Written and compiled by David Reich-Hale and Phil Nobile of Newsday. Consumer Reports released its list of top supermarkets for 2015. The breakdown includes how supermarkets performed regionally. Not all supermarkets were rated, but most were. For instance, King Kullen did not receive a ranking.
Consumer Reports sent out a survey to its readers, asking them to rate the stores on cleanliness, service, local produce and more. It said 62,917 subscribers responded to the survey. The publication said if there was not enough data collected, a supermarket chain would not be scored.
According to Consumer Reports, a score of 100 would mean all respondents were completely satisfied. It defined a score of 80 as having very satisfied, while 60 reflected fairly well satisfied shoppers. It added that “differences of fewer than six points are not meaningful.”
Two of the more popular supermarkets in the area, Stop & Shop and Waldbaum’s, were ranked. Stop & Shop scored a 70, and Waldbaum’s 64, the lowest score in the northeast. Pathmark, which has the same parent company as Waldbaum’s, also didn’t score highly.
Here is a list of the top supermarkets in the Northeast, as rated by Consumer Reports readers. To see Consumer Reports’ methodology, data and more, click here.
1. Wegmans
(Credit: Wegmans.com)Wegmans is a very popular supermarket based in Rochester, N.Y., and it has stores in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Wegmans received the highest score of 90, and scored the highest ratings possible on nearly every category, including perishables, bakery, store-prepared food, cleanliness, healthy options, local product quantity.
2. Trader Joe’s
(Credit: Newsday / Audrey C. Tiernan)Trader Joe’s was the top chain on the list with operations on Long Island, and received an overall score of 87. Trader Joe’s ranked highly in cleanliness, price satisfaction, store brand quality and service. This is the Trader Joe’s in Garden City on Aug. 16, 2012.
3. Market Basket Grocery Stores
(Credit: marketbaskethq.com)Market Basket Grocery Stores, a chain in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, finished third on the list with a score of 85. It got highest marks in price satisfaction.
4. Costco
(Credit: Ian J. Stark)Strong ratings in store-prepared food and price satisfaction lifted Costco in the Consumer Reports rating on supermarkets in the Northeast. The store scored an 84. This Costco is in Westbury.
5. The Fresh Market
(Credit: Homegrown Iowan / Cindy Hadish)With an overall score of 83, The Fresh Market is No. 5 on the top supermarkets in the Northeast in 2015. The company received the highest ratings for perishables, store-prepared food, cleanliness and healthy options.
6. Aldi
(Credit: Aldi / Stuart Ramson)With a score of 81, Aldi landed at No. 6 on Consumer Reports’ top supermarkets in 2015 list. The chain received high marks in price satisfaction, service and cleanliness. Here, Queens residents gather in anticipation of the opening of New York City’s first-ever Aldi on Feb. 17, 2011.
7. Whole Foods Market
(Credit: Getty Images)Ranked at No. 7, Whole Foods Market received a score of 81 and high ratings in perishables, store-prepared food, cleanliness, healthy options and produce. This Whole Foods Market is in Providence, R.I.
8. Hannaford
(Credit: Hannaford/Facebook)Northeast stores in the Hannaford chain scored a 79 and received high marks for store-prepared food, cleanliness and healthy options to put it at No. 8. This Hannaford is in Auburn, Maine.
9. ShopRite
(Credit: Elaine Vuong)The ShopRite chain with supermarkets in Long Island ranked No. 9 among top supermarkets in the Northeast. It got high marks for price satisfaction and product variety. This ShopRite is in Bay Shore.
10. County Market
(Credit: Wikipedia / Billertl)County Market ranks No. 10, with a reader score of 78 and high marks in store-prepared food and cleanliness. For Long Islanders, the closest location is in western Pennsylvania. This County Market is in Ashland, Wis.
11. IGA
(Credit: Ian J. Stark)The IGA supermarkets received a score of 77 and pretty good marks in cleanliness and service. This IGA is in Greenport.
12. Giant Food Stores
(Credit: Wikipedia / Newkai)Giant Food Stores were scored at 76 by Consumer Reports shoppers in the Northeast. It got decent marks in product variety and cleanliness, placing it at No. 12. This Giant store is in Vestal, N.Y.
13. BJ’s Wholesale Club
(Credit: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)BJ’s scored a 76 with a good mark in price satisfaction.
14. Big Y
(Credit: Wikipedia / John Phelan)Big Y, a New England chain, received a score of 76 and received good marks in cleanliness and store-prepared food. This Big Y location is in Palmer, Mass.
15. Target
(Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)The Target grocery section received a score of 75 with good marks for cleanliness and price satisfaction.
16. Sam’s Club
(Credit: Getty Images)Sam’s Club scored a 74 with a good mark for price satisfaction.
17. Price Chopper
(Credit: Wikipedia / John Sposato )Price Chopper received a score of 73.
18. Food Lion
(Credit: Food Lion/FoodLion.com)Food Lion landed at No. 18 on the top supermarkets list, receiving its highest marks in service and price satisfaction and an overall score of 73.
19. Weis
(Credit: Wikipedia / Captadam)Weis supermarkets received a score of 73 and the No. 19 spot on Consumer Reports’ list.
20. Giant Eagle
(Credit: Giant Eagle/Facebook)Giant Eagle received a score of 72 and a high mark in cleanliness, giving it the No. 20 spot.
21. Stop & Shop
(Credit: Ian J. Stark/Newsday)Stop & Shop landed low on Consumer Reports’ 2015 supermarkets list, getting the No. 21 spot with an overall score of 70. The chain received its lowest marks in service, local product quantity and price of natural or organic options.
22. Acme
(Credit: Wikipedia / TastyPoutine)Acme received an overall score of 70, giving it the No. 22 spot on the top supermarkets list. Their lowest marks were for price satisfaction, organic or natural prices and local product quantity.
23. Tops Markets
(Credit: Wikipedia / IanManka)Tops Markets received an overall score of 67 and very low marks in price of natural or organic products, giving it the No. 23 spot.
24. Shaw’s
(Credit: Shaws/Facebook)With an overall score of 67, Shaw’s came in No. 24 on the supermarkets list and received its lowest marks in cleanliness and price satisfaction.
25. Pathmark
(Credit: Getty Images)Pathmark received a score of 66 and very low marks in almost all of the categories, including perishables, bakery, store-prepared food, service and cleanliness. The chain was No. 25 this year.
26. A&P
(Credit: Wikipedia)A&P received a score of 64 and very low marks in service, price satisfaction and local product quantity, giving it the No. 26 spot.
27. Walmart Supercenter
(Credit: Getty Images)Walmart’s grocery store section received an overall score of 64 and very low marks in perishables, bakery options, service, cleanliness and more. It received a high mark in price satisfaction.
28. Waldbaum’s
(Credit: Adam Daley)Coming in dead last, Waldbaum’s received an overall score of 64 and the lowest marks possible in many categories, including perishables, bakery, store-prepared food, service, price satisfaction, local product quantity, product variety and more.
