---
title: "Grocery chains in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the supermarket chains people in the US do their grocery shopping at. Share of Search among Trader Joe's, Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Meijer, Food Lion, Wegmans, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, WinCo Foods and Albertsons, the grocery chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-grocery-chains"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Grocery chains in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the supermarket chains people in the US do their grocery shopping at. Share of Search among Trader Joe's, Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Meijer, Food Lion, Wegmans, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, WinCo Foods and Albertsons, the grocery chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Grocery chains
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 12
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Trader Joe's, 28.5%

## Which brand is most popular in search among grocery chains in the United States?

- In September 2026, Trader Joe's was the most searched among grocery chains in the United States, with an estimated 16.6M branded searches, 28.5% of all searches for the 12 we track.
- Aldi is in 2nd place, 12.8 percentage points behind at 15.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trader Joe's’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States increased from 26.9% to 28.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Aldi’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States decreased from 18% to 15.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kroger’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States increased from 12.1% to 12.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Publix’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States decreased from 8.1% to 7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whole Foods Market’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States decreased from 4.4% to 3.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trader Joe's’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 28.5% in September 2026 and was lowest at 22.7% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Aldi’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 19.4% in April 2026 and was lowest at 15.7% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kroger’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 14% in February 2026 and was lowest at 12.1% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Safeway’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 10.2% in July 2026 and was lowest at 7.5% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Publix’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 8.7% in December 2025 and was lowest at 6.6% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meijer’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 7.1% in December 2025 and was lowest at 5.1% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Food Lion’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 5.6% in July 2026 and was lowest at 4.2% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wegmans’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 4.7% in August 2026 and was lowest at 3.7% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whole Foods Market’s share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 5.1% in February 2026 and was lowest at 3.7% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Safeway rose from 5th to 4th among grocery chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Publix fell from 4th to 5th among grocery chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meijer, Food Lion, Wegmans, H-E-B, WinCo Foods and Albertsons held steady: their share of searches among grocery chains in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top grocery chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions, Aldi appeared every time. Aldi was recommended most often, coming first in one out of three answers. Trader Joe's was second, and H-E-B was third. Safeway, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Aldi | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Trader Joe's | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| H-E-B | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Publix | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Whole Foods Market | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| WinCo Foods | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Wegmans | 7th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Kroger | 8th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Safeway | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Meijer | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Food Lion | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Albertsons | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |

## Every AI answer about grocery chains

- Asked ChatGPT "Which grocery store chain is the best in the US?": 1. Trader Joe's, 2. Aldi, 3. H-E-B, 4. Whole Foods Market
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best supermarket chains in the US?": 1. H-E-B, 2. Trader Joe's, 3. Publix, 4. Aldi, 5. Wegmans, 6. Whole Foods Market, 7. Kroger, 8. WinCo Foods
- Asked ChatGPT "Which grocery chain in the US has the lowest prices?": 1. Aldi, 2. WinCo Foods

