Grocery purchasing was easy. Go to the closest retailer, fill your cart and take a look at.
As meals prices have risen sharply, many patrons have been alternating between warehouse golf equipment, low cost chains and conventional grocers. Now, one grocer that does not match neatly into any of these classes is quietly turning into the one-stop store for a lot of prospects. That retailer is Dealer Joe’s.
The corporate is constructing on that shift. The grocery store plans to open 10 new shops within the coming months, persevering with a gentle growth technique.
The result’s a model that feels constant from location to location. Customers know what to anticipate, whether or not they’re choosing up a couple of objects or doing a full grocery run.
Dealer Joe’s sluggish however regular method reduces threat and helps keep the model’s repute. Shops are likely to really feel busy however manageable, and stock turnover stays excessive. It additionally permits the corporate to maintain its provide chain comparatively easy in comparison with bigger rivals.
Dealer Joe’s doesn’t develop like a typical grocery chain. As an alternative of quickly opening dozens of shops directly, it provides areas strategically, typically concentrating on areas the place demand is already sturdy. In some circumstances, Dealer Joe’s opens new shops close to present ones, a method popularized by Starbucks. Final 12 months, Dealer Joe’s even opened a brand new retailer proper throughout the road from an present retailer in Sherman Oaks, Calif., with no plans to close down the previous one.
That technique has helped it stand out in opposition to bigger rivals like Walmart and Kroger, which compete closely on scale and pricing however typically lack the identical tightly managed purchasing expertise.
Dealer Joe’s method might not generate splashy huge progress headlines however it has helped Dealer Joe’s construct one of the loyal buyer bases in retail.
That shift is backed by knowledge. Foot site visitors knowledge from Placer.ai has proven extra customers are utilizing Dealer Joe’s as their main grocery vacation spot, quite than as a secondary one. The 2025 knowledge confirmed that simply 5% of Dealer Joe’s customers stopped on the grocer after visiting one other retailer in 2024. That was a half-percentage level drop from 2023.
A part of Dealer Joe’s’ attraction is how predictable and full the expertise feels. Customers know they’ll discover a mixture of reasonably priced staples and distinctive private-label merchandise.
Worth performs a key position. Fundamentals like milk and eggs are sometimes priced competitively with a warehouse like Costco, with out requiring a membership. On the similar time, the shop carries almost all of the staples wanted for on a regular basis cooking, making it simpler to finish a full purchasing record in a single journey.
Associated: Costco sees shift in member conduct
Smaller particulars additionally reinforce that behavior. Dealer Joe’s is thought for its reasonably priced flower part, the place customers can choose up contemporary bouquets with out spending a lot.
On the corporate’s Inside Dealer Joe’s podcast, CEO Bryan Palbaum stated Dealer Joe’s priorities are “Offering an excellent expertise within the shops for our prospects [and] ensuring we’ve acquired nice merchandise for our prospects.”
Taken collectively, that mixture of worth, comfort, and concentrate on the worker and buyer expertise is popping Dealer Joe’s from a secondary cease right into a main grocery retailer for a lot of prospects.
Dealer Joe’s is thought for its viral snack and tote baggage, however it’s turning into the principle grocery retailer for a lot of Individuals. Photograph by Gary Hershorn on Getty Photos ·Photograph by Gary Hershorn on Getty Photos
As of January 2026, Dealer Joe’s has 631 shops in 42 states and Washington, D.C., in line with the corporate’s web site. This week, Dealer Joe’s added 10 areas to its “Retailer Openings” record, together with some cities with fewer than 75,000 residents.
Opening dates have not been introduced. The brand new areas are:
Herriman, Utah
Oswego, Illinois
Spokane Valley, Washington
Paso Robles, California
West Orange, New Jersey
Seattle, Washington
Lafayette, Louisiana
Anaheim Hills, California
Studying, Massachusetts
Orlando, Florida
Earlier in 2026 the grocery store additionally listed the next areas as “coming quickly”:
Merriam, Kansas
Mandeville, Louisiana
West Palm Seaside Florida
Tucson, Arizona
Woodenville, Washington
Johns Creek, Georgia
Dealer Joe’s operates coast to coast, however there are eight states the place you possibly can’t purchase TJ’s fan favorites like Rolled Corn Chili Lime Tortilla Chips, Mandarin Orange Rooster or these viral tote baggage:
Alaska
Hawaii
Mississippi
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
West Virginia
Wyoming
Dealer Joe’s is a privately held firm, making it tough to trace detailed knowledge in contrast with grocers like Kroger, Walmart, or Costco. The next relies on estimates from Statista.
Annual progress price: Dealer Joe’s retailer base has grown by roughly 3 to five% per 12 months over the previous decade, slower than many nationwide chains.
Common retailer measurement: Dealer Joe’s areas are sometimes 10,000-15,000 sq. toes, about one-third the scale of a regular grocery retailer.
Geographic focus: 206 Dealer Joe’s areas are within the firm’s house state, California — that is almost one-third of the chain’s whole footprint, in line with the firm’s web site.
Dealer Joe’s nonetheless faces challenges as rivals put money into supply, automation and aggressive methods like dynamic pricing. However its method is intentionally easy: fewer merchandise, concentrate on non-public label worth, smaller shops and honest costs — which appears to resonate with customers.
Associated: Meet the billionaire household that owns Dealer Joe’s and Aldi
