Aldi Takes The Crown As Most Popular Grocery Store In America

Everyone likes a fast, hassle-free grocery shopping experience where they can buy their food at low prices. This is exactly what you get at Aldi, which is likely one of the reasons the chain was voted as the most popular grocery store in America in 2022, based on the results of an online poll.

The Albrecht brothers opened the first Aldi in the United States (in Iowa) in 1976, 15 years after establishing the very first store in Germany, according to CNBC. Ever since then, more stores have been popping up all over the country, drawing in customers with the promise of a "no-frills shopping experience."

Aldi's website claims there are more than 2,200 locations in the United States, but there are also dozens of other grocery chains that people can shop at. YouGovAmerica wanted to find out which one of those chains Americans liked the best, so they conducted a poll that asked them to share their opinions about various grocery stores. The stores that ranked at the top of the list were considered the most popular, based on the amount of positive feedback.

Aldi gained the most positive feedback from millennials

Aldi snatched the top spot as the most popular grocery store after 65% of YouGovAmerica poll adult respondents offered a positive opinion about the chain, beating Trader Joe's by 2%. Rounding out the top five were Kroger with 61%, 7-Eleven with 60%, and Whole Foods Markets with 57%. Aldi received an even higher percentage of positive feedback (70%) specifically among millennials.

In addition to the no-frills shopping experience and low prices, Aldi is known for its small stores and the need for a quarter every time you shop if you want to use a cart. So unlike other stores, you won't have to worry about shopping carts rolling around in the parking lot. Aldi also offers brands that offer healthy and diet-specific products. These include 100% gluten-free, 100% plant-based, and organic foods (via Aldi).

Speaking of products, to complement the honor of the "most popular grocery store" recognition, Aldi won seven Product of the Year awards in the same year. The poll results don't reveal the specific comments that respondents made about Aldi. However, it's possible that these factors played a role in the positive opinions that caused the chain to take the crown as the most popular grocery store in America.