Walmart maintained the top position across every major brand-tracking metric this spring, according to new data from the Conjointly Brand Tracker released July 13. The metrics include the brand’s awareness, consideration, purchase and preferred status.
Aldi and Kroger, meanwhile, posted the strongest awareness-to-preference conversion rates among mid-size to large chains.
The findings came out of a study of 3,272 U.S. adults surveyed in March, April and May of 2026, with all respondents confirming they had shopped at or visited at least one supermarket chain in the past six months.
Nine out of 10 aware of Walmart
By May, Walmart recorded 91 percent aided awareness, 75 percent consideration, 76 percent past six-month purchase and 45 percent preferred brand status — more than double the preference score of its nearest rivals.
Aldi and Costco were the closest challengers, each reaching 76 percent aided awareness. Aldi converted that into 52 percent consideration and 19 percent preferred brand status, while Costco converted it into 44 percent consideration and 16 percent preferred. Target posted slightly higher awareness at 79 percent but converted less efficiently, landing at 10 percent preferred brand status.
On diagnostics, Walmart led every dimension across during all three months, scoring 85-90 percent on price value and 87-91 percent on assortment. Costco stood out on availability and assortment, Stop & Shop and H-E-B scored well on convenience, and Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market led on fresh produce, both scoring above 70 percent throughout the tracking period.
Aldi, Target consideration, trust increase
Aldi and Target showed the most consideration momentum over the three waves, with Aldi climbing from 47 percent to 52 percent and Target from 36 percent to 40 percent between March and May. Trust scores moved in tandem, with Aldi rising from 81 percent to 86 percent and Target from 77 percent to 83 percent.
Kroger held steady at 62-65 percent awareness and 33-34 percent consideration, while Costco’s awareness grew from 71 percent to 76 percent and Sam’s Club’s from 63 percent to 68 percent.
Clear leader
“The U.S. supermarket data across the three waves of 2026 reveals a market with a clear leader and a genuinely competitive mid-tier,” said Yutian Shen, market researcher at Conjointly.
“Walmart’s dominance on both the funnel and the diagnostics is unambiguous. But the data also shows that Aldi and Kroger have built a conversion engine that punches well above its awareness weight, and that specialists like Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market hold real diagnostic advantages in fresh produce that other chains cannot easily replicate.”
Grocers’ messages resonating
Aldi and Kroger stood out as the strongest converters among mid-to-large brands. Aldi turned 76 percent aided awareness into 19 percent preferred brand status by May, while Kroger converted 62 percent awareness into 13 percent preferred status in both March and April – outperforming Target and Whole Foods Market, which converted 79 percent and 68 percent awareness into 10 percent and 5 percent preferred status, respectively.
Among regional and mid-tier chains, H-E-B converted 22 percent awareness into 4 percent preferred brand status and 6 percent past six-month purchase, reflecting a loyal customer base concentrated in its core markets. Publix recorded 44 percent awareness, 22 percent consideration and 7 percent preferred brand status. Sprouts Farmers Market converted 37 percent awareness into 7 percent past six-month purchase and 1 percent preferred status.
Participants in the study were recruited via Conjointly’s panel network and compensated for their time, with the sample weighted to national demographics to ensure findings are market-representative, the Sydney, Australia-based market research platform noted.