As a regular Trader Joe’s shopper, I love it not just for the unique products, but also for the sense that it’s easier on my wallet.
But is TJ’s really cheaper than other stores, or does it just feel that way? Putting aside the cult favorites like Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and creamy Pepita Salsa, are staple items actually more affordable? Or could a conventional grocery store be the better deal for basic groceries?
I did the math anyway to find out. Here’s the full breakdown. For more price comparisons, check out how much you can save by with a Costco membership, if it’s cheaper to buy meal kits than groceries and if shopping for groceries online is less expensive than in the store.
Trader Joe’s vs. Stop & Shop
ProductTJ’sStop & Shop Baby spinach, 6oz $2.29$2.99Organic English cucumber $2.49$2.99Spaghetti squash $2.99$5.32Banana, each $0.23$0.35Grape tomatoes $1.79$2.49Hass avocado, each $1.990.88 (on sale)Italian extra virgin olive oil, 33.8oz $10.99$17.29Organic unsweetened soy beverage, 1 quart $2.29$3.49Potato chips, 13 oz $3.24$5.49Tortilla chips, 12 oz $2.99$5.49Roasted red pepper hummus, 10oz $3.49$3.99Shredded cheddar cheese, 8oz $4.99$2.00Cream cheese, 8oz $1.99$2.99Sliced Muenster cheese, 8oz $2.99$3.99Greek nonfat yogurt, 32oz $5.49$4.49Organic reduced fat milk, half gallon $5.99$5.29Overnight oats $1.99$1.99Almond butter, 16 oz $5.99$9.29Whole bean coffee, 12oz $6.437.99 (on sale)Peanuts, 16oz $2.99$2.99Organic low sodium chicken broth, 32oz $1.99$2.79Solid white albacore tuna in olive oil, 5oz $1.99$2.29Organic virgin coconut oil, 14oz $4.37$11.99Organic garbanzo beans, 15oz $1.191.25 (on sale)Black beans, 15oz $0.99$0.99Dijon mustard, 12oz $1.94$3.29Pure maple syrup, 8oz $4.995.99 (on sale)Clover honey, 12oz $3.99$5.29Spaghetti, 16oz $0.99$1.29Unbleached all-purpose flour, 5lbs $2.99$3.79Frozen peas, 16oz $1.79$2.69Frozen margherits pizza, 15oz $4.79$7.99Egg bites, 4.2oz $3.79$4.99Large brown eggs, 1 dozen $5.99$5.49Spinach tortellini, 9 oz $2.96$3.99Extra lean ground beef, 16oz $7.49$8.57Smoked salmon, 4 oz $5.99$7.99Ground turkey, 16oz $4.49$4.99Organic chicken breast, per pound $7.99$8.49Plain bagels, 6 count $2.49$2.99English muffins, 6 count $1.99$1.99Flour tortillas, 17oz $2.82$3.29French vanilla ice cream, 1 qt $4.79$2.66Fresh pizza dough, 16oz $1.69$2.49Tempeh, 8 oz $2.49$3.79
Total $160.09$198.66
How much cheaper was Trader Joe’s?
According to our online price comparison done in June of 2025 using online prices and prorated for equal quantity, Trader Joe’s was 21.5% cheaper than Stop & Shop. The list of groceries bought at TJ’s totaled $160.09, while the same or similar groceries would cost nearly $200 if purchased from Stop & Shop.
Who supplies Trader Joe’s products?
First things first: When it comes to understanding the potential savings of shopping only at Trader Joe’s, it’s important to know where TJ’s products come from, regardless of whether we’re talking about flour and butter or Unexpected Cheddar and frozen butter chicken.
We’ve previously analyzed whether it’s cheaper to buy store brand or name brand products, and we found potential savings when predominately shopping store brand products. So, is TJ’s affordability simply a matter of Trader Joe’s only selling store brand items? As it turns out Trader Joe’s more or less only sells products under its own brand name, with few exceptions.
Trader Joe’s is definitely cheaper than the average grocery store, but you might have to wait in a longer checkout line to take advantage of those cheaper prices.
