Why Trader Joe's Doesn't Have Any Locations Outside The US

Traveling overseas is fun, but if you are a U.S. citizen traveling to a foreign destination — or even just the likes of Alaska or Hawaii — and hope to pop into a Trader Joe's for a bottle of its iconic Everything But the Bagel seasoning, you won't find one of these kitschy supermarkets, at least not yet. As of this writing, Trader Joe's operates in 42 states within the contiguous United States. Since opening in 1967, the California-based chain has grown steadily. In a 2018 episode of the "Inside Trader Joe's" podcast, CEO Dan Bane said: "Opening stores outside the 48 states requires us to solve unique logistical and operational problems, and we would only open stores where we are able to bring real value to our customers" (via Anchorage Daily News).

Translation: Trader Joe's isn't entering a market unless it can do it right. This means the company needs to be able to control its supply chain, which helps keeps its prices low. And as it turns out, this is part of the secret to Trader Joe's success. "Trader Joe's items tend to be cheaper because they buy directly from producers and manufacturers, whenever they can," reporter Jaewon Kang explained in a The Wall Street Journal video. "So, this cuts costs that would typically go to the middleman, and the company says they are able to pass that along to shoppers." In short, expanding to an island or remote region that is difficult to reach could prove too costly.

That doesn't mean Trader Joe's isn't expanding. A spokesperson for the company told Newsweek, "Some years we grow more than other years, and our goal is always to bring delicious products at great values to as many people and neighborhoods as we can. The best way to do that is to open more stores." In fact, as of July 2025, Trader Joe's is opening 16 new stores — just not beyond the confines of the contiguous United States.

And while a Trader Joe's in Paris or Rome seems unlikely any time soon, the company isn't sharing its game plan for whether it will expand outside the U.S. and become an international brand. But perhaps there is no need to open overseas because tourists seem to enjoy visiting Trader Joe's locations in the United States just as much as they enjoy stopping by attractions such as the Statue of Liberty or Universal Studios. 

For now, if you live in Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Mississippi, or West Virginia – states without Trader Joe's – you can always road trip to a nearby state and stock up on Trader Joe's best snacks and TJ frozen foods kids love.

Still, if you live overseas, there could be another option. Members of the Albrecht family own both Aldi and Trader Joe's, though the parent companies are separate and operate under Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord. Aldi Sùd owns the Aldi stores in the United States, while Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe's and operates Aldi stores in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. 

And, as luck would have it, sometimes Trader Joe's products occasionally find themselves on foreign soil. Eagle-eyed Redditors in places like France, the Netherlands, and Spain have posted that they've found Trader Joe's-branded food in local Aldi stores. The items range from nuts to fried onions for topping hot dogs or burgers. And an Aldi in Copenhagen, for example, has sold broccoli salad labeled as Trader Joe's, along with other food items. 

So until this grocery chain officially plants its flag in other countries, Aldi may be the next best alternative for hunting down Trader Joe's favorites.