Harris Farm named Australia's most trusted supermarket in Finder awards

Harris Farm, a family-owned grocery chain, was the surprise big winner in Finder’s 2025 Customer Satisfaction Awards, taking four of the eight supermarket prizes including “Most Loved,” “Most Trusted,” “Most Recommended” and “Top Rated Supermarket Produce.” The awards were based on a survey of more than 10,000 consumers.

The wins highlight strong customer sentiment for Harris Farm despite its much smaller footprint: the chain operates 33 stores across New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory and accounts for about $788 million in earnings within a roughly $120 billion national supermarket sector. By comparison, the two largest supermarket groups, Woolworths and Coles, together operate nearly 2,000 stores nationwide.

Graham Cooke, Finder’s head of consumer research, said the across-the-board sweep was notable because Harris Farm outperformed much larger competitors on perception-driven categories. "What's impressive is the across-the-board sweep for Harris Farm this year, showing that they are really winning in the conversation with the customer," Cooke said. He added that larger brands tended to win only in areas where scale matters, such as delivery networks and rewards programs, while smaller chains had an advantage on personal service and perception metrics.

Cooke also pointed to recent negative headlines affecting some major retailers as a factor in consumer sentiment. "The bigger supermarkets have not been helped by negative headlines and mostly unsubstantiated claims about price gouging," he said, noting it remained to be seen whether those feelings would persist if and when cost-of-living pressures ease.

Harris Farm’s co-executive Luke Harris described the recognition as "extraordinary" for a family-run business. He attributed the chain’s strong customer ratings to the company’s founding values of "fairness, freshness, and a real love of food," which he said are lived daily by staff, growers and management. The business was founded in 1971 by David and Cathy Harris as a fresh-food store in Sydney's Villawood and is now run by two of their sons.

Industry analysts and consumer researchers said the Finder results underscore a distinction between scale-driven competitive advantages and factors that drive customer loyalty and affection. Larger supermarket groups retain advantages in logistics, national distribution and loyalty program reach, but the Finder awards suggested personal service, produce quality and local ties remain powerful drivers of positive consumer ratings.

The awards reflect consumer perceptions captured in a voluntary survey rather than an objective price comparison or market-share measurement. Harris Farm’s market share remains modest relative to the national chains, but the company’s performance in customer-satisfaction categories highlights how smaller operators can carve out competitive strengths that resonate with shoppers.

Finder’s survey results come amid broader scrutiny of supermarket pricing and competition in Australia. Retailers, consumer groups and regulators continue to monitor pricing practices and competition dynamics across a sector that has seen sustained public attention. For now, Harris Farm’s multiple wins in the 2025 Finder awards mark a notable achievement in consumer sentiment for a regional, family-run grocer operating alongside much larger national rivals.