The 5 Grocery Stores I Would Not Shop at in 2026

The 5 Grocery Stores I Would Not Shop at in 2026 Here are the five grocery stores I would not shop in 2026. Not advice; educational purposes only. And I say this is someone who lives in rural Vermont, where my alternatives are limited enough that I've considered growing everything and becoming a person who talks about their sourdough starters at parties. I'm Tyler. I'm a former financial advisor and portfolio manager, and now I make financial content for free so you don't have to pay for it. No.5 Shaw's currently priced 31.9% higher than Walmart, with the kind of store experience that simply does not justify the premium. No. 4 Safeway. Three of their locations appear among the top 10 worst grocery stores nationwide. Customers consistently report over charging, poor produce, and customer service that has been described in actual reviews as dismissive and eye rolling. No.3 Acme. Second most expensive store in its market, second worst for quality, and an average family spending $300 a week overspends by approximately $2,000 annually at Acme compared to cheaper alternatives. That's your vacation gone. No.2 Erawan. It almost feels like satire how unaffordable this place is. And the thing is, it isn't even trying to be sneaky about it. It's kind of become the whole point. A smoothie at Erawan now cost 22 bucks, and I've made car payments that somehow feel more reasonable than that. And number one, you guessed it. And if you didn't, you should have Whole Foods. The most expensive of 35 grocery retailers reviewed by Consumer Reports in 2026. 39.7% higher than Walmart's baseline. Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017 and the prices have somehow gone up ever since. Make that make sense. And if any of this is helpful, sign up for my free weekly newsletter by clicking the link in my bio, and each week I'll send you over another money playbook that actually works.