Amazon was ranked as the US’ top grocer last year for the second year running, in a survey conducted by the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index.
The index is a nationwide study of the roughly $1 trillion US grocery market.
Amazon beat Walmart, Aldi, CostCo and Trader Joe’s to hold on the top spot.
The ecommerce giant’s Amazon Fresh division, which in the UK is its network of grocery stores, came in fifth spot, despite operating mainly as a grocery delivery subsidiary in the US.
“The pandemic has massively accelerated changes in how customers buy their groceries, and their behaviors are continuing to evolve,” Dunnhumby president of North America Grant Steadman said in a statement.
“2021 was the year that grocery retail became truly omnichannel. Retailers who delivered on their customers evolving needs in-store and online performed best.
“The challenges for most other retailers are significant, but a number of midsize grocers gained momentum by understanding their customers better and differentiating their offering accordingly.”
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The pandemic shifted the goalposts in terms of consumer needs during the pandemic, with price and quality no longer head and shoulders above all other markers of customer satisfaction.
Price still comes in first position, while digital sits even with quality for the first time ever.
The report read: “Digital is king in driving momentum as Amazon has demonstrated over the last two years by being ranked as the top US grocery retailer.
“This is different from last fall, when consumers anticipated giving a third of their e-commerce sales back to bricks-and-mortar.”
The study found that during the course of the pandemic, retailers who looked at improving speed and digital tended to have the best year-on-year, short-term momentum.
