Voting with Your Dollars: Grocery Stores

If you care about humanity, here are some suggestions on grocery stores worthy (and not worthy) of your dollars.

If you’ve been following me for any period of time, you know I believe in the power of our consumer dollars. Together, we can vote for the society we want with our money. It’s simple: good actors get rewarded with our patronage. Bad actors don’t.

I plan to research every major consumer segment to learn about their business and political practices. I’m calling this GoodCertified©. The idea is to arm consumers with the most information to make decisions that match your value system.

Arguably, no category matters more than grocery stores. These businesses literally sustain us. The average American household spends $270 per week on groceries. That’s over $14,000 per year! Here’s my attempt at scoring the major grocery store chains on things that matter to progressive-minded people: political contributions, union tolerance, working conditions, support of DEI, use of prison labor and support for genocide and human rights violations.

This is not about me telling you where to shop. This is about providing you with knowledge to inform your spending. Some people have more privilege than others do. Perhaps you live in a food desert where Walmart is your only option. Maybe Amazon is your preference because it’s cheap or it delivers. We each have to make our own decisions on what’s best for our individual situation.

And I believe we can all make a difference at scale.

Methodology

I analyzed data on the largest grocery store chains in the US. Companies were assessed on the following five primary attributes. I chose these for scoring because the data on them is widely available and relatively straightforward:

1. Donated to Trump via PACs or Other Forms of Enrichment: Including funding the inauguration and giving financial deals and other enrichments to Trump’s family members. Those who did not donate to Trump in any of these ways received one point.

2. Amount Spent on Lobbying in 2024. Companies that spent $0 on lobbying in 2024 received one point.

3. Percentage of Individual Employee Contributions to Democrats versus Republicans. Companies are run and populated by human beings. How those human beings vote and donate matters, as it sets the tone for the company culture and behavior. Companies whose employees gave a majority to Democrats received one point.

4. Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Companies who have substantial DEI language on their website and/or a well-articulated DEI policy, received one point. Companies with weak/watered down language, no language or those who have publicly spurned DEI don’t receive the point.

5. Union Tolerant. Let’s face it: no company leadership wants a union. Companies that have unions and/or haven not had significant reported cases of intimidation and retaliation tactics against employees who organize received one point.

5 total points is the highest a company can receive.

I also analyzed the following secondary attributes and did not factor them into the point system because they’re difficult to document across the board:

1. Employee Friendly: I looked at penalties, fines and offenses on Violation Tracker -- those specific to employee quality of life.

2. Support Israel & Other Human Rights Violations: This includes carrying products made in Israel and other rogue nations, operating in countries with human rights violations/genocides and/or profiting off of slave labor, forced labor or sweatshops. Note: in the grocery category, all grocers sell some amount of Israeli products.

3. Environmental Impact: I looked at penalties, fines and offenses on Violation Tracker – those specific to environmental impact.

4. Prison Labor in Supply Chain: I looked for evidence of prison labor in any part of the supply chain. Note: in the grocery category, all grocers sell some amount of products made with prison labor.

5. Anti-Consumer Practices: This includes price-fixing, gouging, false advertising and other forms of anti-competitive behavior or fraud. I looked at penalties, fines and offenses on Violation Tracker -- those specific to consumers.

I used multiple sources to assess each major grocery store chain including the following:

• Goods Unite Us: For percentage Democrat versus Republican individual contributions from employees.

• OpenSecrets: For lobbying activity and contributions to PACs.

• Violation Tracker: For regulatory fines and offenses in areas including employment, environmental offenses, consumer-protection, competition and healthcare.

• General search engine internet research: For ownership and board member political activism, donations and enrichments to Donald Trump and his family and company involvement in union organization intimidation tactics. General internet research was also used to ascertain company involvement in human rights abuses (including genocide) and use of prison labor and/or selling products that use prison labor.

• Company Websites & PR: For company stance on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

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The Best of the Bunch

Ahold Delhaize USA

Brands: Food Lion, The Giant Company, Giant, Hannaford, Stop & Shop

Score: 5

Ahold Delhaize is a public Dutch-Belgian multinational retail and wholesale holding company traded on the Euronext Amsterdam & Brussels exchange. Its name comes from the 2016 merger of two companies: Ahold (Dutch) and Delhaize (Belgian). Both original companies date back to the 1800s. Its 16 brands employ 402,000 people at 7,716 stores across nine countries. The United States is where two-thirds of the holding company's revenue is generated. The company operates 2,000 stores across 23 states.

