CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 7, 2026--
H-E-B, Market Basket and Woodman’s are the top three U.S. grocery retailers according to dunnhumby’s ninth annual Retailer Preference Index (RPI) for U.S. Grocery, a comprehensive, nationwide study that examines the approximately $1 trillion U.S. grocery market. The Texas-based regional grocer has ranked first for the fifth time in nine years. Market Basket ranked second for the second time, while Wisconsin-based Woodman’s, appearing in the RPI for the first time, replaced Costco as the third top U.S. grocer. For the first time, the leading three retailers in the United States are all regional chains. Costco (4), Aldi (5), Winco Foods (6), Trader Joes (7), Amazon (8), Wegman’s (9), and ShopRite (10) round out the 10 highest ranked grocers.
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The RPI found that 41% of a retailer's long-term success is based on "saving customers money" through competitive pricing, promotions, and rewards — up three points from last year and marking a new record high. This remains the most important of the five customer perception pillars. Retailers who excel at delivering savings consistently achieve stronger, long-term market success in the United States.
"2025 threw a lot of curveballs at the U.S. consumer. Shopper confidence dropped as concerns about higher prices, fewer job opportunities, and stagnant wages eroded purchasing power. Consumers across all income levels are feeling the squeeze and making more price-conscious choices," said Matt O'Grady, President of the Americas for dunnhumby. “In this environment, building trust with American shoppers has never been more critical.”
The dunnhumby RPI is the only approach to ranking grocers that combines financial results with customer perception. It includes the largest 81 retailers in the industry that sell everyday food and non-food household items. The financial data used in the dunnhumby model comes from Flywheel, and the customer perception data is sourced from dunnhumby’s annual survey of more than 11,000 American grocery shoppers. The five drivers of the customer value proposition are in order: 1) Price, Promotions, and Rewards, 2) Quality, 3) Digital, 4) Operations, and 5) Speed and Convenience.
Key findings from the study:
The RPI is available for download today. Retailers featured in the RPI who wish to receive their specific banner profiles can speak with their dunnhumby account executive or reach out to dunnhumby at: https://www.dunnhumby.com/us-retailer-preference-index-reports/. dunnhumby will also be attending and exhibiting at NRF 2026 in booth #4665 and will be speaking about the RPI alongside METRO Inc., Giant Food, and Placer.ai on Monday, January 12 th from 1:30-2:00pm. Learn more about their session, Growing Market Share in a Disrupted Retail Landscapehere.
About dunnhumby
dunnhumby helps businesses grow through faster, better decision-making, as the essential intelligence layer connecting the world’s leading retailers and brands.
Sitting at the intersection of loyalty, media, and category management, dunnhumby helps to navigate complex and competing priorities. Combining AI-enabled science, software, trusted advice, and 35+ years of dedicated retail experience, dunnhumby is recognized as a leader in connecting customer insight and action to build loyalty, drive performance, and deliver results that last.
With offices in locations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, dunnhumby works with brands including Tesco, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble, and L’Oreal, to make smarter decisions today and tomorrow.
9th Annual dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index for U.S. Grocery - Top 10 Retailers
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Easter is around the corner, and it's time to start thinking about how to decorate your eggs.
Whether you're dying eggs for your table spread or planning to hide them for an egg hunt, it's important to follow food safety guidelines to minimize germs and maximize your egg quality.
Eggs are remarkably long lasting, so there needn't be a giant rush to eat them.
“Stores usually do turn over eggs pretty quickly, so the recommendations is you should consume eggs three to five weeks after you purchase them,” said Kara Lynch, food safety educator with Michigan State University Extension.
There is also a benefit in letting eggs age just a bit, as older eggs can be easier to peel. That's because eggs shrink over time within the shell, creating an air pocket between the egg and the shell.
Egg processors clean eggs before they reach store shelves, but it also is important to thoroughly cook eggs to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, especially salmonella. That bacteria lives naturally in the gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts of chickens, said Kimberly Baker, associate extension specialist at Clemson University.
To cook your eggs, place them in a saucepan, fill it with water and bring it to a boil. After that, put the lid on, turn the heat off and let it sit for about 12 minutes. Some also favor turning down the heat and simmering eggs.
You can vary the time in the hot water depending on a desire for harder boiled or slightly creamier eggs, but the yolk should be pretty solid to be safe. Boiling them for too long can risk creating green sulfur development on the outside of the yolk.
After that, Don Schaffner, food science department chair at Rutgers University, said there are two options.
You can run your eggs under cold water to reduce the temperature. From there, you can color them right away or place them back in the fridge until you're ready. Or, after you've boiled them, you can let them air dry until they've cooled.
The boiling process sanitizes the eggs, and as long as they are kept out of water, Schaffner said, they will remain safe to eat.
“You’ve boiled the egg, you’ve gotten rid of any bacteria that might be in the egg. And now you’ve air-cooled it, right? So it’s going to cool more slowly, it’s probably going to cook more,” he said. “But most importantly, you don’t have to worry about any bacteria from the water getting internalized into the egg.”
Either artificial or natural food dye is OK as long as the dye label says it's food grade. For those keeping track, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been updating its guidance and regulations regarding certain dyes.
And no, it's not a problem if the dye seeps through the shell.
“Eggs kind of naturally have their own abilities to absorb only so much,” Baker said.
As you're decorating the eggs and have the eggs outside, she suggested keeping your eggs in an ice bath, so they can stay at a cooler temperature while you're decorating.
Eggs should generally be kept at or below 40 degrees (4.4 degrees Celsius) to minimize the risk of contaminants.
Cooked eggs that weren't air-cooled should spend no more than two hours at room temperature. And that's cumulative, including the time spent decorating and the time spent hiding during the Easter egg hunt.
But if it's particularly warm, then that two-hour rule may be shortened to one hour, Lynch said.
Hard boiled eggs are generally good for about a week in the fridge.
Be careful with your eggs as you handle them.
One of the biggest concerns is making sure your eggs haven't cracked during an Easter egg hunt, making them vulnerable to contaminants. And once the egg has been hard boiled, there's no way to kill bacteria that get inside, Baker said.
“We don’t want to be putting them in the soil or in lawns where pets have gone to the bathroom,” she said.
Whether the eggs are hidden outdoors or in a corner of your home, you should rinse them in cool water before you peel them. And wash your hands, too, just in case the eggs have picked up something.
If the Easter egg hunt means your eggs will be at room temperature for longer than two hours, experts recommended using plastic eggs for the hunt instead of real ones to minimize food safety risk.
“If it’s an outdoor Easter egg hunt at any time, I would say go with the plastic eggs and be safe,” Baker said. “And use your dyed Easter eggs as your centerpiece on your table or your buffet, and enjoy them that way.”
FILE - Painted Easter eggs hang from an Easter Tree in Saalfeld, central Germany, March 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer, File)
