AUSTIN, Texas — While H-E-B may only be a Texas thing, the grocery store chain consistently ranks as one of the best in the U.S.
For the fourth time in the past eight years, H-E-B was rated the best grocer in the U.S., according to a study from dunnhumby–a customer data science platform.
The dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index (RPI) looked at the 72 largest grocery retailers in the country and ranked them based on financial results and customer perception. More than 11,000 consumers were surveyed for the study.
H-E-B has been in the top spot of dunnhumby’s annual study three of the last four years, which the study attributes to its “long-term customer value proposition.”
Regional grocery stores in general dominated the top spots in the study.
Behind H-E-B, Market Basket–a northeastern U.S. chain based in Massachusetts–came in at No. 2, Costco at No. 3, WinCo Foods–a western U.S. chain based in Idaho–at No. 4 and Aldi rounded out the top five.
The customer data science platform found that H-E-B has separated itself from the competition because of the chain’s “superior ability to deliver a combination of better savings, quality, shopping experience and assortment.” The study also said that what used to be a battle for the top spot is now a battle for second place behind H-E-B.
“This year’s RPI shows that the fundamentals still apply as H-E-B has proven year over year. Any format can win,” said Matt O’Grady, dunnhumby’s president of the Americas. “The first step is to understand your customers and how customers perceive you. Secondly, prioritize efforts to save your customers money that is consistent with your positioning. And finally, use the RPI as a framework to help you determine where you should invest and where you should make tradeoffs.”
Meanwhile, Kroger and Albertsons suffered a drop in rankings because of issues involving their merger, which has been halted by a federal judge.
People surveyed for the study said that “saving customers money” was the most important reason for a retailer’s favorable rating.