The company has not donated to Donald Trump or provided him or his family members with other forms of enrichment. 68 percent of the company’s individual employee donations we made to Democrats in 2024. The company also engaged in zero lobbying in 2024. Some of Ahold Delhaize’s stores are unionized, and there’s no significant evidence of union busting activities. The company has not made any announcements to indicate they are stepping away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Its DEI statement remains intact on its website.

Like all companies in this category, it is likely these grocery stores sell Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Ahold Delhaize has paid $304 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Costco

Score: 4

Costco is the third largest retailer in the world and is the world's largest retailer of beef, poultry, organic produce and wine. The now public company was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1983 when Jim Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman opened their first Costco warehouse.

Neither the company nor its major individual owners or board members donated to Donald Trump or gave other sorts of enrichment to his family. The company did not engage in lobbying in 2024. 98 percent of the company’s individual employee donations we made to Democrats in the last election cycle. The company has been under significant pressure to scrap its DEI program. In January 2025, the company’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly to uphold its DEI programs based on the recommendation of the company’s management and board of directors.

Costco has unionized stores, but the path has been contentious. The Teamsters have sued the company for violating federal labor law, and the company has allegedly used intimidation and undermining tactics on employees who have attempted to organize.

Generally, when union organizing is not on the table, Costco is considered a decent place to work. The company boasts high wages for its segment, comprehensive benefits, low turnover and promoting from within.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Specifically, their stores sell Hickman Family Farms eggs which are produced using prison labor. Costco has paid $94 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Albertsons

Brands: Albertson's, Safeway, Vons, Jewel Osco, Acme, Shaw's, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets, United Express, Randall's, Albertson's Market, Pavillions, Star Market, King's, Market Street, Haggen, Carrs, Andronico's Community Market, Balducci's, Amigos, Lucky, Albertson's Market Street

Score: 4

Albertsons is a public company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Cerberus Capital Management owns 26% of the company. The grocer was founded by Joe Albertson in 1939. Albertsons is the second largest grocery store chain after Kroger with over 270,000 employees and 2,200 stores. In late 2022, the company announced Kroger was acquiring it. That acquisition was blocked by federal and state courts, and the merger attempt was officially terminated in December 2024.

Albertsons has not donated to Trump or provided enrichment to his family. 51% of individual employee donations were made to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent $1.7 million on lobbying. The company supports DEI, and most of its stores are unionized.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Albertsons has paid $244 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Giant Eagle

Score: 4

Giant Eagle is a private company with just under 500 stores owned by the Shapira family. Founded in 1918, the company is headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.

The company did not donate to PACs supporting Donald Trump, nor have its owners enriched Trump or his family. Giant Eagle spent $60,000 on lobbying in 2024. 54 percent of individual employee donations were made to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle.

The company is unionized and its employees are members of The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). Giant Eagle still supports DEI.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Giant Eagle has paid $4.2 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Wegmans

Score: 4

Wegmans is a privately held company founded in Rochester, New York in 1916 by brothers John and Walter Wegman. The grocery chain has 111 stores in eight states. Heirs of the Wegman family still run the business.

Neither the Wegmans organization nor the family donated to any PACs or other enrichments supporting Donald Trump of his family. 78 percent of individual employee donations were made to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. The company did not spend any money on lobbying in 2024. While the company has about 1,000 union employees, many anti-union practices have been documented. Wegmans supports DEI, and the company’s CEO is a signatory of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion.

The company eliminated plastic bags in its stores in 2022. In 2008, Wegmans stopped selling tobacco products because of their harm to human health and the environment.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Wegmans has paid $820,000 for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Raley’s

Brands: Raley’s, Raley’s ONE Market, Nob Hill Foods, Bel Air, Food Source, Sak ‘N Save, Bashas

Score: 4

Raley’s was founded in Placerville, California in 1935 by Tom Raley. Today, the company is independent and family owned. With headquarters in Sacramento, Raley’s operates 121 stores in California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.

Raley’s did not donate to Trump or provide enrichment to his family. 80% of individual employee donations were made to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent no money on lobbying in 2024. Some of its stores are unionized. It’s unclear whether the company supports DEI, as its website contains lots of virtue-signaling imagery with no true DEI statement.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Raley’s has paid $13.8 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

The Fresh Market

Score: 4

Ray and Beverly Berry founded the Fresh Market in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1982. Today, the company is private with 160 locations and 13,000 employees. Chilean retail company Cencosud owns a 67% stake.

