Trader Joe’s quietly reveals plans as demand grows

Grocery shopping used to be simple. Go to the nearest store, fill your cart and check out.

As food costs have risen sharply, many shoppers have been alternating between warehouse clubs, discount chains and traditional grocers. Now, one grocer that doesn’t fit neatly into any of those categories is quietly becoming the one-stop shop for many customers. That store is Trader Joe’s.

The company is building on that shift.  The grocer plans to open 10 new stores in the coming months, continuing a steady expansion strategy.

The result is a brand that feels consistent from location to location. Shoppers know what to expect, whether they are picking up a few items or doing a full grocery run.

Trader Joe’s slow but steady approach reduces risk and helps maintain the brand’s reputation. Stores tend to feel busy but manageable, and inventory turnover remains high. It also allows the company to keep its supply chain relatively simple compared to larger rivals.

Trader Joe’s does not expand like a typical grocery chain. Instead of rapidly opening dozens of stores at once, it adds locations strategically, often targeting areas where demand is already strong. In some cases, Trader Joe’s opens new stores near existing ones, a strategy popularized by Starbucks. Last year, Trader Joe’s even opened a new store right across the street from an existing store in Sherman Oaks, Calif., with no plans to shut down the old one.

That strategy has helped it stand out against larger competitors like Walmart and Kroger, which compete heavily on scale and pricing but often lack the same tightly controlled shopping experience.

Trader Joe’s approach may not generate splashy massive growth headlines but it has helped Trader Joe’s build one of the most loyal customer bases in retail.

That shift is backed by data. Foot traffic data from Placer.ai has shown more shoppers are using Trader Joe’s as their primary grocery destination, rather than as a secondary one. The 2025 data showed that just 5% of Trader Joe’s shoppers stopped at the grocer after visiting another retailer in 2024. That was a half-percentage point drop from 2023.

Trader Joe’s is also the most popular grocery store in America, according to the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Part of Trader Joe’s’ appeal is how predictable and complete the experience feels. Shoppers know they will find a mix of affordable staples and unique private-label products.

Price plays a key role. Basics like milk and eggs are often priced competitively with a warehouse like Costco, without requiring a membership. At the same time, the store carries nearly all the staples needed for everyday cooking, making it easier to complete a full shopping list in one trip.

Related: Costco sees shift in member behavior

Smaller details also reinforce that habit. Trader Joe’s is known for its affordable flower section, where shoppers can pick up fresh bouquets without spending much.

On the company’s Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, CEO Bryan Palbaum said Trader Joe’s priorities are “Providing a great experience in the stores for our customers [and] making sure we’ve got great products for our customers.”

Taken together, that combination of value, convenience, and focus on the employee and customer experience is turning Trader Joe’s from a secondary stop into a primary grocery store for many customers.

As of January 2026, Trader Joe’s has 631 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C., according to the company’s website. This week, Trader Joe’s added 10 locations to its “Store Openings” list, including some cities with fewer than 75,000 residents.

Opening dates haven’t been announced. The new locations are: 

• Herriman, Utah

• Oswego, Illinois

• Spokane Valley, Washington

• Paso Robles, California

• West Orange, New Jersey

• Seattle, Washington

• Lafayette, Louisiana

• Anaheim Hills, California

• Reading, Massachusetts

• Orlando, Florida

Earlier in 2026 the grocer also listed the following locations as “coming soon”:

• Merriam, Kansas

• Mandeville, Louisiana

• West Palm Beach Florida

• Tucson, Arizona

• Woodenville, Washington

• Johns Creek, Georgia

Trader Joe’s operates coast to coast, but there are eight states where you can’t buy TJ’s fan favorites like Rolled Corn Chili Lime Tortilla Chips, Mandarin Orange Chicken or those viral tote bags:

• Alaska 

• Hawaii

• Mississippi

• Montana

• North Dakota

• South Dakota

• West Virginia

• Wyoming

Trader Joe’s is a privately held company, making it difficult to track detailed data compared with grocers like Kroger, Walmart, or Costco. The following is based on estimates from Statista.

• Annual growth rate: Trader Joe’s store base has grown by roughly 3 to 5% per year over the past decade, slower than many national chains.

• Average store size: Trader Joe’s locations are typically 10,000-15,000 square feet, about one-third the size of a standard grocery store.

• Geographic concentration: 206 Trader Joe’s locations are in the company’s home state, California — that’s nearly one-third of the chain’s total footprint, according to the company’s website.

Trader Joe’s still faces challenges as competitors invest in delivery, automation and aggressive strategies like dynamic pricing. But its approach is deliberately simple: fewer products, focus on private label value, smaller stores and fair prices — which seems to resonate with shoppers.

Related: Meet the billionaire family that owns Trader Joe’s and Aldi

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Apr 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.