We all know that if you’re looking for responsibly sourced, organic, wholesome food with the charm of a local grocery store, then you can’t do much better than Trader Joe’s. But is shopping at Trader Joe’s more expensive than their competition?
Despite the quality of Trader Joe’s products and their unique shopping experience, compared to many of their supermarket competitors, you will find their prices reasonable, even against those known for value shopping.
This article will compare Trader Joe’s prices to some of their competition and discuss what benefits and great deals they have to offer their customers.
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Is Trader Joe’s Really Expensive?
The short answer here is no!
Not only does Trader Joe’s offer a unique, quirky shopping experience in a small, tidily presented space stacked with unique items for your fridge, freezer, or pantry, but they do it at competitive prices that beat the majority of their supermarket competitors.
Is Trader Joe’s More Expensive Than Aldi?
Interestingly, Aldi grocery stores and Trader Joe’s once used to be owned by the same parent company, Aldi Nord, and they both still share a similar ethos. They both still have a pared-down presentation with less staff on the shop floor.
While the differentials in price between the two are small, Aldi narrowly tops out Trader Joe when it comes to value in virtually every department.
Fresh produce like meat and vegetables are much cheaper at Aldi, though Trader Joe’s organic produce is cheaper. For example, a pound of gala apples at Aldi sells for $1.00 and $3.00 at Trader Joe’s. One pound of button mushrooms sells for $1.77 at Aldi and $3.00 at Trader Joe’s.
However, Trader Joe’s sells a higher quality of produce all-round over Aldi, which is partially why it tends to be more expensive.
Their non-perishable and packaged products are generally more expensive than Aldi’s, though as above, the difference in prices is negligible.
The reasons for Aldi generally being able to offer better prices are fairly obvious.
Aldi offers a wider general spread of products at a lower level of quality and with fewer organic options or specialty items. The availability and guarantee of items being in the store are less than at Trader Joe’s, and you also have to pay for bags and bag your groceries yourself.
So while Aldi is cheaper, it’s very much a case of getting what you pay for.
Is Trader Joe’s More Expensive Than Other Stores?
Due to the small size of their premises and a smaller amount of products, Trader Joe’s are generally able to sell at lower prices than other grocery stores.
According to a Consumer’s Checkbook survey comparing prices against other stores, customers rate Trader Joe’s alongside Whole Foods with a resounding 71%. Overall, their prices were found to be 19% lower than Safeway and 12% lower than Target.
Trader Joe’s is cheaper for produce and meat than all other supermarkets, at 24% and 8% respectively.
This being said, TJ’s is much smaller than a regular grocery store and stocks far fewer items, making it hard to complete a full shop there.
Does Trader Joe’s Sell High-Quality Products?
Trader Joe’s offers their own range of exclusive foods, meaning they can sell high-quality products at a low price. By skipping out the middle man and buying straight from the producer, Trader Joe’s can make sure their customers get a good deal.
Their range of organic fresh fruits and veggies is extensive, and they have a range of specialty products you’d struggle to find at another grocery chain, like Murasaki sweet potatoes or Honeycrisp apples.
The candies and packaged goods offer a tremendous range of quirky variety, especially if you’re a fan of nut butter. The folks at TJ’s understand that the versatility of the salty sweetness of almond and peanut butter knows no end and have a whole range of products that demonstrate this, like these great Peanut Butter Filled Milk Choc Peanuts.
What Is the Most Expensive Thing at Trader Joe’s?
The Sesame Teriyaki beef skirt steak, made from Angus beef, combines the winning blend of soy sauce and sesame seeds while offering the versatility to cook it in a variety of meals and weighs in at a meaty $16.49/lb.
Does Trader Joe’s Have a Membership Card?
True to their ‘local store’ ethos, they do not offer a loyalty or membership service, believing that their great quality products should be available to every customer at the same affordable prices with zero gatekeeping.