The Fresh Market did not donate to Trump or provide enrichment to his family. 96% of individual employee donations were made to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent no money on lobbying in 2024. Its stores are not unionized, and the company has reportedly engaged in anti-organizing tactics. The Fresh Market supports DEI.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor.

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The No List

Some of these companies do a few things well but many are just awful. You’ll notice most contribute mainly to Republicans on the individual employee level. To me, this matters. As a former executive, I pay attention to how management contributes to the society we have. It tends to say a lot about what those people do and don’t value.

Aldi – Aldi Süd

Brands: Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Winn Dixie, Bi-Lo, Harvey’s

Score: 3

Aldi was founded by Karl and Theo Albrecht in Essen, Germany. The brothers both fought for Hitler in WWII. Theo served in the Afrika Korps under Rommel and Karl Served in the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of the Third Reich. When the brothers returned from separate prisoner of war camps in 1945, they took over their mother’s food shop. By 1950, they had 13 stores.

In 1960, they separated the company into two divisions: Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd. While the United States operates under Aldi Süd, Trader Joe’s operates under Aldi Nord. Today, the Albrecht family is one of Europe’s richest and most secretive with a net worth of $54 billion. The family is still heavily involved in the business, and control of the company is organized in private foundations.

Neither Aldi Süd of Nord have donated to PACs supporting Donald Trump, nor is there any evidence of the Albrecht’s enriching Trump in other ways. The company does not spend any money on lobbying here in the United States, and there is no indication their employees contribute to individual politicians or PACs.

Aldi Süd appears to support DEI while Aldi Nord does not. The company is anti-union as evidenced in the struggles of Trader Joe’s employees’ attempts to organize. In fact, the Albrecht family has partnered with Elon Musk (SpaceX), Jeff Bezos (Amazon) and Howard Schultz (Starbucks) to take down the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Each company has filed suit to have the agency declared unconstitutional and abolished.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products. Aldi has also partnered with an Israeli company to develop autonomous stores. The company sells products made with domestic prison labor. Aldi has paid $62 million in various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Kroger

Brands: Bakers, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Sooper, Kroger, Mariano's, Metro Markets, Pay-Less Supermarkets, Pick'n Save, QFC, Ralphs, Ruler, Smiths Food and Drug

Score: 3

Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1883, Kroger is a public company with over 2,700 stores. The company is the largest supermarket operator in the US by revenue.

While the company didn’t contribute to PACs supporting Donald Trump, individual employee donations are 53% Republican. Additionally, Kroger spent just under $1 million on lobbying in 2024. Two-thirds of the company’s stores are unionized. As of this analysis in January 2025, the company supports DEI.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products. Aldi has also partnered with an Israeli company to develop autonomous stores. The company sells products made with domestic prison labor. Kroger has paid $3 billion for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000. The company has started to experiment with electronic, dynamic pricing.

*****

Meijer

Brands: Meijer, Fresh Thyme

Score: 3

Meijer is a private, family-owned chain based largely in the Midwest. The company was founded in 1934 by Hendrik Meijer, a Dutch immigrant. The chain has grown to over 250 stores.

Neither the company nor its family ownership contributed to Donald Trump. 89% of individual employee donations were made to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle.

The company did not spend any money on lobbying in 2024. In 2022, Billionaire Hank Meijer, the company’s co-chair, donated $800,000 the US Chamber of Commerce days after it endorsed his son in the primary election. After the donation, the Chamber took out a $381,000 ad in support of Peter Meijer, Republican congressional candidate. It has been alleged the donation was a quid pro quo arrangement.

Meijer’s stores are unionized, and the company only uses watered-down language about “inclusion and belonging” on its website.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. The company has paid $6 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

WinCo Foods

Score: 3

WinCo Foods is a private, majority employee-owned chain headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company currently has 138 locations.

The company did not support Donald Trump or his family in any way in the 2024 election cycle. However, 79% of individual employee donations were made to Republicans. WinCo spent no money on lobbying in 2024. The company has some unionized stores. WinCo does not appear to support DEI.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. The company has paid $90,000 for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000. In 2023, the chain was sued for the use of excessive force on multiple occasions in the handling of shoplifters. WinCo paid a class action settlement of $3.6 million in 2023. It was alleged that WinCo stores in Portland, Oregon charged a hidden clean energy surcharge on non-grocery items

*****

Wakefern Food Corporation

Brands: ShopRite, PriceRite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market, Di Bruno Bros

Score: 3

Wakefern Food Corporation is the largest retailer’s cooperative group of supermarkets in the US. Founded in 1946 in Newark, New Jersey, the company is private.

