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When Amazon purchased Whole Foods Market in late August, I was one of the first shoppers to check out the new, lower prices throughout the store.
But how do the reduced prices at Whole Foods compare to Trader Joe’s? I wanted to find out.
I visited my neighborhood Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in Atlanta to conduct a price comparison on a selection of best-selling grocery items. The first thing I noticed was that Trader Joe’s has also lowered prices.
Organic bananas were $0.29 cents each not too long ago, but now they’re just $0.25 each.
In the days that followed Amazon’s takeover of Whole Foods, there were news reports that foot traffic increased significantly. One study said Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Market were hit the hardest by drops in traffic at their stores.
What does this all mean for consumers? Better prices no matter where you shop! Read on for my comparison…
RELATED: 10 things that are cheaper at Whole Foods today, thanks to Amazon
The total price for the 10 items in my basket was $42.20 at Whole Foods and $38.20 at Trader Joe’s, a $4 difference. This makes Trader Joe’s the clear winner from a price standpoint alone.
To save the most money on groceries, do your own price comparison of the foods that you most frequently buy.
Whole Foods is using orange signs with the Whole Foods and Amazon logos to identity products with lower prices, while Trader Joe’s highlights these items with circular “What a Value” price tags.
Supermarkets strategically discount specific foods so that consumers associate their brand with saving money. It’s all marketing.
For example, that 4-cent discount on bananas isn’t going to change your overall grocery spending much, but Trader Joe’s wants you to remember that lower price when you’re picking up impulse items — like prepared foods.
That’s one reason why it’s so important to make a grocery list and stick to it! Read 20 more ways to save on groceries here.
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This post was last modified on October 9, 2017 2:51 pm
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