Hy-Vee Inc. recently ranked seventh in the 2015 Temkin Loyalty Index, which evaluates the loyalty of 10,000 consumers to 293 companies across 20 industries. The annual index was released last week and is based on evaluating consumers’ likelihood of repurchasing from the company, recommending it to others, forgiving it if it makes a mistake, trusting it and trying its new offerings.

Overall, the nationwide analysis found that grocery chains, fast food chains and retailers were the most likely to inspire high loyalty levels. Hy-Vee, which has 240 stores across eight Midwestern states, outperformed the industry average with a score of 70 percent. The evaluation also found that Hy-Vee led across all industries in consumers’ likelihood to recommend the company to others.

“We are proud to be recognized for the loyalty our customers show,” said Sheila Laing, executive vice president and chief customer officer for Hy-Vee. “At Hy-Vee, our brand promise is to provide customers with exemplary service through our employees’ helpful smiles. We feel that we have the best customers in the industry, and this honor further demonstrates that they believe in us.”