expensive and overwhelming, not being flooded with options has real value.
How loyalty is earned (and lost) at the grocery store
The year’s biggest “decliners” tell a different story. Seven of the 18 retailers that fell in the rankings were Kroger or Albertsons banners. Between the failed merger, ongoing court cases, and public disputes over pricing, the narrative surrounding those brands leaned toward corporate maneuvering rather than customer care. Shoppers noticed.
Taken together, the data shows Americans shopping with intention. Savings and quality matter enough that many consumers are willing to visit multiple stores to get both. In uncertain times, they are gravitating toward retailers that feel familiar, dependable, and grounded in their communities.
How shoppers decide where to spend their grocery dollars
Dunnhumby evaluates retailers across five pillars: Price, Promotions, and Rewards; Quality; Digital; Operations; and Speed and Convenience.
These pillars are not weighted equally. Price, Promotions, and Rewards combined with Quality account for 71% of what drives long-term success, and those are the areas where shoppers are most focused right now.
Market Basket, WinCo Foods, and Aldi lead on Price, Promotions, and Rewards, with Aldi standing out for consistently low base prices that don’t require coupons. Kroger banners perform best on loyalty programs, while Costco and H-E-B excel in private-brand savings. On Quality, Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, and Sprouts lead overall, with Trader Joe’s earning particularly strong marks for customer service.
| Top supermarket chains for Price, Promotions, and Rewards | |
|---|---|
| RANK | SUPERMARKET CHAIN |
| 1 | Market Basket |
| 2 | WinCo Foods |
| 3 | Aldi |
| 4 | Food 4 Less |
| 5 | Walmart |
| 6 | Marc’s |
| 7 | Lidl |
| 8 | Grocery Outlet |
| 9 | H-E-B |
| 10 | Save A Lot |
For the second year in a row, digital engagement matters less. Amazon, Target, and Sam’s Club still dominate the Digital pillar, but they do not lead elsewhere. Instead, Speed and Convenience, led by Fareway, Publix, and Brookshire’s, and Operations, led by Costco, BJ’s, and Market Basket, are rising, reflecting how smooth and reliable the in-store experience feels.
H-E-B appears near the top across nearly every pillar, from promotions and quality to local assortment and app experience. That balance is what keeps it firmly in the number one spot.
