Trader Joe's earns more bragging rights
Its mini canvas tote bags have turned into an unexpected viral hit and now Trader Joe’s has more to brag about.
The popular low-priced food store chain, famous for creating a treasure hunt-like shopping experience for groceries that’s both fun and quirky, is pulling in more shoppers than its competitors because of its unconventional approach.
Trader Joe’s has outpaced the wider grocery sector in shopper visits to its stores every month so far this year compared to last year, according to a new report from Placer.ai, which uses location data from mobile devices to estimate visits to specific retailer locations.
The most recent tally showed that in August shopper traffic to Trader Joe’s jumped 8.7% compared to 3.1% for the wider segment.
Adding new stores has helped to bring in more shoppers, but there’s more to it.
“With the help of its wide range of premium-quality, private-label products, Trader Joe’s offers an upscale experience at prices that are attractive to value-conscious grocery shoppers,” the report said.
The retailer has trained shoppers to always be on their toes for spotting new product. If they blink, they could miss out because of how frequently items are rotated on and off the shelves.
And then there’s the quirkiness of checkout bells and the Hawaiian shirts worn by its cashiers.
In its home state of California, the report said singles — living on their own or with roommates — are also becoming a significant driver of customer traffic to Trader Joe’s locations.
“Trader Joe’s is terrific about providing value and making grocery shopping enjoyable,” said Phil Lempert, a grocery and retail industry analyst and editor of SuperMarketGuru.com. “To be honest, going to a traditional grocery store isn’t the best and what Trader Joe’s offers just makes it fun.”