3 Grocery Stores That Are Helping You Fight Inflation Best
Written by
Gina Hagler
Edited by
Cynthia Measom
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A June survey of 1,023 Americans (aged 18 and older) included several questions regarding major grocery store chains. When respondents were asked which grocery store they think provides the best value in 2024, Walmart, ALDI and Costco were the top three answers.
When asked about which grocery store chain they feel has lowered prices the most to combat inflation over the last year, the same three stores received the most responses. Over a third (34.15%) of respondents said Walmart. The second-most popular response was ALDI, with 19.86%, and Costco had the third-highest response rate, at 8.41%.
Based on this information, there is the question of what these three grocery store chains are doing in particular to impress consumers regarding the battle with inflation.
How Walmart Is Helping Consumers Fight Inflation
According to Quartz, Walmart’s awareness of how inflation limits their customers’ spending, combined with the fact that their target demographic leans toward lower-income consumers, means it couldn’t raise prices to improve its profitability. Instead, it had to go the route of offering a wide range of discounts.
Also, Walmart, and the other stores to a lesser extent, offers numerous products other than groceries, like electronics and clothing. As a result, they have the opportunity to attract more consumers with discounting items.
Furthermore, Walmart is one grocery chain that has been the subject of consumer frustrations regarding prices. The store rolled back prices on almost 7,000 food items during the first quarter of 2024, as explained by CNBC. This large measure could certainly have influenced consumers’ perceptions of the chain. Consumers who choose chains like Walmart for the low prices place greater pressure on the company to maintain this as their primary draw.
How Aldi Is Helping Consumers Fight Inflation
During May of this year, ALDI announced that it would be providing $100 million in savings through Labor Day on over 250 items that already have “everyday low prices.” The company’s willingness to continue valuing affordability can explain why Americans felt that it was doing a good job, at least comparatively to other major chains.
It’s especially interesting to compare ALDI to Whole Foods, another company in the survey that did not fare as well. In fact, Whole Foods received a significant number of responses (21.04%) from those who stopped shopping there due to the high prices — only 1.86% thought that they were combating inflation the most. Whole Foods doesn’t market itself based on relative affordability like the three previous stores. This is partially understandable, as organic and higher-quality ingredients are costly.
How Costco Is Aiding Consumers in Their Flight Against Inflation
Costco is known for bulk shopping deals, which help fight inflation. The math behind lower prices for bulk deals is clear, according to a CNET report. It’s not just a matter of selling the same amount of product with less packaging in the form of fewer individual boxes and containers, but also that “producers, distributors and retailers are able to offer lower prices in this way not only because bulk items often require les packaging, but also because for them it’s a sure sale over a potential sale.”
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