A TikToker’s video recounting a discussion she had at work about the affordability of Trader Joe’s versus other supermarkets struck a chord online, with 367,000 people watching the video and nearly 2,000 commenting.
In her video, @katarinakitt says that in a discussion of where new hires at her job like to eat and shop, one woman said Trader Joe’s was her supermarket of choice.
“I was like, ‘oh, I like Trader Joes, you know, if you have the money for it, haha,’ thinking like, Trader Joe’s is expensive compared to Shoprite and all those other stores,” @katarinakitt says. “I was like, but you know what, it’s worth it because they’re fair trade and all these other reasons, whatever.”
She says her manager overheard what she’d said, and was genuinely perplexed by the idea that she found Trader Joe’s to be expensive.
“Where I’m from, me and my family, we don’t shop at Trader Joe’s because it’s expensive to us,” she says. “Am I wrong? Trader Joe’s, it’s an expensive supermarket. I guess I’m fuckin’ broke, I don’t know.”
According to a 2018 article from Consumer Checkbook, a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 to provide survey information about vendors and service providers to consumers, prices at Trader Joe’s were 5% to 10% lower than the national average. At the price-per-ounce level, many of the items from Trader Joe’s can be had for that much less than other retailers, although the store mostly stocks goods from its store brand.
However, Consumer Checkbook noted that there is a caveat: The small selection of offerings at Trader Joe’s might mean that some shoppers will have to purchase goods at other retailers, because they are simply not available.
There are plenty of instances where Trader Joe’s is more expensive.
For example, a loaf of bread at Trader Joe’s is $1.99, a half-gallon of organic chocolate milk (the only dairy milk option listed on its website) is $3.99. Prices for another common essential, eggs, are not available on its website.
The same store-brand loaf of bread is $0.93 at Walmart, $0.99 at Shoprite and $1.19 at Target. A half-gallon of store-brand chocolate milk is $2.24 at Walmart and $2.89 at Shoprite. In some cases, the only comparable chocolate milk option is from name brands, like Promised Land Dairy at Target for $3.49.
For these essentials—bread and milk, often used as examples of the cost of living—Trader Joe’s can cost almost double. However, the equivalent at other retailers may not always be fair trade and organic.
Some commenters agreed with @katarinakitt that Trader Joe’s can be fairly expensive compared to other retailers.
“Nope sis I’m on long island too and it’s definitely more expensive than the Shoprite across the street,” one commenter wrote.
“It depends on items,” another commenter wrote. “Meats and pre-made stuff is more but produce is cheaper usually.”
“ALDI girl here,” a commenter wrote. “Trader Joe’s is EXPENSIVE for a full grocery shopping but great for a few unique treats and snacks.”
Others wrote that it’s one of the most affordable options around them.
“Lol TJ’s is literally the most affordable grocery store in NYC,” one commenter wrote.
“It’s also not available in areas close to lower-income communities in NYC so they know who their target is,” another commenter wrote.
“It really depends where you live. I grew up in an affluent Bay Area suburb and Trader Joe’s was the cheap grocery store,” a commenter wrote. “Then I moved to Minneapolis and it was definitely considered a middle of the road, not cheap, grocery store. Then I moved to New York City and realized there is NO cheaper grocer store than Trader Joe’s.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @katarinakitt via Instagram DM regarding the video.
