You'll Never Guess Which Grocery Store Is Most Popular Among Millennials

The most popular grocery store among millennials probably isn't the store you'd think.

Some grocery store brands, including Trader Joe's, Aldi, and Whole Foods have tons of very vocal fans who tout their unique flavors, high-quality products, or affordable prices (or, depending on the store, sometimes all three). 

Since these big-name retailers are so popular, it probably comes as no surprise that they're popular among millennials. In fact, according to a YouGov poll in the third quarter of 2022, 63% of millennials reported having a positive opinion of Trader Joe's while 63% had a positive opinion of Aldi and 54% thought well of Whole Foods.

Trader Joe's was actually just the second most popular store, though, while Aldi was the third and Whole Foods the fifth (Kroger, a regional grocery chain, came in fourth). 

So, this may raise the question, what is the most popular grocery store among the millennial cohort? And the answer is probably not what you'd expect. 

This grocery store is No. 1 with millennials 

According to the YouGov poll, the most popular grocery store among millennials was actually 7-Eleven. This smaller retailer received a 65% favorability rating, just edging out Trader Joe's.  

The high number of millennials with an overwhelmingly favorable view of 7-Eleven may not be what you'd expect -- especially as other local favorites such as Wegmans were only viewed positively by 37% of people within this demographic group. 

Some of the reason for 7-Eleven's popularity could be explained by its ubiquity. These stores can be found just about anywhere nationwide and they are easily accessible for most people to visit -- unlike others, such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods which have far fewer locations and which tend to be set in upmarket neighborhoods. 

Does this mean you should go grocery shopping at 7-Eleven?

While 7-Eleven may have won the popularity contest, this doesn't necessarily mean you should grab your credit cards and head over there to buy the items on this week's grocery list.

As most people know, 7-Eleven is a smaller store that's not going to have the same selection your major local grocery store would. However, what it does have is competitive prices on certain staples -- surprising as that might be.

While most people think of convenience stores like 7-Eleven as being more expensive places to buy groceries, the reality is that some items such as milk actually cost less there. Other purchases, like snacks, come with those higher prices you might expect and still others like prepared sandwiches come in about the same as purchasing elsewhere. 

The important thing when choosing where to buy groceries is to do a comparison of the items you buy the most often to see which store has the cheapest prices. You should also take your time -- and gas prices -- into account too. It may not be worth driving to the 7-Eleven store just to pick up their cheaper milk but if you're stopping for gas anyway and need a gallon of it, popping in might make sense. 

So, just because 7-Eleven happens to be the most popular grocery store for millennials doesn't necessarily mean it's the right place for you every time.