Kroger is Most Loved Grocer: Survey

The Kroger Co. is the grocer American consumers love most, according to the results of a new survey from Morning Consult.

Cincinnati-based Kroger earned a net favorable score of 53 percent, while Whole Foods Market, based in Austin, Texas, and being acquired by Amazon, is 5 points behind at 48 percent, according to Morning Consult’s Most Loved Brands.

This difference comes largely from the fact that more people have an unfavorable opinion of Whole Foods – 13 percent to Kroger’s 9 percent, Morning Consult reported.

Kroger’s higher score is also driven by how much money respondents earn. When breaking down adults by income, Kroger edges out Whole Foods in every category.

The gap is widest among people with lower incomes: Kroger has a net favorable score with half of people making less than $50,000, while Whole Foods garners a net favorable score of 44 percent. Among the highest earners, there was a virtual tie: Kroger has a net favorable score of 60 percent with people making more than $100,000; Whole Foods has a score of 59 percent with the same group.

University of Pennsylvania Professor David Reibstein said this could reflect the fact that opinion is not just based on one measure, like the quality of the food, but the entire experience including factors like cost and convenience. “This goes beyond just brand,” Reibstein told Morning Consult. “It’s not just the name itself.”

Safeway, Albertsons and Publix rounded out the top five most loved grocers in the survey.

Hershey led the most-loved food and beverage brands with 73 percent. Amazon led among overall brands with 76 percent, and was also the most-loved ecommerce retailer.

Morning Consult’s Best Loved Brands Spring 2017 uses nearly 200,000 interviews with American adults to provide an in-depth view of the companies, organizations and brands that define American culture and commerce.