Wakefern did not donate to Trump or provide enrichment to his family. 64 percent of individual employee donations were made to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent nothing on lobbying in the same cycle.

Most of the Shop Rite stores in the Wakefern portfolio are unionized. The company does lots of DEI virtue signaling on its website but has no cohesive, well-articulated policy.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. The company has paid $3 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

H-E-B

Brands: Central Market, Mi Tienda, Joe V's Smart Shop

Score: 2

H-E-B is a privately held supermarket chain based in San Antonio, Texas with over 400 stores. The company was founded in 1905 by the Florence Butt, and family members are still involved in operations today. The Butt family owns 90% of the company while employees own the remaining portion.

Neither H-E-B nor the Butt family donated to PACs supporting Donald Trump nor did they provide other enrichments to him or his family. 73 percent of individual employee donations were made to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent $690,000 on lobbying in 2024.

H-E-B is anti-union. Surprisingly, they have not backed away from DEI. Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. The company has paid $673,000 for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

The company’s chairman, Charles Butt, is a mega-donor to Republican candidates. Butt has been a major donor to Governor Greg Abbott throughout the last several election cycles, and H-E-B donated $150,000 to Abbott’s 2023 inauguration. More recently, Butt has gone against Abbott on the topic of school vouchers. Abbott is pro school voucher, and Butt is anti. The H-E-B chairman’s Butt Public Education PAC donated a total of $1.3 million into the campaigns of nine Texas GOP candidates, seven of whom opposed Abbott's voucher plan.

*****

Hy-Vee

Score: 2

Hy-Vee is an employee-owned chain of supermarkets in the Midwestern and Southern US. The company has 280 locations and employs approximately 93,000 employees. Hy-Vee was founded in 1930 by Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg in Beaconsfield, Iowa.

The company did not donate to PACs supporting Donald Trump nor did it provide other enrichments to him or his family. 88 percent of individual employee donations were made to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent nothing on lobbying in 2024.

Hy-Vee is not union friendly and is known for its union-busting tactics. The company does not appear to be supportive of DEI. Instead, its website uses sanitized language about “community, impact and belonging.”

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. The company has paid $632,000 for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Target

Score: 2

People are waking up regarding Target. Everyone’s favorite left-wing, publicly traded darling isn’t so left. Most recently, the company scrapped its DEI program. In 2023, the company caved to right-wing complaints about PRIDE merchandise and pulled a trans vendor’s products. That act of cowardice opened the vendor up to threats and economic harm. In 2024, target doubled down on its cowardice and opted not to stock Pride Month products at every U.S. store.

The company spent $1.4 million on lobbying in 2024. It did not contribute to PACs supporting Donald Trump or enrich him and his family members in other ways. 52 percent of individual employee political contributions went to Democratic candidates in the 2024 election cycle.

Target is notoriously anti-union, training its store managers on tactics to counter union organization. The company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. It has also been accused of using child labor in its supply chain.

Since 2000, the company has paid a total of $188 million for various regulatory violations including $71 million for consumer privacy violations, $20 million for consumer protection violations and $12.4 million for price fixing.

*****

Walmart

Brands: Sam’s Club

Score: 1

If you’re one of the desperate souls who live in a rural area, and Walmart is your sole option, I’m sorry. This company really is the absolute worst.

Although Walmart is a public company, the Walton family owns 36%. Three of the Walton heirs are generous conservative donors. Rob Walton gave $17 million to super PACs and other outside groups. All but $133,000 of that sum went to causes OpenSecrets identified as “conservative,” including Americans for Prosperity. His sister-in-law, Lynne Walton, who is married to Jim Walton, gave almost $12.5 million to primarily conservative causes and candidates.

Although Walmart did not specifically donate to Donald Trump via PACs, 51% of individual employee political contributions go to Republicans. The company spent $5.7 million on lobbying activities in 2024. The company also gave just under $1 million to election deniers.

Walmart is notoriously anti-union and uses strong-arm tactics to stop employees from organizing. The company has rolled back support of DEI. It supports the rogue state of Israel through the sale of Israeli products. After the October 7^th attack, the company pledged $1 million to help Israeli victims but has given nothing for Palestinians being terrorized by Israeli violence and war crimes.

