Trader Joe's vs WinCo Foods:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Trader Joe's had more branded searches than WinCo Foods among grocery chains in the United States. Trader Joe's had about 16.6 million branded searches, while WinCo Foods had 1.6 million. Trader Joe's made up 28.5% of all grocery chain searches we track, and WinCo Foods accounted for 2.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about grocery chains, Trader Joe's and WinCo Foods each appeared in two of the three answers. Trader Joe's was mentioned before WinCo Foods in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Trader Joe's, about 10 searches for every 1 for WinCo Foods
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 3 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Trader Joe's, named ahead of WinCo Foods in 2 of 3 answers
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Top grocery chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Trader Joe's and WinCo Foods were each mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Trader Joe's was listed before WinCo Foods in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Aldi1st- Trader Joe's2nd
H-E-B3rd
Publix4th
Whole Foods Market5th
WinCo Foods5th
Wegmans7th
Kroger8th
Safeway–
Meijer–- +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
See every answer about grocery chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which grocery store chain is the best in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best supermarket chains in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which grocery chain in the US has the lowest prices?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“grocery stores”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“supermarkets”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
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.
Is Trader Joe's or WinCo Foods more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Trader Joe's and WinCo Foods by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 grocery chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Trader Joe's, WinCo Foods. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Trader Joe's | Aldi | Kroger | Safeway | Publix | Meijer | Food Lion | Wegmans | Whole Foods Market | H-E-B | WinCo Foods | Albertsons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.9% | 18% | 12.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3% | 2.7% | 2.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 24.9% | 16.7% | 13.7% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 5% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 23.7% | 15.8% | 13% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 23% | 18.8% | 12.6% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 25.5% | 17.2% | 14% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 3% | 2.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.1% | 18.1% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.7% | 2.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.8% | 19.4% | 13.1% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 2.6% |
| May 2026 | 26.8% | 18% | 12.1% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3% | 2.6% | 3% |
| Jun 2026 | 27.2% | 18.2% | 12.3% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.7% | 18.6% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 23.3% | 19% | 12.8% | 8.6% | 7% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.5% | 15.7% | 12.8% | 8.6% | 7% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.6% |
How has the Trader Joe's and WinCo Foods comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Trader Joe's was ahead of WinCo Foods in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Trader Joe's’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States moved from 26.9% to 28.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 16.6M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WinCo Foods’ share of searches among grocery chains in the United States held steady at 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.7M to 1.6M.
How did search popularity change for United States grocery chains in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Trader Joe's gained share of searches among grocery chains in the United States, from 23.3% to 28.5%.
In September 2026, WinCo Foods fell from 10th to 11th among grocery chains in the United States.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Trader Joe's’ and WinCo Foods’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Trader Joe's
2 branded search terms
- trader joe's
- trader joes
WinCo Foods
2 branded search terms
- winco
- winco foods
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