USA Today's 'Best Grocery Store' Is Also One Of The Most Expensive

An expert panel of USA Today's editors and readers ranked the ten best grocery stores — with The Fresh Market rising to the top in 2025. This chain's first store debuted in 1982, designed to provide the open, personalized shopping experience that people enjoy in Europe's food markets, rather than the more sterile atmosphere of today's huge superstores. This brand now operates 166 stores in 22 states. Customers appreciate their quality of meat, seafood, and seasonal fruits and vegetables, along with flavorfully prepared meals like quiche, lasagna, and pizza. Baked goods like cake rolls, fruit tarts, and handmade fudge are also in demand. Besides rating Fresh Market as the top grocery store, USA Today named it the number one grocery store bakery, deli, produce shop, and prepared food chain. 

This quality, though, comes with a price. Chowhound's November 2025 analysis of grocery store prices ranked The Fresh Market as among the most expensive. For example, a dozen large brown cage-free eggs cost $5.79 at The Fresh Market, while at Kroger, that cost is about $1 cheaper. Walmart's price is $2-$3 less a dozen. The Fresh Market sells a pound of organic spaghetti pasta for $3.19, but consumers can find it for $1.89 at Kroger. Even comparisons with Whole Foods, one of the most overpriced grocery stores, The Fresh Market can be more expensive. For instance, organic raw almond butter that's sold for $2+ per ounce at The Fresh Market came in at $1.43 at Whole Foods.

Chowhound acknowledges that The Fresh Market offers sauces, spices, syrups, and seasonings that shoppers may not find elsewhere, items they value enough to purchase at higher prices. The analysis also noted how people can become addicted to the store's delicious baked goods, one of the grocery items that can be most marked up. At The Fresh Market, one piece of brownie cheesecake costs about $6.49, while a single fudge-iced brownie is $2.50. 

If The Fresh Market prices are too high for your household, there are several grocery shopping strategies that can save you money. Creating a price book of the most used items can provide insight for future shopping. Whether using pen and paper or a digital spreadsheet, list what you bought, including the size and price of the item, the date purchased, and the calculated unit price. When you see a cheaper price for items you need, perhaps in an advertisement (the Flipp website can be especially helpful), mark that down. You'll know where to save money. Also use this list to identify items you buy regularly, finding recipes that incorporate them in fresh, new, ways. Depending on the amount of time you have, making staples yourself, rather than buying them in stores, can save 50% or more, according to The Dinner Daily. These can include homemade pasta sauces, salad dressings, and marinades. Besides being more economical, you can make healthier options that don't include additives and artificial ingredients.