Stores Like Trader Joe’s (FAN-FAVORITES in 2022!)

Trader Joe’s is well-known for having a dedicated fanbase. People love it because of their quirky uniforms, affordable prices, and unique inventory. They don’t have sales, subscriptions, or reward cards, but the atmosphere and low prices easily make up for that.

If you’re looking for another store with a similar appeal as Trader Joe’s, keep scrolling to see a few options you have at your disposal. The stores on this list all have something in common with Trader Joe’s, whether it is their prices, their inventory, or their atmosphere.

Wegmans

Wegmans is another store with its own in-house branded foods. They also have an army of fervorous fans frequently raving about their stores, just like Trader Joe’s. Although they operate in fewer states than Trader Joe’s, their fans are just as enthusiastic.

Wegmans stores have interiors designed to look like a European market street. This parallels Trader Joe’s nautical theme, but gives the store a bit more of a professional vibe. The fake windows are even backlit to add to the illusion.

The Wegmans branded foods are generally cheaper than other name-brand products, but still more expensive than Trader Joe’s on average. One advantage that Wegman’s seems to have is that they carry far more name-brand foods than Trader Joe’s.

One surprising difference between Wegmans and Trader Joe’s is the hot food and takeout section. The foods they have on offer are more diverse than Trader Joes, and some are of very high quality. The sushi in particular is top-notch, especially compared to other stores.

Overall, the Wegmans experience is a bit more refined than shopping at Trader Joe’s. They definitely pull out a lot of the same stops, but with more focus. Trader Joe’s, however, is still cheaper on average than Wegmans.

Costco

Costco is one of the most recognizable names in retail. They offer many different foods, supplements, furniture, and other goods at really low prices. They also offer services at many locations such as storage, optical, and even life insurance.

Their stores are not themed like Trader Joe’s, but their prices are just as low if not lower. Their grocery section is focused on bulk goods, whereas Trader Joe’s is focused more on regular grocery shoppers.

Like Trader Joe’s with its fanatic followers, Costco members are generally very loyal. Costco offers many different perks and requires a membership if you wish to shop. These perks keep customers coming, which in turn keeps the prices low.

Both stores also have their own in-house brands. Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand sources generic goods from major manufacturers similarly to Trader Joe’s in-house branded merchandise. Overall, the quality is about on par with Trader Joe’s.

One possible disadvantage of shopping at Costco over Trader Joe’s is the focus on bulk purchases. Unless you’re shopping for an entire family, you might not need or want to buy huge amounts of every product, regardless of the savings.

Overall, Costco is good for shoppers looking for a no-frills experience and bulk deals on groceries and other items. If you’re more about the funky outfits and smaller shopping habits, then Trader Joe’s might be a better fit for you.

Whole Foods

Whole Foods is a grocery retailer focused on organic foods and eco-friendly policies. Their merchandise is more expensive than Trader Joe’s, but they carry a large variety of brands. They lack an inviting theme, but it doesn’t stop them from having a dedicated following.

The biggest difference between the two stores is the price. Since Whole foods focuses on organic produce and carries many more brand-name foods, their goods are a lot more expensive on average than Trader Joe’s.

That being said, there are some amenities at many Whole Foods locations that are completely absent from Trader Joes. These can be anything from juice bars to hot food stands or even a skating rink.

Both stores are widely known for the high quality of their produce. When shopping at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you can expect to find only the freshest goods without having to dig through piles of subpar offerings.

Last but not least, Whole Foods simply has a greater variety of items compared to Trader Joe’s. Since Trader Joe’s is mostly focused on their own branded goods, they lack many of the big-name items that Whole Foods offers.

Kroger

Kroger sells groceries and based necessities, just like Trader Joes. Although Kroger doesn’t have quite the reputation for savings as Trader Joes, many of the Kroger-branded items available are indeed cheaper than Trader Joe’s branded items.

Part of the reason for this is that Trader Joe’s has a large focus on healthy options and organic produce, which raises the overall average price of their goods. However, Kroger’s goods seem to be cheaper on average across almost every single category.

In terms of quality, Trader Joe’s is the obvious winner. Even if you simply look at recall numbers, Kroger has had more than twice as many recalls of their products compared to Trader Joe’s. Most of these recalls were for food or beverages.

Safeway

Safeway is another grocery store that focuses on bringing good food to shoppers at affordable prices. Like most grocery stores, it lacks the distinctive decor of Trader Joe’s, but shares other qualities such as low prices.

Overall, the prices at Safeway are about on-par with Trader Joe’s. Safeway comes out on top when it comes to beverages and Dairy, but Trader Joe’s has lower prices for frozen foods, baked goods, and canned goods.

The quality of the food at Safeway is also on-par with that found at Trader Joes. In fact, Safeway has actually had fewer product recalls than Trader Joe’s over the years, but not by a large margin.

One area where Safeway definitely wins, however, is product variety. Safeway offers over 33,000 different products in their stores, while Trader Joe’s typically only has a mere 4,000. Part of the reason for this is Trader Joe’s focus on their own sourced brand merchandise.