This Was Just Voted America's Top Grocery Store by USA Today Readers—and It's Not Trader Joe's or Aldi

realsimple ^ | September 12, 2024 | Carissa Chesanek

[ChicagoConservative27]

We all have our go-to grocery store for everyday needs, and America has spoken about its all-time favorite of 2024.

Each year, USA Today releases its 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for various categories, including the best grocery stores in the U.S. Nominations are made by a panel of experts, and the 10Best editors select the finalists. Readers then get a chance to vote for their favorites, and this year, it may surprise you which grocer came in the lead.

Best Grocery Store in the U.S. in 2024 Hy-Vee was voted the top grocery store in America in 2024 by USA Today readers. This employee-owned chain is predominately found in the Midwest with over 280 stores, but it is best known for providing "a helpful smile in every aisle.”

According to USA Today, the store “works with farmers to provide locally grown fruits and vegetables, and many of the locations offer food counters with colossal salad bars and items like meatloaf, Asian food, pizza, and fried chicken,” which could be why this is such a popular choice among shoppers today.

While Hy-Vee took the top spot, here's a look at the full list.

Hy-Vee The Fresh Market Heinen's Grocery Store Stew Leonard's Gelson's Markets Aldi Publix Super Markets Trader Joe's Wegmans Food Markets Fresh Thyme Market

[USAF1985]

Publix. There is no other competitor.

[Wallace T.]

HEB has finally come to the Dallas Fort Worth area. Their upscale brand, Central Market, has been here for over 20 years but only recently the main HEB brand has come to this area. I used to work with a woman who was from San Antonio. She was such an HEB fan that she would drive 35 miles to the nearest HEB in Waxahachie.

[Dr. Sivana]

Great coffee aisle.

Yes, and incredible Cheese aisle. Lives up to Wisconsin billing.

[Dr. Sivana]

Blank stares ensue, but at least it's not muzak and it's not "Hits from the 80's".

At our local Food City, which is aimed at Hispanics, the music is '70s Soul/Disco. Go figure. Just that location, too. The others play the mariachi music you'd expect.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Never been in any of these but Aldi and Trader Joe's.

I like Meijer for most things. They do tend to buy local which is nice.

[steve86]

I don’t know anything about exotic food ingredients like “wheat bread flour” lol; you’ll find me in the personal pizza and tv dinner aisles before passing through the Diet Coke section (true story).

[wally_bert]

Mostly an NC SC chain.

[SamAdams76]

Stew Leonards is phenomal. I go to the one in Danbury for my meats, fish, cheese, and produce. Very high quality. They make you walk through a maze of aisles before you find what you want so you need to keep your willpower about you.

[SharpRightTurn]

The Fresh Market stores are great.

[WVNan]

THERE YOU ARE! I was afraid I was the only person who ever heard of PIGGLY WIGGLY. I believe it is one of the oldest groceries. The first grocery store I saw was Piggly Wiggly in Southern Tennessee around about 1937 and I was 4 yrs old. Not so long ago our little town here in W.V. opened a Piggle Wiggly just a few blocks from where I live, and I was happy Happy Happy. I thought surely they had gone out of business since 1937, but there it was and I’ve walked down there many times. I feel like it got there just for me, by the Lord. It’s still good enough for me even if it’s too high $

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m here, Nan! *WAVES* :)

I shop Piggly Wiggly weekly specials and they always have some good discounts in produce and shelf-stable items. I get their ad in the mail each week as an insert to our local ‘Shopper’ newspaper.

Their store brand is good for canned goods and frozen veggies, coffee, flour, sugar, cereal, staples - Food Club - comparable to any of the national brands, IMHO.

Lots of LOCAL fresh veggies and fruits and I’m not sure if yours is the same, but meats are local, too. Wisconsin and Iowa for chicken and pork, at least. (I don’t buy beef - we raise our own.)

As an added bonus, the Manager is the same age as I am so there is always AWESOME 70’s & 80’s ‘Muzak’ playing in the store. ;)

Shop The Pig! :)

[SuperLuminal]

Never heard of it!
Must be fake news...

[murron]

I love Great Value mayonnaise.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Fresh Market has some good stuff, but very limited and very expensive.

Publix is a good general grocery store, but also pricey unless you are really into coupons.

I’ve been in Aldi once, left because they don’t have a lot of stuff I use regularly.

Never been to any of the others.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Exotic”

LOL. Bread is one tough recipe: flour, water, salt. Exotic stuff.

[GenXPolymath]

“H.E.B rules”

Truth! It took 15 years for HEB to finally make it yo North Texas. The Frisco location the one I like had to have door counters the first two weeks it opened to keep with fire code they were one in one out for at least two weeks with an hour long line outside. This is how popular they are. They still are slammed packed any day of the week 11-1 and 5-7 with lines waiting for carts to come back they are all in use poor cart boys running up a sweat. These are super Wal-Mart sized stores too not neighborhood market sized. Their oak smoked BBQ is as good as Hard Eight or any of the local BBQ places at half the cost too. Only Hutchins beats them at nearly three times the price point per lb.