The steady drumbeat of inexpensive limited releases make the biggest visit splashes for Trader Joe's. Shutterstock
A new report by Placer.ai shows how Trader Joe's and Aldi, two grocers from similar backgrounds, differ when it comes to bringing traffic in.
Trader Joe's belongs to Aldi Nord and Aldi's U.S. stores are owned by Aldi Sud, two companies formed after their German parent business split in the 1960s.
The steady drumbeat of inexpensive limited releases make the biggest visit splashes for Trader Joe's.
When Trader Joe's shrank their signature canvas tote bag in early 2024, for example, the miniatures flew off the shelves, reselling online at many times their $3 price tag. And the chain's fresh takes on the mini-tote this year continued to draw crowds.
On May 20, Trader Joe's released an insulated mini tote, driving visits 13.7% above the chain's average Wednesday. Then, on June 17, the chain followed up with a pastel mini version of its signature canvas bag (now with stripes), and visits spiked 43.7% above the Wednesday average. The surge carried into the next two days, with Thursday visits up 28.1% versus the same-weekday average and Friday up 19.7%.
And ...