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This Is the Most Trustworthy Grocery Store in America, New Survey Finds

Consumers ranked 33 grocery chains, and a Southern favorite came out on top.

Trust is so important for so many different things, not the least of which is grocery shopping. You need to trust that the foods you buy are fresh and safe to consume, and that your chosen retailer is taking the right precautions to ensure the integrity of these products—and will take prompt action if, heaven forbid, a serious risk arises.

You also want to trust that you're being treated fairly as a customer, not exploited or squeezed by some unscrupulous manager that's running the place.

So, how trustworthy is your preferred grocer?

9 Best Regional Grocery Chains in America

Newsweek and market research firm Statista recently polled some 25,000 consumers to find out which U.S. companies ranked highest in terms of trustworthiness. The survey looked at 3,100 major businesses, including everything from auto makers and banks to food and beverage manufacturers. Only 700 were deemed trustworthy, based on the survey results.

A total of 33 grocery and convenience stores made the list, with Florida-based supermarket chain Publix ranked No. 1 among them.

publix exterior
Sadie Mantell / Shutterstock

The home of the famous "Pub Subs" is currently one of America's fastest-growing grocers, opening 25 new stores in 2022 with many more on the way, including its first location in Kentucky. Also known for its bakery, meat department, and high-quality store-brand items, the employee-owned supermarket chain routinely gets high marks for its positive workplace culture, which may have played a role in its survey success. (Newsweek's trustworthy poll considered employee as well as customer and investor perspectives.) Fortune ranked Publix among the 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2022.

Idaho-based WinCo Foods and Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. ranked 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Meanwhile, Harris Teeter, H-E-B, Brookshire's Food & Pharmacy, and the Fresh Market all landed in the Top 10.

Though not mentioned alongside the other grocery stores, America's three top-selling food retailers each earned a spot in the general retail category, with Amazon ranked first, Costco ranked fifth, and Walmart ranked 25th.

Oddly, Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market made the list in the food and beverage category, but not grocery. The organic supermarket chain ranked sixth, behind Quaker Oats, Hershey, Kellogg, Campbell Soup Co., and Gordon Food Service.

Chris Shott
Chris Shott is the Deputy Editor covering restaurants and groceries for Eat This, Not That! Read more about Chris