Got A Favorite? Study Names The Best Grocery Stores In Illinois

Depending on your age, you may have noticed that grocery stores have made some big changes over the years to the way they do business, especially when it comes to number of locations.

Here in the Rockford area, we've got around a dozen or so places to do your grocery shopping, each offering their own individual differences with their competitors.

Growing up in a small town of 3,500 people, we had 2 choices when it came to grocery buying, both were locally and family owned, and most people in my hometown shopped at both. My family did have a favorite between the two stores, but it was only because I worked at one of them.

So, think about your favorite place for grocery shopping, and let's take a look to see if it made the list of Illinois' best grocery stores.

Back In September Of Last Year, An Online Food And Drink Website Named The Best Grocery Store In Each State And A German Company Got The Nod As The Best

The website is TheDailyMeal.com, a terrific resource for all things food and drink, and the grocery store they named as being the best in Illinois is...Aldi. In Wisconsin, they chose Woodman's Market.

Here's what TheDailyMeal looked at to make their determinations:

We have included brick-and-mortar grocers, local markets, supermarkets, membership-only warehouse clubs, and nationwide department store retailers that have supermarkets within their retail locations. Convenience stores, delis, farmers markets, and technology-based shops like Peapod were not considered.

We evaluated these grocery stores using strict criteria: stock (the range of brands and offerings); innovation (delivery, mobile apps, etc.); value; and contribution to the community.

Now, A New List Of Rankings For The Best Grocery Stores In Illinois Is Out, This Time As Determined By A Data Analytics Firm

That firm would be dunnhumby.com, and their rankings come from their 7th annual Retailer Preference Index. To come up with their rankings, they looked at looked at 5 categories: price, promotions, rewards, quality, digital, operations, and speed and convenience.

Here are their rankings of Illinois' best grocery stores.

For price:

1. Aldi
2. Walmart
3. Food 4 Less
4. Save-A-Lot

Promotions and Rewards:

1. Kroger

Prices Combined With Promotions And Awards:

1. Aldi
2. Food 4 Less
3. Walmart
4. Save-A-Lot

Speed And Convenience:

1. Fareway Meat & Grocery
2. Aldi
3. The Fresh Market
4. Save-A-Lot