(Click on the image for the Washington Consumers' Checkbook article)
- Overall, Trader Joe’s prices were about two percent lower than the average prices we found at surveyed area stores; its prices were about four percent lower than Giant’s, five percent lower than Harris Teeter’s, and 12 percent lower than Safeway’s.
- For produce, Trader Joe’s prices were six percent lower than the average prices at all surveyed stores.
- For meat, Trader Joe’s prices were about nine percent higher than average.
- ALDI’s prices were an astounding 41 percent lower than the all-store average for our full market basket including comparable national-brand items. But these savings come with a downside: ALDI was rated relatively low on many aspects of quality—but not as low as Giant, Safeway, Shoppers, Target, Walmart, or Weis for “overall quality.” (We haven’t yet received enough ratings for Lidl to report quality ratings for it.)