US retail giant Walmart is one of the least satisfying chains to shop at, according to a survey by Consumer Reports (CR).
The research report found that Walmart, where the highest percentage of survey respondents shopped (14%), landed near the bottom of CR’s ratings, with low scores for service and perishables.
Rival retailer Target Corp. proved better than many chains but has only 200 locations with a full grocery store inside.
Among the most satisfying chains to shop at were Wegmans and Trader Joe’s supermarkets.
However, the biggest gripe for consumers was about not enough open checkout lanes, with Walmart the worst offender.
Half of the respondents who shopped there said that not enough lanes were open. Other leading gripes: congested aisles and out-of-stock advertised specials. One-third of all respondents reported that they had switched stores, usually in search of lower prices.
The survey found it is hard to find the ‘perfect store’. Respondents found Trader Joe’s, Costco, Market Basket, WinCo, Aldi, and Sav-a-Lot to be better than others at offering low prices.
Wegmans and Whole Foods, offered “praiseworthy” meat and produce and Wegmans, Trader Joes and Raley’s earned high marks for service.
Consumer Reports asked 32,599 respondents about their experiences at supermarkets, supercenters, or warehouse clubs in the past year. In total, Consumer Reports Ratings include information from 48,831 store visits.