Not named in any answer: Safeway, Meijer, Food Lion and Albertsons.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Trader Joe's vs Aldi: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aldi-supermarkets-vs-trader-joes): 28.5% against 15.7% Share of Search.
- [Trader Joe's vs Kroger: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/kroger-vs-trader-joes): 28.5% against 12.8% Share of Search.
- [Trader Joe's vs Safeway: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/safeway-vs-trader-joes): 28.5% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [Trader Joe's vs Publix: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/publix-vs-trader-joes): 28.5% against 7% Share of Search.
- [Aldi vs Kroger: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aldi-supermarkets-vs-kroger): 15.7% against 12.8% Share of Search.
- [Aldi vs Safeway: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aldi-supermarkets-vs-safeway): 15.7% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [Aldi vs Publix: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aldi-supermarkets-vs-publix): 15.7% against 7% Share of Search.
- [Kroger vs Safeway: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/kroger-vs-safeway): 12.8% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [Kroger vs Publix: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/kroger-vs-publix): 12.8% against 7% Share of Search.
- [Safeway vs Publix: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/publix-vs-safeway): 8.6% against 7% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States grocery chains in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Trader Joe's gained share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 23.3% to 28.5%.
- In September 2026, Aldi lost share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 19% to 15.7%.
- In September 2026, Meijer lost share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 7% to 5.7%.
- In September 2026, H-E-B rose from 11th to 10th among grocery chains in the United States.
- In September 2026, Publix rose from 6th to 5th among grocery chains in the United States.
- In September 2026, WinCo Foods fell from 10th to 11th among grocery chains in the United States.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Whole Foods Market in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 2.7M to 2.2M in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Trader Joe's | 28.5% | 16.6M | +22.1% | Trader Joe's |
| 2 | Aldi | 15.7% | 9.1M | -17.7% | ALDI Australia |
| 3 | Kroger | 12.8% | 7.5M | 0.0% | Kroger |
| 4 | Safeway | 8.6% | 5M | 0.0% | Safeway |
| 5 | Publix | 7% | 4.1M | 0.0% | Publix |
| 6 | Meijer | 5.7% | 3.4M | -18.1% | Meijer |
| 7 | Food Lion | 4.7% | 2.7M | 0.0% | Food Lion |
| 8 | Wegmans | 4.7% | 2.7M | 0.0% | Wegmans |
| 9 | Whole Foods Market | 3.8% | 2.2M | 0.0% | Whole Foods Market |
| 10 | H-E-B | 3.1% | 1.8M | 0.0% | H-E-B |
| 11 | WinCo Foods | 2.7% | 1.6M | -15.0% | WinCo Foods |
| 12 | Albertsons | 2.6% | 1.5M | 0.0% | Albertsons |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 26.9% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Aldi | 11.1M | 18% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.1% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Publix | 5M | 8.1% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Safeway | 5M | 8.1% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Meijer | 3.4M | 5.4% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.4% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.4% | 8 |
| Oct 2025 | Whole Foods Market | 2.7M | 4.4% | 9 |
| Oct 2025 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3% | 10 |
| Oct 2025 | WinCo Foods | 1.7M | 2.7% | 11 |
| Oct 2025 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.4% | 12 |
| Nov 2025 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 24.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Aldi | 11.1M | 16.7% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Kroger | 9.1M | 13.7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Publix | 5M | 7.5% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Safeway | 5M | 7.5% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Meijer | 4.1M | 6.1% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Food Lion | 3.4M | 5% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Whole Foods Market | 3.4M | 5% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.1% | 9 |
| Nov 2025 | H-E-B | 2.2M | 3.4% | 10 |
| Nov 2025 | WinCo Foods | 2.2M | 3.3% | 11 |
| Nov 2025 | Albertsons | 1.8M | 2.7% | 12 |
| Dec 2025 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 23.7% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Aldi | 11.1M | 15.8% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Kroger | 9.1M | 13% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Publix | 6.1M | 8.7% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Safeway | 6.1M | 8.7% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Meijer | 5M | 7.1% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Food Lion | 3.4M | 4.8% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Whole Foods Market | 3.4M | 4.8% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 3.9% | 9 |
| Dec 2025 | Albertsons | 2.2M | 3.2% | 10 |
| Dec 2025 | H-E-B | 2.2M | 3.2% | 11 |
| Dec 2025 | WinCo Foods | 2.2M | 3.1% | 12 |
| Jan 2026 | Trader Joe's | 13.6M | 23% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 18.8% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.6% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Publix | 5M | 8.5% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.5% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Meijer | 3.4M | 5.7% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.6% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.6% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.7M | 4.6% | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | H-E-B | 2.2M | 3.8% | 10 |
| Jan 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.7M | 2.8% | 11 |
| Jan 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.5% | 12 |
| Feb 2026 | Trader Joe's | 13.6M | 25.5% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Aldi | 9.1M | 17.2% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 14% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 7.7% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Safeway | 4.1M | 7.7% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Meijer | 2.7M | 5.1% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.7M | 5.1% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Food Lion | 2.2M | 4.2% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | Wegmans | 2.2M | 4.2% | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3.4% | 10 |
| Feb 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.6M | 3% | 11 |
| Feb 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.8% | 12 |
| Mar 2026 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 27.1% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 18.1% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.2% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Publix | 5M | 8.2% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.2% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Meijer | 3.4M | 5.5% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.5% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.7M | 4.5% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | Wegmans | 2.2M | 3.7% | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3% | 10 |
| Mar 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.7M | 2.7% | 11 |
| Mar 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.4% | 12 |
| Apr 2026 | Trader Joe's | 13.6M | 23.8% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 19.4% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 13.1% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 7.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Meijer | 3.4M | 5.9% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.8% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.7M | 4.8% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | Wegmans | 2.2M | 3.9% | 9 |
| Apr 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3.2% | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.6M | 2.8% | 11 |
| Apr 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.6% | 12 |
| May 2026 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 26.8% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 18% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.1% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.1% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Meijer | 4.1M | 6.6% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 6.6% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.4% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.4% | 8 |
| May 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.7M | 4.4% | 9 |
| May 2026 | Albertsons | 1.8M | 3% | 10 |
| May 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3% | 11 |
| May 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.6M | 2.6% | 12 |
| Jun 2026 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 27.2% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 18.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.3% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.2% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Meijer | 4.1M | 6.7% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 6.7% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.5% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.5% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.2M | 3.7% | 9 |
| Jun 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3% | 10 |
| Jun 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.6M | 2.6% | 11 |
| Jun 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.5% | 12 |
| Jul 2026 | Trader Joe's | 13.6M | 22.7% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 18.6% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.5% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Safeway | 6.1M | 10.2% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Meijer | 4.1M | 6.8% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 6.8% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Food Lion | 3.4M | 5.6% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.6% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.2M | 3.7% | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3.1% | 10 |
| Jul 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.7M | 2.8% | 11 |
| Jul 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.5% | 12 |
| Aug 2026 | Trader Joe's | 13.6M | 23.3% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Aldi | 11.1M | 19% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.8% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.6% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Meijer | 4.1M | 7% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 7% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.7% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.7% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.2M | 3.8% | 9 |
| Aug 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.9M | 3.2% | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3.1% | 11 |
| Aug 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.6% | 12 |
| Sep 2026 | Trader Joe's | 16.6M | 28.5% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Aldi | 9.1M | 15.7% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Kroger | 7.5M | 12.8% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Safeway | 5M | 8.6% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Publix | 4.1M | 7% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Meijer | 3.4M | 5.7% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Food Lion | 2.7M | 4.7% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Wegmans | 2.7M | 4.7% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Whole Foods Market | 2.2M | 3.8% | 9 |
| Sep 2026 | H-E-B | 1.8M | 3.1% | 10 |
| Sep 2026 | WinCo Foods | 1.6M | 2.7% | 11 |
| Sep 2026 | Albertsons | 1.5M | 2.6% | 12 |

