America’s Best Stores 2025 Methodology Overview
America’s Best Stores 2025 highlights both physical and online retailers that offer the best customer experiences, based on a range of key metrics. The selection of stores was determined through a combination of public data, a large-scale confidential survey of U.S. consumers, and thorough research. The list features 500 retailers, split evenly between 250 brick-and-mortar stores and 250 online retailers.
Insights were gathered from more than 65,000 consumers and close to half a million detailed reviews, covering seven essential categories of store quality: product quality, variety, and range; price-value ratio; customer service; store atmosphere; accessibility and location; product display and presentation; and loyalty programs. Participants only assessed stores they had direct experience with.
For physical retailers, Plant-A collected data on the in-store experience across seven critical factors that determine customer satisfaction when shopping in-person. For online retailers, more than 35 objective and subjective criteria were analyzed across 11 categories, capturing the nuances of the online shopping experience, drawn from both customer surveys and desk research.
The final list excludes companies that have been involved in significant incidents such as data breaches, major recalls, lawsuits, unethical practices, or environmental harm. Plant-A used the media Onclusive’s media monitoring platform Critical Mention to identify the incidents.
The list of awarded stores can be found here.
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