According to USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Hy-Vee has been voted the best grocery store in America. It takes the top spot among the country’s most-loved supermarkets.
The employee-owned corporation said in a press release that this is the first year Hy-Vee has ranked No. 1. In previous years, the company has ranked within the top three spots.
From the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Hy-Vee was also voted America’s Best Grocery Store for Produce and ranked the No. 2 Best Grocery Store for Prepared Food nationwide.
Founded nearly 95 years ago, Hy-Vee has become known for its superior service and commitment to quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, and culinary expertise.
Today, the retailer operates more than 570 supermarkets in nine Midwestern states, with more than $13 billion in annual sales and more than 75,000 employees.
The USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards is conducted annually. A panel of experts nominates 20 supermarkets as the best in the U.S. for their offerings, selection, and excellent service.
USA TODAY readers cast their votes during a 28-day voting period, and the nominated stores with the most votes are designated the Readers’ Choice for their category.
The other nine supermarkets part of the USA Today’s 10Best are:
- No. 2. The Fresh Market: This specialty grocery retailer, founded in 1982 in Greensboro, NC, operates 161 locations in 22 states.
- No. 3. Heinen’s Grocery Store: The family-owned regional chain was founded in 1929 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It has 23 supermarkets, 19 in the Cleveland area and four in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. Heinen’s employs more than 3,000 associates.
- No. 4. Stew Leonard’s: Founded in 1969 with seven employees, Stew Leonard’s has grown to become not only the World’s Largest Dairy Store but also one of the most renowned grocery stores, with annual sales of almost $500 million and more than 2,500 team Members. In addition to the headquarters store in Norwalk, Stew Leonard’s has stores in Danbury and Newington, CT; Farmingdale, East Meadow & Yonkers, NY; and Paramus and Clifton, NJ.
- No. 5: Gelson’s Markets: Founded in 1951, Gelson’s currently operates 27 full-service specialty grocery stores in Southern California.
Related Article: U.S. Latino Economic Output Reaches $3.6 Trillion
- No. 6: ALDI: Based in Batavia, IL, the German discount grocery chain began operating in the USA in 1976. It has nearly 2,400 stores nationwide, nearly 50 million monthly customers, and more than 49,000 workers.
- No. 7. Publix Super Markets: Founded in 1930 in Winter Haven, Florida, the grocer is the largest employee-owned company in the United States. In 2022, it reached $54.5 billion in retail sales. With 1,378 supermarkets in the Southeast, it currently employs over 255,000 people.
- No. 8: Trader Joe’s: Founded in 1967, Trader Joe’s is a national chain of neighborhood grocery stores with 500+ stores in 42 states and over 50,000 employees.
- No. 9. Wegmans Food Markets: The company was founded in 1916 in Rochester, New York. It has over 110 stores, 54,000 employees, and $12.5 billion in annual sales.
- No. 10. Fresh Thyme Market: Based in Downers Grove, Illinois, this neighborhood-focused grocer was founded in 2014 and has 71 supermarkets in 10 states throughout the Midwest.