Consumer Reports' survey of more than 27-thousand of its readers can help you find the best place to put all that time and money.
Walmart is America's largest grocer, but in Consumer Reports' ratings of 55 supermarkets, Walmart supercenters landed at the bottom, based on a survey of its subscribers.
Eight out of ten shoppers had at least one gripe , such as not enough open checkout lanes, or items were out of stock.
Walmart earned low scores for meat and produce quality.
"Many people were drawn to Walmart because of its low prices. But when we surveyed our subscribers, we found that people thought that the prices were as low or even lower at other grocery chains," said Tod Marks of Consumer Reports.
In fact, seven of the highest-rated supermarkets rated better than Walmart for price.
In a statement, Walmart spokesperson Danit Marquardt said, "The customer is at the core of everything we do. We recently held our annual meeting with our 4,000 store managers and are more committed than ever to delivering our customers the products, prices and store experiences that exceed their expectations. Over the last several years, we've taken significant efforts to help ensure the quality of our meat and produce, and we've seen our customers respond positively to these changes. We also offer our customers a satisfaction guarantee on meat and produce. If they are not completely satisfied, all they have to do is bring back their receipt for a full refund."
But no matter where you shop, there are good ways to cut costs.
Buy store brands. You'll save about 20 percent on average. And in Consumer Reports taste tests they often score as well as name-brands.
Skip cut up fruits and vegetables. Cantaloupes are about a dollar a pound. Cut up they're 4.99 a pound.
Check unit pricing. It's the best way to determine which package size is the most economical.
Weekly specials are big bargains.
"The idea is that they draw you into the store. But don't be seduced into buying more expensive items that aren't on sale," said Marks.
And beware those "ten for ten dollar" deals. You usually get the same bargain if you just buy one. So only buy what you really need.
Consumer Reports rated 55 supermarkets for overall satisfaction, as well as prices, service, cleanliness and the quality of the perishables.
In our area, Wegman's came out on top, Trader Joe's a close second and Costco rated fourth.
LINK: VIEW FULL RANKINGS