Trader Joe’s isn’t actually a manufacturer of products itself, and unlike some store brands (which are really just name brands in disguise), Trader Joe’s relationship with its vendors is a unique point in understanding its pricing structure. Turns out there’s actually merit to the “trader” element of Trader Joe’s name. According to its website, Trader Joe’s deals directly with manufacturers and growers, cutting out the brokers and distributors, which contributes to its lower prices. Which exact vendors make those Trader Joe’s items with cult-like followings is a closely guarded secret.
Trader Joe’s vs. Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop is a regional chain in the northeastern US whose sibling companies include Hannaford, Giant and Food Lion. I chose Stop & Shop to represent an average grocery chain in my area whose reputation is good and whose prices are known for being reasonable. However, it doesn’t have the cult following of Trader Joe’s, or even the following of other conventional retailers such as Wegmans. Stop & Shop does have its own store brand, simply called SB, which stands for “store brand.” It also has an organic store brand line called Nature’s Promise. Both the SB and Nature’s Promise lines offer a wide variety of products in every department.
Your local Stop & Shop may have self-driving delivery pods but it also has higher grocery prices than Trader Joe’s.
How I evaluated Trader Joe’s and Stop & Shop for staples
Using grocery shopping templates available online, I generated a list of almost 50 basic grocery items representing a wide range of price points from nearly all departments of the store: produce, pantry, dairy, deli/meat, bakery and frozen sections. I only left out bath and body care products and cleaning supplies, since I was primarily interested in comparing food costs.
For each item, I compared the Trader Joe’s price, sourced from Trader Joe’s website, to the Stop & Shop price, sourced from Stop & Shop’s website. I did this evaluation in June 2025.
I tried to find equivalencies in terms of the sizes of each product, but when one store or the other was offering a larger size, we prorated the price to match in quantity. To make it as fair a fight as possible, and since Trader Joe’s entire fleet of products qualifies as store-brand, I used the equivalent Stop & Shop SB product or Nature’s Promise product as a point of comparison whenever possible.
Trader Joe’s beloved pepita salsa is just one example of a store brand item that’s gained fandom and loyalty all its own.
Trader Joe’s savings
At the end of the nearly 50-item list of basic staples, comparing what was effectively store brand to store brand, Trader Joe’s clearly came out as the winner, with a final total of $160.09 compared to Stop & Shop’s final total of $198.66. That’s a total of about 21.5% savings on the entirety of the list. If you’re someone who doesn’t typically purchase store brand items when shopping at conventional grocery stores, it is safe to assume that the potential savings could be even greater. Stop & Shop did offer a good amount of sales and competitive prices, but Trader Joe’s won in this test.
Where are the biggest savings on Trader Joe’s items?
Almost all of Trader Joe’s biggest money savers come from the pantry department, with cereal, soy milk, coffee, maple syrup, coconut oil and nuts. Coffee and coconut oil, in particular, have such unbeatable prices that one wonders whether TJ’s has brokered a deal with the devil.
It is worth noting that deli cheeses, ice cream and black beans seemed to be the categories where Stop & Shop came close to TJ’s prices. Stop & Shop’s price for shredded cheddar cheese and French vanilla ice cream were actually lower than the same TJ’s products. For black beans, both stores offered them for the same price.
Cheese and produce are two departments where Trader Joe’s may not always have a clear price advantage.
Additionally, the produce department at Trader Joe’s is almost entirely sold by package or by item, as opposed to by weight, with prices that rarely fluctuate, meaning that there might be better produce deals to be found at conventional retailers for fruits and vegetables that are priced by weight rather than the piece. (When spotted, I will always buy a .99 cent avocado at any retailer.)
I would also note that weekly sales specials, which were not necessarily factored in here, can also offer a conventional retailer a price advantage over Trader Joe’s on certain items from week to week. Despite these possibilities for occasional better savings in some departments, however, the math is clear: Trader Joe’s has some of the best overall prices, even where basic groceries are concerned.
