Stephen Dubner

But Trader Joe's seems to be aggressively low-tech. No self-checkout aisles, no online ordering and pickup, no customer loyalty programs, and apparently Trader Joe's gathers no significant data on customers at all. In the modern business world, this is heresy. If you shop at Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, you can be sure the company has an algorithmic target on your back.

But Trader Joe's seems to be aggressively low-tech. No self-checkout aisles, no online ordering and pickup, no customer loyalty programs, and apparently Trader Joe's gathers no significant data on customers at all. In the modern business world, this is heresy. If you shop at Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, you can be sure the company has an algorithmic target on your back.

But Trader Joe's seems to be aggressively low-tech. No self-checkout aisles, no online ordering and pickup, no customer loyalty programs, and apparently Trader Joe's gathers no significant data on customers at all. In the modern business world, this is heresy. If you shop at Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, you can be sure the company has an algorithmic target on your back.

Trader Joe's, meanwhile?

Trader Joe's, meanwhile?

Trader Joe's, meanwhile?

So this is a riddle. Here's a company that doesn't harness big data, doesn't generally seem to embrace a lot of technology. It employs a lot of real live people and offers decent pay and benefits. But this is also a company that sells its products at low prices.

So this is a riddle. Here's a company that doesn't harness big data, doesn't generally seem to embrace a lot of technology. It employs a lot of real live people and offers decent pay and benefits. But this is also a company that sells its products at low prices.

So this is a riddle. Here's a company that doesn't harness big data, doesn't generally seem to embrace a lot of technology. It employs a lot of real live people and offers decent pay and benefits. But this is also a company that sells its products at low prices.

One head-to-head comparison of grocery prices in Washington state found that Trader Joe's was 19% cheaper than the local average, 12% cheaper than Target and 24% cheaper than Whole Foods. So how on earth can Trader Joe's, as Michael Roberto told us, take in the most revenue per square foot in the industry? They're at the top by a wide, wide margin.

One head-to-head comparison of grocery prices in Washington state found that Trader Joe's was 19% cheaper than the local average, 12% cheaper than Target and 24% cheaper than Whole Foods. So how on earth can Trader Joe's, as Michael Roberto told us, take in the most revenue per square foot in the industry? They're at the top by a wide, wide margin.

One head-to-head comparison of grocery prices in Washington state found that Trader Joe's was 19% cheaper than the local average, 12% cheaper than Target and 24% cheaper than Whole Foods. So how on earth can Trader Joe's, as Michael Roberto told us, take in the most revenue per square foot in the industry? They're at the top by a wide, wide margin.

A 2024 analysis found that Trader Joe's sells around $1,750 of groceries per square foot. Kroger, $800. Walmart, $600. How is this happening? We should probably start with the products that Trader Joe's sells. Here, let me read some of what they say are their most popular items.

A 2024 analysis found that Trader Joe's sells around $1,750 of groceries per square foot. Kroger, $800. Walmart, $600. How is this happening? We should probably start with the products that Trader Joe's sells. Here, let me read some of what they say are their most popular items.

A 2024 analysis found that Trader Joe's sells around $1,750 of groceries per square foot. Kroger, $800. Walmart, $600. How is this happening? We should probably start with the products that Trader Joe's sells. Here, let me read some of what they say are their most popular items.

Mandarin orange chicken, mushroom and black truffle flatbread, butter chicken and basmati rice, Italian truffle cheese, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, spicy tempura seaweed snacks.

Mandarin orange chicken, mushroom and black truffle flatbread, butter chicken and basmati rice, Italian truffle cheese, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, spicy tempura seaweed snacks.

Mandarin orange chicken, mushroom and black truffle flatbread, butter chicken and basmati rice, Italian truffle cheese, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, spicy tempura seaweed snacks.

These are the sort of foods that light up Instagram accounts and Facebook pages, that inspire fanatical devotion even among people who don't have a Trader Joe's within 2,300 miles, like Kirk DeSermia, who works as a facilities manager for the National Park Service in Alaska.

These are the sort of foods that light up Instagram accounts and Facebook pages, that inspire fanatical devotion even among people who don't have a Trader Joe's within 2,300 miles, like Kirk DeSermia, who works as a facilities manager for the National Park Service in Alaska.