Dive Brief:
- Aldi has topped a list in which U.S. consumers are asked to rank discount food retailers for the fourth consecutive year.
- Costco came in second among the 6,200 people polled by research firm Market Force. Walmart, the biggest retailer in America, came in third.
- Aldi scored big on questions related to private labels, environmental practices, courteous staff, and fast check-outs.
Dive Insight:
The most-telling thing about this survey is that Aldi performed very well, even though the chain is still a pretty small player here in the States. Aldi operates 1,300 stores in the U.S. -- that's about half as many as the largest supermarket chain, Kroger -- and those stores are concentrated in the eastern half of the country.
But Aldi intends to be come a major player here -- promising to open 650 new stores and establish a nationwide footprint.
Also of note is that the Market Force survey measures consumers' perception. When discount food retailers are ranked solely on actual prices, Dollar General tops the list.