Since 2000, Walmart has paid $5.6 billion for regulatory violations including $1.5 billion in wage and hour violations. The company racked up $281 million in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act fines. This involves currying favor with foreign governments through bribes and/or dodgy accounting practices.

Many of Walmart’s products come from overseas sweatshops. According to a 2020 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, Walmart is one of the top employers for workers who received Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They’ve also been accused of skirting overtime pay and forcing employees to work off the clock and without breaks.

Walmart products from suppliers that source from prison labor programs. Unless it’s your only choice, there is no reason to shop here.

*****

Amazon

Brands: Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh

Score: 1

Amazon is on par with Walmart, competing for the worst of the worst honor. Jeff Bezos gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, and he gifted Melania Trump with $40 million for the rights to a vanity documentary about her life.

68 percent of Amazon’s employees individually contributed to Democratic candidates in the 2024 election cycle. The company spent $14.2 million on lobbying in the same time period.

Amazon is renowned for its union busting activities at all of its divisions. The company uses intimidation and retaliatory tactics against employees attempting to organize. And those employees do need a union, as Amazon’s working conditions are atrocious – especially for its distribution center employees. Workers are paid low wages and made to work in extraordinary heat and cold depending on the season. Employees in Amazon warehouses work according to a strict quota system that often leaves no time for bathroom or meal breaks. Workplace injuries are commonplace. At one time, the company made hourly workers sign 18-month non-competes, preventing them from finding other work.

Amazon is anti-DEI and instead has changed its website language to highlight inclusion. The company virtue signals with imagery.

Amazon sells Israeli products and does business in Israel. Their suppliers have been linked to forced labor in China, and their supply chain heavily uses prison labor from Alabama and other states.

Since 2000, the company has paid $262 million in fines for regulatory violations. That includes $120 million in privacy violations, $101 million in wage and hour violations and $12 million in consumer protection violations.

*****

Publix

Score: 1

Publix is a private chain based in Lakeland, Florida with almost 1,400 stores. The chain is owned by the Jenkins family and present and past employees. It employs 240,000 people.

Julie Jenkins Fancelli, heir to the Publix fortune, played a decisive role in the 2021 "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the Jan. 6th Capitol Attack. She has donated to Donald Trump and been involved in numerous dark money schemes related to Trump and other conservative politicians and candidates.

86 percent of individual employee donations were made to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle. Publix spent $430,000 on lobbying in 2024.

Publix has long favored conservative causes. The company opposed medical marijuana and the regulation of polystyrene, better known by the brand name Styrofoam. Publix has also contributed to the PAC supporting Ron DeSantis. Following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, contributions to conservative leaders including Adam Putnam resulted in protests in the Miami area. In response, the company announced it would suspend corporate-funded political contributions and reevaluate their political funding practices. However, six days after halting political contributions, the Florida Retail Federation, a trade group heavily funded (>80% in 2017) by Publix, donated an additional $100,000 to Putnam's Florida Grown PAC.

The company is anti-union but does seem to be pro-DEI for the moment. Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. The company has paid $55 million for various legal and regulatory violations since 2000.

*****

Dollar General

Score: 1

What can I say about Dollar General? The company is public and notoriously targets vulnerable communities for store locations and the price gouges customers. They’re anti-union and anti-DEI. Since 2000, the company has paid $94 million for various legal and regulatory violations.

While the company did not donate to PACs supporting Donald Trump, 79% of individual employee donations were made to Republican candidates in the 2024 election cycle. Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. A former Dollar General CEO, David Purdue, was a Republican Senator (GA).

*****

Sprouts Farmers Market

Score: 1

Sprouts Farmers Market is a public company with over 400 locations and 35,000 employees. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Don’t let the wellness washing fool you: this company is right leaning through and through. Although the company did not explicitly support Donald Trump, 100% of its individual employee contributions went to Republican candidates in the 2024 election cycle. The company is not unionized and does not have a commitment to DEI. Instead, it has a generic human rights statement.

Sprouts was accused of marking products as "compostable" that contained forever chemicals. This was the subject of a class action lawsuit. The company was accused of sexually harassing and retaliating against employees in its Los Angeles area stores.

Like all companies in this segment, the company sells Israeli products and products made with domestic prison labor. Since 2000, the company has paid $453,000 for various legal and regulatory violations.

In solidarity ✊🏼❤️