Not all supermarkets are created equal. For many Americans, stopping by a chain supermarket has become a major chore, involving long lines, rude employees, unsanitary conditions and poor selection.
Consumer Reports recently conducted a survey of more than 24,000 shoppers to rank the best and worst out of 52 grocery store chains – and the results show just how disappointing customer experience can be at some megastores.
Back in 1930, King Kullen Grocery Company in New York’s Long Island became the first supermarket (though some have disputed the claim) that offered a one-stop-shopping experience for groceries. Today, Walmart is currently the largest grocer, accounting for 22 percent of American food sales in 2010, followed by Kroger, Costco and Safeway. The portion of the market taken up by the four largest grocers in the U.S. continues to increase – accounting for 37 percent of food sales in 2010, up from less than 4 percent in 1912.
The consolidation has given consumers fewer shopping options – more than half of those surveyed by Consumer Reports had at least one complaint about their current store, while nearly a third cited two or more issues. The biggest complaint was a lack of open checkouts, followed by crowded or dirty aisles.
More from the Fiscal Times:
12. Stop & Shop
Reader Score: 73
Location: NY, NJ, MA, RI, CT, PA
Year Founded: 1914 as Shopmate, 1947 as Stop & Shop
Despite its slogan “Great Food. Low Prices. Friendly Service,” Stop & Shop received only slightly-above average marks when it came to cleanliness, but mediocre scores on price, the quality of meat and produce, and service, which is to say, they’re not necessarily doing anything wrong, but they’re not doing much right.
11. ACME
Reader Score: 73
Location: PA, NJ, DE, MD
Year Founded: 1891
Acme’s shortcoming was on price, which received a less-than-satisfactory rating, though survey respondents were fairly satisfied with cleanliness, and neutral on food quality and service. Facing increased competition from other supermarkets, Acme laid off 900 part-time workers in 2010, and recently ended their popular “free Thanksgiving turkey” program for loyal customers to cut costs.
10. Ralph's
Reader Score: 73
Location: Southern CA
Year Founded: 1873
Ralphs, a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger and the oldest supermarket chain in the west, had similar marks as Stop & Shop – mediocre on everything but cleanliness, which was just above average. Ralphs had a strong presence in Northern California for years, but closed down all of their remaining northern locations in 2006.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.