## What is being compared

- **Albertsons**: Measured on the search term “albertsons”.
- **Aldi**: Measured on the search term “aldi”.
- **Food Lion**: Measured on the search term “food lion”.
- **H-E-B**: Measured on the search terms “h-e-b” and “heb”, summed into one figure.
- **Kroger**: Measured on the search term “kroger”.
- **Meijer**: Measured on the search term “meijer”.
- **Publix**: Measured on the search term “publix”.
- **Safeway**: Measured on the search term “safeway”.
- **Trader Joe's**: Measured on the search terms “trader joe's” and “trader joes”, summed into one figure.
- **Wegmans**: Measured on the search term “wegmans”.
- **Whole Foods Market**: Measured on the search term “whole foods”.
- **WinCo Foods**: Measured on the search terms “winco” and “winco foods”, summed into one figure.

- [Albertsons](/demand/us/brands/albertsons)
- [Aldi](/demand/us/brands/aldi-supermarkets)
- [Food Lion](/demand/us/brands/food-lion)
- [H-E-B](/demand/us/brands/h-e-b)
- [Kroger](/demand/us/brands/kroger)
- [Meijer](/demand/us/brands/meijer)
- [Publix](/demand/us/brands/publix)
- [Safeway](/demand/us/brands/safeway)
- [Trader Joe's](/demand/us/brands/trader-joes)
- [Wegmans](/demand/us/brands/wegmans)
- [Whole Foods Market](/demand/us/brands/whole-foods-market)
- [WinCo Foods](/demand/us/brands/winco-foods)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among grocery chains in the United States?

In September 2026, Trader Joe's was the most searched among grocery chains in the United States, with an estimated 16.6M branded searches, 28.5% of all searches for the 12 we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Grocery chains in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-grocery-chains

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-grocery-chains. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.