Trader Joe’s and Aldi’s definition of inflation is bigger crowds
Over the past year, both Trader Joe’s and Aldi have risen above supermarket sticker shock and seen their visits rise dramatically, according to Placer.ai.
In 2024, shopper counts were 18.2% higher at Aldi and 6.2% higher at Trader Joe’s than they were in 2023--and visitation trends continued to grow at both chains thus far into 2025, reported the foot traffic analytics provider.
Though Aldi serves lower-income customers ($75.7K median household incomes) and Trader Joe’s draws much higher-salaried visitors ($110.1K HHI), both brands offered budget-friendly experiences and scored weekend traffic counts that were higher than the national grocery average.
“This suggests that, despite both chains’ limited assortment, consumers view Trader Joe’s and Aldi as weekend stock-up destinations – taking advantage of their days off to enjoy a more leisurely shopping experience at these value-driven retailers,” according to Placer.ai analyst Bracha Arnold.
Placer.ai also determined that fewer shoppers visited other supermarkets after concluding their shops at Trader Joe’s and Aldi, suggesting that more consumers value the two chains as primary grocery destinations.
Both grocers sell a limited selection of products, many of which are high-quality, private brands at low prices.
Both are also strengthening their market presence via expansion. Trader Joe’s, which added about 35 stores in 2024, saw visits per location rise by 3.2%. Aldi, which opened more than 100 new stores in 2024, experienced a 13.5% increase in visits per location.
That trend will continue. Trader Joe’s has announced a dozen new openings in 2025, and Aldi has hundreds in its pipeline.
Between 2023 and 2024, both Aldi and Trader Joe’s saw a decrease in the share of visitors that visited another grocery chain immediately before or after their Aldi or Trader Joe’s trip, according to Placer.ai.
“This shift may be a result of an increasingly budget-conscious shopper, and suggests that visitors are choosing Aldi and Trader Joe’s as a main shopping destination rather than supplementing trips to larger chains,” Arnold observed.
