Trader Joe’s went through a major growth spurt in 2024, opening a whopping 34 new stores coast-to-coast.
Last year’s uptick in store openings amounts to more than five times the amount opened in 2022 and triple the number the grocer debuted in 2023. Trader Joe’s is keeping up the rapid pace of store growth, with plans already in place this year for around a dozen locations.
In 2024, Trader Joe’s primarily concentrated store growth to the back end of the year, with 23 locations, over half of the total openings last year, coming between October and December.
New store openings spiked in October
The number of stores Trader Joe’s debuted each month of 2024. Trader Joe’s expansion strategy centred around bolstering its presence in existing markets rather than entering new states.
Eighteen of the 42 states and Washington, D.C., where the grocer already operates welcomed new locations last year. A state-by-state look at where Trader Joe’s opened stores in 2024.
A closer look at California
In 2024, California was the state where the company debuted most of its new locations. Looking ahead, Trader Joe’s already slated three more for the Golden State. So far, Trader Joe’s has announced three upcoming locations in the Los Angeles area. The grocer opened 10 new stores in California last year.
These upcoming stores located in the Tarzana, Northridge and Sherman Oaks areas around Los Angeles are scheduled to open sometime in 2025. Trader Joe’s has not yet provided the exact dates for these openings.
Expansion in California in the past year has taken place almost exclusively in the state’s central and southern regions, mainly around major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. The grocer opened one location further north in Roseville, which is near Sacramento.
Trader Joe’s focus on California isn’t surprising considering it’s home to nearly 200 of the grocer’s locations, representing slightly more than one-third of the grocer’s entire U.S. store fleet.
Where to next?
Trader Joe’s started this year with a store count of 579 locations stretching across 42 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and the grocer doesn’t appear to be slowing its expansion momentum.
Trader Joe’s already has a dozen stores slated to open in 2025. A majority of the stores are near major cities of their respective state. So far, the grocer has announced a dozen new stores slated to open sometime this year. Trader Joe’s upcoming locations are currently focused on both coasts, with a store planned for New York City’s Tottenville neighbourhood and three in the greater Washington, D.C., area as well as two scheduled for Washington state and three in California.
