Thanks to inflation, buying groceries is now significantly more expensive than ever before. And although consumers won’t be able to entirely avoid inflated prices, it can pay off to do your grocery shopping at stores that offer competitive prices and avoid those that tend to have higher pricing.

                By                    Gabrielle Olya

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Consumer Reports asked shoppers to rank the price competitiveness of grocery chains across the country, and these 14 stores were rated the worst.

1. Gelson’s

Although Gelson’s received an overall satisfaction score of 87 out of 100, it received a 1 out of 5 score for price competitiveness — the lowest possible score.

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2. New Seasons Market

New Seasons Market received perfect scores for cleanliness and helpfulness of employees, but the lowest possible score for price competitiveness.

3. The Fresh Market

Consumers love the prepared foods at The Fresh Market — the chain received a 5 out of 5 on this metric — but they rated the price competitiveness as a 1 out of 5.

4. Lunds & Byerlys

Lunds & Byerlys received perfect scores on every metric — cleanliness, fresh store-prepared foods and helpfulness or attentiveness of employees — except for competitiveness of prices. In this category, consumers rated it a 1 out of 5.

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5. Haggen Northwest Fresh

This chain received the lowest possible score for price competitiveness. However, it did receive high scores for cleanliness and helpfulness of employees.

6. Roche Bros.

Roche Bros. received a 1 out of 5 for price competitiveness, according to shoppers.

7. Coborn’s

This chain received the lowest possible score for the competitiveness of prices.

8. Whole Foods Market

9. King Kullen

Shoppers are unimpressed with King Kullen’s pricing, giving the chain a 1 out of 5 for price competitiveness. It also received middle-of-the-road scores for its prepared foods and employee helpfulness.

10. Giant Eagle

Giant Eagle received an overall satisfaction score of 73 and a 1 out of 5 for price competitiveness.

11. Randalls

Randalls scored well for cleanliness with a 4 out of 5 but received the worst possible rating for price competitiveness.

12. Acme Markets

With an overall score of 70, Acme Markets is one of the lowest-rated chains overall. It scored lowest in the price competitiveness category, with a 1 out of 5 score.

13. Shaw’s

Shaw’s also received an overall score of 70 and the lowest possible score in the price competitiveness category.

14. Key Food

Key Food is the lowest-rated grocery chain across the board, with 1 out of 5 scores for both its price competitiveness and fresh store-prepared foods.

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All ratings are sourced from Consumer Reports’ Grocery Stores & Supermarkets Ratings and are the latest available ratings as of Feb. 25, 2022.