Brandwave

How popular isTrader Joe's?

In September 2026, people searched for Trader Joe's by name about 16.6 million times in the United States, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 28.5% of all United States grocery chain searches, placing Trader Joe's first out of 12 chains. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about grocery chains, Trader Joe's appeared in two of the three answers and was the second most recommended of the 12.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Trader Joe's is the most searched of 12 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Trader Joe'sShare of searches 28.5%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. AldiShare of searches 15.7%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. KrogerShare of searches 12.8%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 8th
  4. SafewayShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. PublixShare of searches 7%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

+7 more

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Top grocery chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Trader Joe's was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Trader Joe's is the second most recommended of the 12.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Aldi1st
  2. Trader Joe's2nd
  3. H-E-B3rd
  4. Publix4th
  5. Whole Foods Market5th
  6. WinCo Foods5th
  7. Wegmans7th
  8. Kroger8th
  9. Safeway–
  10. Meijer–
  11. +2 more

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Aldi3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Trader Joe's2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Whole Foods Market2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • H-E-B2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • WinCo Foods2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Kroger1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Publix1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Wegmans1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Safeway0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Meijer0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

+2 more

See every answer about grocery chains

3 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.

Which grocery chains compete with Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's against grocery chains in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Trader Joe's, Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Meijer, Food Lion, Wegmans, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, WinCo Foods, Albertsons. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthTrader Joe'sAldiKrogerSafewayPublixMeijerFood LionWegmansWhole Foods MarketH-E-BWinCo FoodsAlbertsons
Oct 202526.9%18%12.1%8.1%8.1%5.4%4.4%4.4%4.4%3%2.7%2.4%
Nov 202524.9%16.7%13.7%7.5%7.5%6.1%5%4.1%5%3.4%3.3%2.7%
Dec 202523.7%15.8%13%8.7%8.7%7.1%4.8%3.9%4.8%3.2%3.1%3.2%
Jan 202623%18.8%12.6%8.5%8.5%5.7%4.6%4.6%4.6%3.8%2.8%2.5%
Feb 202625.5%17.2%14%7.7%7.7%5.1%4.2%4.2%5.1%3.4%3%2.8%
Mar 202627.1%18.1%12.2%8.2%8.2%5.5%4.5%3.7%4.5%3%2.7%2.4%
Apr 202623.8%19.4%13.1%8.7%7.1%5.9%4.8%3.9%4.8%3.2%2.8%2.6%
May 202626.8%18%12.1%8.1%6.6%6.6%4.4%4.4%4.4%3%2.6%3%
Jun 202627.2%18.2%12.3%8.2%6.7%6.7%4.5%4.5%3.7%3%2.6%2.5%
Jul 202622.7%18.6%12.5%10.2%6.8%6.8%5.6%4.6%3.7%3.1%2.8%2.5%
Aug 202623.3%19%12.8%8.6%7%7%4.7%4.7%3.8%3.1%3.2%2.6%
Sep 202628.5%15.7%12.8%8.6%7%5.7%4.7%4.7%3.8%3.1%2.7%2.6%

  1. 1.Trader Joe's

    28.5%

    Held 1st. 16.6M estimated branded searches, +22.1% vs prior month. Share +5.1 points.

  2. 2.Aldi

    15.7%

    Held 2nd. 9.1M estimated branded searches, -17.7% vs prior month. Share -3.4 points.

  3. 3.Kroger

    12.8%

    Held 3rd. 7.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.Safeway

    8.6%

    Held 4th. 5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Publix

    7%

    Moved from 6th to 5th. 4.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.Meijer

    5.7%

    Moved from 5th to 6th. 3.4M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

  7. 7.Food Lion

    4.7%

    Held 7th. 2.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  8. 8.Wegmans

    4.7%

    Held 8th. 2.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  9. 9.Whole Foods Market

    3.8%

    Held 9th. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  10. 10.H-E-B

    3.1%

    Moved from 11th to 10th. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  11. 11.WinCo Foods

    2.7%

    Moved from 10th to 11th. 1.6M estimated branded searches, -15% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  12. 12.Albertsons

    2.6%

    Held 12th. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Trader Joe's and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Trader Joe's

11 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Trader Joe's changed in the United States over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Trader Joe's in the United States held steady at 16.6M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trader Joe's’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States increased from 26.9% to 28.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trader Joe's’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States peaked at 28.5% in September 2026 and was lowest at 22.7% in July 2026.

How did search popularity change for United States grocery chains in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Trader Joe's gained share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 23.3% to 28.5%.

  2. In September 2026, Aldi lost share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 19% to 15.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Meijer lost share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 7% to 5.7%.

  4. In September 2026, H-E-B rose from 11th to 10th among grocery chains in the United States.

  5. In September 2026, Publix rose from 6th to 5th among grocery chains in the United States.

  6. In September 2026, WinCo Foods fell from 10th to 11th among grocery chains in the United States.

How are Trader Joe's’ branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Trader Joe's’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • trader joe's
  • trader joes

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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