This Grocery Store Is One of America’s Most Hated Companies

Let’s face it: No grocery store is perfect. Even Trader Joe’s and Costco have the occasional slip-up. But one American grocery chain stands out from the rest—in the worst way possible.

Business website 24/7 Wall St. ranked the most hated companies in America, based on major news events in 2018, customer survey results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, employee reviews on the job recruiting site Glassdoor.com, and other methods of research. The list included airlines, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and social media apps, with Facebook topping the list.

One grocery store chain also made the list, named the 15th most hated company: The Fresh Market. The North Carolina–based company has 159 store locations in 22 states throughout the East Coast and Midwest.

According to 24/7 Wall St., employees rated the supermarket as the worst place to work among major employers, based on 1,600 Glassdoor reviews. Corporate management was a primary concern; only 27 percent of employees approved of CEO Larry Appel. The company’s average Glassdoor rating was 2.2 out of 5, and only a quarter of employees would recommend their friends work there.

“Clearly it’s disappointing to see your company named as one of the worst places to work,” Appel told Triad Business Journal of the ranking. “This trend is something I was aware of when I came here, and something that we’re working very hard to turn around.”

Unfortunately, Appel’s efforts may not be realized. In 2019, The Fresh Market was named the worst U.S. company to work for in a different 24/7 Wall St. ranking that also relied on employee reviews from Glassdoor. Employees voiced the same complaints and gave senior management a 2.2 out of 5 rating, due in part to “insufficient training” and manager inexperience. Only 24 percent of employees said they would recommend a job at the company to a friend. Next, check out the top grocery stores in America, ranked by best value.