H-E-B dominates among U.S. grocery rankings for 3rd consecutive year
The above video is KXAN coverage from Dec. 4, 2024, and highlighted the grand opening of the revamped South Congress Avenue storefront.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Everything's bigger in Texas — including the love for H-E-B.
H-E-B maintained its rankings as the top U.S. grocery retailer for the third year standing, according to the annual retailer preference index report released last week by customer data science source dunnhumby. The analysis evaluated the 72 largest retailers and comprised intel from 11,000 U.S. consumers surveyed.
Dunnhumby then compiled its rankings based on prices, promotions and rewards, quality level, digital access, speed and convenience along with operations. The report's findings detailed H-E-B's capability to generate long-term success, coinciding with other top-tier regional grocers like Market Basket and WinCo Foods.
Included customer feedback praised H-E-B for its affordability, food freshness and quality, store layouts, curbside offerings as well as "strong community support," particularly during times of need. Suggested changes included better means of keeping products well stocked, mitigations to overcrowded stores and proposed offering some form of a loyalty or rewards points program on the H-E-B app.
The highest-ranked grocers in the country broke down as follows:
- H-E-B
- Market Basket
- Costco Wholesale
- WinCo Foods
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Trader Joe's
- Sam's Club
- Wegmans
- ShopRite
- Walmart
- Walmart Neighborhood Market
- Publix
- Meijer
- BJ's
- Lidl
- Kroger
- Hannaford
Headquartered in San Antonio, the Texas grocery chain operates more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico. The chain has an especially critical footprint in Austin, serving as the city's largest private employer with more than 24,000 employees, per the Austin Business Journal's July 2024 rankings.
Several new storefronts or revamped locations are in the pipeline here in the Austin area. The grocer celebrated the opening of its newly renovated South Congress store in December, and work is underway on a new location at McKinney Falls Parkway and William Cannon Drive. That store — set to launch construction this year and open in 2027 — is one of a dozen major projects in development, with six new stores and six remodeling and expansion projects in the pipeline as of late November.