Costco Tops Appliances, Great Wall Supermarket Leads Grocers in J.D. Power and Newsweek Rankings

When it comes to buying appliances, people who prioritize price over other factors end up less satisfied in the long run. That's what the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Appliance Satisfaction Study found out. Shoppers who bought appliances on sale just because of the low price had an overall satisfaction score of 714 out of 1,000. But those who looked for long-term benefits like energy savings or good warranties were much happier, scoring 777 and 770.

The study also revealed that only 38% of price-focused buyers said they would definitely buy the same brand again. Compare that to 56% of people who bought environmentally friendly appliances.

"Buying a home appliance based on price is similar to purchasing a plane ticket," said Michael Taylor from J.D. Power. "When people purchase on a discount or at low-end prices, it does not guarantee high satisfaction. Saving a buck on a durable good purchase today often comes at the expense of long-term satisfaction when buying a home appliance."

Among retailers, Costco ranked highest in customer satisfaction for appliances, followed by The Home Depot and P.C. Richard & Son. When it came to specific brands, Samsung led in most appliance categories, while KitchenAid topped the list for dishwashers.

In other retail news, Wegmans is no longer America's favorite supermarket according to Newsweek's 2024 rankings of the country's best retailers. The top spot now belongs to Great Wall Supermarket, an Asian-American chain based in New York City. Wegmans, which has a cult-like following of "Wegmaniacs," slipped to second place.

The rest of the top 10 supermarkets included familiar names like Publix, Whole Foods, and Kroger. Trader Joe's was named the best discount supermarket, beating out WinCo Foods and Aldi. Costco also took the crown for most popular superstore and warehouse chain.