Charlotte has 6 of the top 10 grocery stores in the U.S., report says. Which is best?

From the city to the suburbs, there are a lot of grocery stores across the Charlotte area, including some of the best in the country.

A recent study from Solitaired reveals the best and worst grocery chains in the U.S. based on Google reviews from 3,000 individual grocery stores across 100 cities detailing customer service, food quality, prices, speed of checkout lines.

Of all the grocery store chains across the country, most of the top-rated chains in the U.S. have locations around Charlotte, including: Trader Joe’s, Costco, Publix, Lidl, ALDI and The Fresh Market.

Top 10 best major grocery store chains in the U.S.

• Trader Joe’s

• Costco

• Wegmans

• Publix

• Central Market

• H-E-B

• WinCo Foods

• Lidl

• ALDI

• The Fresh Market

But Charlotte also has several Walmart stores, which was named one of the worst chains in the country.

Top 10 worst major grocery store chains in the U.S.

• King Soopers

• Save A Lot

• Kroger

• Walmart

• Giant Eagle

• ACME

• Safeway

• Piggly Wiggly

• Jewel-Osco

• Fred Meyer

Of the best chains around Charlotte, one of the local stores was also named one of the overall top locations in America too.

According to the study, Trader Joe’s makes up 90% of the best grocery stores. Based on ratings and reviews, the local store in the University area on East Arbors Drive is the 4th best grocery store in the country— the only North Carolina store among the top 10. The Metropolitan location was ranked no. 26.

“Trader Joe’s dominates this list with 45 locations, exemplifying its success in delivering a high-quality customer experience,” the report says. “The presence of stores like Central Market and Monnettes’ Market in Toledo among the Trader Joe’s on our list indicates that smaller or less nationally recognized stores can also achieve remarkable levels of customer satisfaction.”

You can find more information about the full study and survey online at solitaired.com/worst-and-best-grocery-stores-in-america.

This story was originally published February 26, 2024 at 7:00 AM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription