According to the national indicator of customer evaluations of quality for U.S. products and services, the consumer experience and satisfaction have been in decline over the past few years.
The most common reasons for the decline in consumer satisfaction; not enough checkout lanes, jam-packed aisles, out-of-stocks and limited collection are among the most mutual grievances in Consumer Report’s annual look at supermarket customer satisfaction.
People look forward to better quality products, short lines, reasonable prices and most importantly clean shops. Even though online shopping is budding up, most people still rely on brick-and-mortar stores.
Below mentioned are the worst grocery store chains in America:
Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop, is a chain of supermarkets located in the northeastern United States. It was first founded in the year 1914 as Shopmate, and then in the year 1947 as Stop & Shop. The chain of supermarkets is located in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Regardless of its motto “Great Food. Low Prices. Friendly Service,” Stop & Shop is reviewed as only slightly above average when it comes to hygiene, but mediocre reviews are given about its price list, the quality of meat and produce, and service. The supermarket is also poorly marked for its checkout speed and pricing of its organic dishes.
ACME
Acme Markets Inc. is a supermarket chain founded in the year 1891 with 163 functioning stores all over Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Since the year 1999, it is a subsidiary of Albertsons, and part of its existence is in the Northeast too.
The struggling chain shortcoming was on the high price list and received an overall less-than-satisfactory rating. Even though ACME has earned average scores through survey respondents when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene. But the reviews are average regarding the food quality and service.
Opposed with increased competition from other supermarkets, Acme laid off 900 part-time workers in 2010, and in recent times ended their most popular “free Thanksgiving turkey” program for loyal customers to cut down on increasing costs.
Ralphs
Founded in 1873, Ralphs is an American supermarket chain. Located in Southern California, it is one of the largest subsidiaries of Cincinnati-based Kroger. Kroger also runs stores under the Food 4 Less and Foods Co. names in California.
Ralphs had a robust presence in Northern California for years but closed down all of their lasting northern locations in 2006.
Ralphs is reviewed as only slightly above average when it comes to hygiene, but mediocre reviews are given about its high price list, the quality of meat and produce, and service. The supermarket is also poorly marked for its checkout speed and pricing of its organic dishes.
Pick ‘n Save
Pick ‘n Save, operated by Roundy’s Supermarkets was founded in the year 1872. Having its chain of supermarkets in Wisconsin falls alongside Ralphs and Stop & Shop.
The superstore has received negative reviews for its high-priced products and services, not enough checkout lanes and jam-packed aisles. Nonetheless, the store has a good rating for its cleanliness and hygiene level.
The chain has thrashed about and struggled a lot in recent years as more and more competitors have launched their stores in nearby areas, and 62 employees at the corporate headquarters in Milwaukee were laid off in 2010 to cut down on expenses.
Food Lion
Founded in 1957, Food Lion originally known as Food Town is an American grocery store chain headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina. It runs over 1100 supermarkets in 10 states of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, employing over 63,000 people.
Food Lion is rated and reviewed as a mediocre grocery store across the board. Customers are not satisfied at all with its level of cleanliness, hygiene, service, food quality, or the price list.
Food Lion lately publicized that it would be shutting down almost 113 stores, including all Florida locations, and rethinking to develop a new and more efficient marketing strategy.
Weis Markets
Weis Markets, Inc. is a Mid-Atlantic food retailer based in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, founded in the year 1912. It presently runs 196 stores with over 23,000 employees in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, and Delaware.
Weis Markets is scored lower compared to Ralphs and Stop & Shop in the overall experience of a grocery store. An online review on Yelp exhibited that locations in Lancaster, PA and Odenton, MD had 2.5 stars out of 5, and a location in Chambersburg, PA had even a lower rating of 1.5-star.
The focal grievances were a lack of customer service and attention to customer needs at the store.
Giant Eagle
The company, Giant Eagle was founded in the year 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and incorporated on August 31, 1931. Giant Eagle is an American supermarket chain with stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland.
Giant Eagle rated high for prepared food selections and store cleanliness and hygiene. But, coming down to factors such as; competitive pricing and variety of organic selection, the store was given low marks by the customers.
Price being a focal point in any given scenario, customers will always compromise any flaw in a grocery store when they can find good-priced products and services.
Walmart Supercenter
Walmart Inc. founded in the year 1962 is an American multinational retail corporation. It operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.
With revenue as huge as $485.9 billion and a staff of 1.5 million associates employed in the U.S. alone, yet customers are not happy with the supercenter. Hence, size and power are not enough to keep customers satisfied.
As per customers they have performed the worst on the list of several categories, including cleanliness, staff courtesy, checkout speed, produce and meat quality, and local produce selection. The only category for which they ranked very good was competitive pricing.
Vons
Founded in the year 1906, Vons is a Southern California and Southern Nevada supermarket chain owned by Albertsons. It is headquartered in Fullerton, California, and runs stores under the Vons and Pavilions title. Earlier the acquirement by Albertsons, it was owned by Safeway Inc. and headquartered in Arcadia, California.
Ranking good only in areas of cleanliness and customer services, Vons has been marked unsatisfactory in the categories of pricing – having high end prices, slow checkout speed, limited range of organic selection and poor product quality.
Having locations in two states, Vons would attract more loyal customers if they worked on improving the factors mentioned above.
Price Chopper
Golub Corporation is an American supermarket operator. Headquartered in Schenectady, New York, it owns the chains Market 32 and Price Chopper Supermarkets.
In the year 1932, the company launched its supermarkets in New York’s Capital District and altered its name from Central Market to Price Chopper in 1973.
Price Chopper also termed as a discount grocery store scored the nastiest in the organic options portion of the poll.
With roots dating back to 1900 and operating more than 130 stores in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire, this store has only had a fair review when it came down to pricing, cleanliness, checkout speed and customer services.
Fascinatingly, the company quotes sustainability as a key edge for their go-forward approach.
Worst Grocery Store Chains in America – Conclusion
Supermarket buyers appreciate good quality products, fresh meat, fast and friendly customer service, competitive prices and complete store hygiene. Failure to observe these basic rudiments can be dreadful for retail chains.
The coronavirus pandemic has not only made a visit to a grocery store a very nerve-wracking experience but keeping a supermarket clean is paramount in keeping shoppers safe.
For most Americans nowadays, stopping by and shopping at a chain supermarket has become a foremost task. Thus, facing the trouble of long lines, slow checkout speed, rude employees, unsanitary conditions and poor selection is distress.
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