Along with each being owned by German brothers, Trader Joe’s and Aldi have something else in common these days: They’ve both been on a roll in the US when it comes to increasing foot traffic.
Foot traffic increased 18.2% year over year at Aldi and 6.2% at Trader Joe’s for 2024, according to a recent report from Placer.ai. And it’s not just because both chains added new stores; visits per location also rose over 2023: up 13.5% at Aldi and 3.2% at Trader Joe’s.
While both chains are known for lower prices, Trader Joe’s shoppers tend to be higher income, according to Placer.ai’s analysis. Compared to median household income of $82,000 for supermarket chains nationally in 2024, Trader Joe’s was significantly higher, at $110,100, while Aldi was lower, at $75,700.
Primary numbers: The report also suggests that more shoppers in 2024 made both chains their primary grocery stores, noting that fewer shoppers visited other supermarkets both before and after their Trader Joe’s and Aldi’s runs.
In 2024, 5% of Aldi shoppers went to another grocery store beforehand, down from 6.1% in 2023, while 8.5% went to another store afterward, down from 9.8%; at Trader Joe’s in 2024, 5% of shoppers went to another grocery store beforehand, down from 5.5% in 2023, while 6.9% went to another store afterward, slightly down from 7%.
“This marks a promising shift for Trader Joe’s and Aldi as they continue expanding their footprints,” the report notes. “By commanding a bigger slice of the grocery pie, both chains are solidifying their positions as go-to destinations for full grocery hauls.”
Hoppy new year: Both chains are off to a strong start this year, too, with each notching YoY traffic growth for every week this year through the week that began March 17 (the latest data available).
While traffic was down 1% YoY overall for grocers nationally in February, it grew in all of the four weeks of the month for both chains, with weeks ranging from 6.4% to 11.6% growth for Aldi and from 7.9% to 9.3% growth for Trader Joe’s.
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