America’s Favorite Grocery Store Still Has Only 3 Idaho Locations

The American Customer Satisfaction Index has put together an annual ranking of America’s favorite supermarkets for more than three decades. They recently shared the results for 2026 and it’s filled with good news and bad news depending on which brand you shop with most often. 

Albertsons Performs Poorly in 2026 Grocery Store Rankings

For the first three years we lived in Boise, we shopped at WinCo almost exclusively because it was the closest store to our apartment. But when we moved further into Southeast Boise, we became Albertsons people. The switch had nothing to do with the products Albertsons offered and certainly wasn’t because of the prices. It was because of proximity, again. Now we had to drive past the Parkcenter location on the way home. 

READ MORE: Idaho Shoppers Are Paying More for These 5 Everyday Foods in 2026

While we love our Albertsons Parkcenter staff, the Boise-based grocery chain as a whole didn’t do well in this year’s ACSI rankings. After sliding backward in 2025, their satisfaction score dropped another 3% in 2026. 

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That leaves Albertsons sitting #19 out of 20 stores. The only brand it outperformed was Pennsylvania-based Giant Eagle. It also puts the chain behind Walmart, which had finished dead last in previous ACSI ranks for twenty years. 

America’s Favorite Grocery Store Only Has Three Locations in Idaho

For the second year in a row, Trader Joe’s finished as America’s favorite grocery store. However, this year, they didn’t have to share the #1 spot with Publix. Trader Joe’s satisfaction score increased by 2%, allowing the brand to sit atop the throne alone. 

The Trader Joe’s experience is something that only a handful of Idahoans get to enjoy. The chain only has locations in Boise, Meridian and Coeur d’Alene. The brand continues to grow, though. They have at least eight new stores planned for 2026. While none are in Idaho, we have a feeling that if the state’s population growth continues they may consider opening another.

How Were The ACSI Grocery Rankings Decided?

The ACSI surveyed customers for opinions on 18 factors including:

• Convenience of store hours
• Ease of pickup
• Convenience of store location
• Quality of the store’s mobile app 
• Layout and cleanliness of the store
• Variety and availability of merchandise
• Hospitality of the staff
• Accessible pharmacy hours
• Sales and Promotions
• Speed of Checkout Process

How Did Other Grocery Store Brands With Stores in Idaho Rank?

If you’re not an Albertsons or Trader Joe’s Shopper, you’re probably wondering where your go-to store ranked. WinCo didn’t appear on the list at all, so we’re assuming survey results that chose WinCo were rolled into the “All Others” category. Here’s other brands with at least one store in Idaho ranked:

• Sam’s Club: #4
• Costco: #5 (tied with Aldi and Whole Foods)
• Whole Foods: #5 (tied with Aldi and Costco)
• Kroger (Fred Meyer): #11 (tied with Meijer, Save A Lot and Wegmans) 
• Walmart: #18