Baby Boomers Break Ranks, Pick Trader Joe's Over Aldi as Top Grocer

Aldi ranks as America's most popular grocery store overall, but baby boomers refuse to go along. In a study by global online market research and data analytics firm YouGov, the generation that has shopped the aisles the longest picked Trader Joe's as its No. 1 grocer, pushing Aldi to second place.

The disagreement matters for marketers. Millennials and Generation X both put Aldi at the top of their lists, making the discounter the clear winner with younger shoppers. Baby boomers diverged, and their top five looks different in other ways too: after Trader Joe's and Aldi came Kroger, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven.

The overall national ranking placed Aldi first, followed by 7-Eleven, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market and Kroger. That aggregate result masks sharp generational splits below the surface.

Millennials ranked Aldi No. 1, 7-Eleven No. 2, Kroger No. 3, Whole Foods No. 4 and Trader Joe's No. 5. Generation X also chose Aldi first, then 7-Eleven at No. 2, Circle K at No. 3, Trader Joe's at No. 4 and Kroger at No. 5. Circle K appears in no other generation's top five, underscoring how little overlap exists across age groups.

YouGov also measured the most popular brands, and the demographic differences grew even wider. Overall, Dawn liquid soap finished at the top, followed by Band-Aid. M&M's ranked third, and Ziploc finished fifth.

The generational brand lists showed few similarities. Millennials put Dawn liquid soap at No. 1, matching the national result, then placed Band-Aid at No. 4 and Lay's potato chips at No. 5. Generation X filled its entire top five with grocery-related items: Reese's at No. 1, Band-Aid at No. 2, Ritz third, Quaker fourth and Ziploc fifth. Baby boomers claimed M&M's as their top brand, followed by Dawn at No. 2, Band-Aid at No. 3 and Kleenex at No. 4.

Only Band-Aid appears near the top across all three generations, and no single grocery banner beyond Aldi wins first place with more than two cohorts. For retailers and CPG brands, the YouGov data points to a market where store and brand loyalty now fracture along generational lines, and a one-size-fits-all ranking conceals the audiences that actually drive it.