How Costco Won The Title Of Canada's Favorite Grocery Store

Having a Costco membership isn't just a matter of necessity. For some, it's a lifestyle. As soon as you open up a Costco card, you enter a warehouse world of bulk food items and home goods. Not many grocers carry liquor and have their own food court — enough to have a cheap, easy dinner and evening wind-down. However, one country rivals America's love for this chain, and it's our good old neighbor up north.

A recent study by the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index found that Costco was the top grocery retailer in Canada. Other club, discount, and supermarket stores followed in the top 60%, so what makes Costco special? According to the review, saving money was the top priority of Canadian consumers, with 44% of success indicators pointing to promotions, loyalty rewards, and affordable prices. These metrics were determined by over 6,000 Canadians across various regions in the country. Inflation has been hitting North American grocery stores hard, and these data trends reflect how consumers are responding to the market. It's all in the savings.

Costco has proven that it's able to keep up with the times in a few ways, such as allowing for delivery through Instacart and Uber Eats. Through the company's digital app, people can check gas station prices, review their receipts, and receive updates from the pharmacy. Overall convenience made up the other 31% of the success factors for Canadian members in the Dunnhumby study, including things like digital services and shopping trip efficiency.

Perhaps the most surprising part of this study is that there are only 109 Costco stores in the entire nation as of January 2025. For perspective, that's 31 fewer stores than the U.S. state of California, which has around 1 million fewer residents than Canada as a whole. That's how much influence the brand has right now. Maybe the poutine in Costco's Canadian food courts is just that good. And if any Americans plan on doing some grocery shopping while visiting up north, you're in luck — Costco's membership card allows you to shop internationally and try the dish.