Trader Joe's, Aldi make surprising moves in grocery space
Shoppers demonstrate why the chains are so popular, even as other retailers struggle.
Almost everyone has at least one favorite Aldi or Trader Joe's item they stock up on when they visit the popular grocery retailers. Peanut Butter Pretzels, Chili Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips and Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip are fan favorites at Trader Joe's.
Over at Aldi, customers love the store's Clancy's Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips and Benton's Cookies.
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But wherever you buy your chips, nuts and other staples, both brands are known and beloved for their high-quality snack selections and budget-friendly items. And even though the stores' product selections are more limited than most mainstream grocery stores, both stores have loyal followings.
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Another thing the two chains have in common is that weekends are more popular, suggesting their customers come in to stock up on favorites. According to Placer.ai, a data company, Trader Joe's and Aldi see a higher share of weekend shoppers (35% and 34.4%, respectively) when compared to the national grocery store weekend average (32.1%). Image source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Trader Joe's and Aldi enjoying massive growth
Both Trader Joe’s and Aldi experienced year-over-year (YoY) visit and visit per location growth, according to Placer.air, with visits growing by 6.2% and 18.2% in 2024, respectively, relative to 2023. Visits are continuing to grow in 2025, with weekly visits up all weeks analyzed.
Perhaps because of the uptick in visits, both Trader Joe's and Aldi are opening new stores coast to coast. Trader Joe's opened 34 new stores in 2024 while Aldi added a whopping 100 locations, and saw a 13.5% increase in visits per location.
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In December, Trader Joe's announced it will open as many as 12 new stores in 2025.
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While no opening dates have been announced, the locations for the new stores include:
- Hoover, Alabama — 1771 Montgomery Highway
- Northridge, California — 9224 Reseda Boulevard
- Sherman Oaks, California — 14140 Riverside Drive
- Tarzana, California —18700 Ventura Boulevard
- Washington, D.C. — 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW
- Washington, D.C. —701 Monroe Street, NE
- Rockville, Maryland — 225 N. Washington Street
- Staten Island, New York — 6400 Amboy Road
- Berwyn, Pennsylvania — 550 Lancaster Ave
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee —2305 Medical Center Parkway
- Bellingham, Washington 4255 Meridian Street, Suite 200
- Seattle, Washington — 8726 Greenwood Avenue
Trader Joe's and Aldi see surprising shift in customer behavior
The new data showing an increase in weekend visits suggests that both Trader Joe's and Alsi are becoming primary grocery destinations, rather than specialty ones.
A diminishing number of people visited another grocery chain either before or after they visited Trader Joe's or Aldi, according to 2023/2024 data. Given that inflation is still making food among the highest household expense, it's not surprising many consumers are choosing these budget-friendly outlets as their primary grocery outlet.
Trader Joe's shoppers tend to be slightly income — $110.1K median household income vs. $75.7K for Aldi's.
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