Viral Video Sparks Debate About Whether Trader Joe’s Is Cheap

A viral video from a New York grocery shopper has reignited an age-old debate: Is Trader Joe’s low-cost?

Katarina Kitt shared her ideas on TikTok, the place her clip has reached over 570,000 views.

“So all the new hires were talking about where they like to eat and where they like to shop,” started Kitt, who works in New York City. “One girl said Trader Joe’s, so I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I like Trader Joe’s, if—you know—you have the money for it.'”

Kitt defined that she thought Trader Joe’s was expensive, in contrast with retailers reminiscent of Lidl and ShopRite. “I was like, ‘But you know what, it’s worth it, because they’re fair trade and all these other reasons.'”

But her supervisor overheard this, Kitt mentioned. He responded, “What do you mean? Trader Joe’s isn’t expensive.”

Kitt was perplexed, she informed her viewers. “Where I’m from, me and my family, we don’t shop at Trader Joe’s, because it’s expensive to us. Wow, I really do not fit in here, do I? Because am I wrong? Trader Joe’s is an expensive supermarket!”

Kitt grew up on Long Island, she added within the feedback part, whereas her colleagues who believed that Trader Joe’s was low-cost lived in New York City. Some viewers proposed that this geographical divide may clarify their variations.

“In NYC, Trader Joe’s is definitely cheaper than other grocery stores,” one individual commented.

Another Long Islander shared Kitt’s outlook. “When I lived at home with my parents on Long Island we barely shopped there because [it’s] expensive,” they wrote. “But then I moved to NYC and it’s the cheapest option.”

Others argued that the shop’s packaging fooled folks into seeing it as low-cost. “It’s cheaper because their portions are made for ants,” mentioned one remark.

Several folks touted their allegiance to different grocery shops. “ALDI girl here,” a viewer mentioned. “Trader Joe’s is EXPENSIVE for a full grocery shopping but great for a few unique treats and snacks.”

A 2018 report by Consumers’ Checkbook discovered that costs at Trader Joe’s have been about 5 to 10 % decrease than the nationwide common, whereas the shop concurrently loved excessive favorability scores for “overall quality.” ALDI’s costs have been a surprising 40 to 50 % decrease than most different shops, though it obtained solely a median score for high quality.

Both Trader Joe’s and ALDI primarily carry their very own manufacturers, moderately than national-brand merchandise. The draw back to that is that buyers might must complement procuring there with journeys to different shops, because the two distinctive chains carried fewer gadgets than different standard supermarkets, Consumers’ Checkbook famous.

Thanks to inflation, the price of groceries is rising regardless of the place you store. Grocery costs have been up 7.9 % in February in contrast with the earlier yr, current Consumer Price Index information confirmed. Meanwhile, food-at-home costs are anticipated to proceed growing between 3 and 4 % by the tip of 2022, based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Newsweek reached out to Kitt for remark.