Marketing Plan Final Design 1

AMELIA STIMPSON, KAYLEE HINZMAN, SIDNEY KELLY, AND TERESSA BRIZARD
SPRING 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Extensive research on the healthy grocery store industry as a whole highlights where
some improvements could be made within the Trader Joe’s company. Being such a large part of
what makes up this particular market means it is crucial to have advantages over the
competition who also fit into this category. These measures are imperative in order to reach
optimal success. Where the company stands today, it lacks the modernized attributes buyers
are accustomed to from similar stores. Consumers are looking for convenience and ease of
shopping, while still getting the quality goods they desire at the lowest prices available. In order
to continue to deliver this in a way that deems the company as being superior it is important to
integrate some changes. We have outlined some of the suggested changes within the 10
actions plans listed further within the plan. The budget required to fulfill all of these plans is
about $1,357,000. With the implementation of these plans, sales are projected to significantly
increase. This means Trader Joe’s would not only receive an influx of new shoppers, but the
company would also see an increase in overall revenue which would make for an excellent
return on the initial investment put forward. The results are promising and can be expected to
help upgrade the brand, increase sales, and give Trader Joe’s the necessary push it needs to be
more competitive.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
PRODUCT/SERVICE STATEMENT 3
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 4
ANALYSIS OF THE CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT 17
ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 26
SWOT ANALYSIS 34
ISSUES ANALYSIS 41
MARKET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2021 44
TARGET MARKET SEGMENT 45
MARKETING IMPLEMENTATION AND STRATEGY 2021: TRADER JOE’S 54
BUDGET 66
WHAT WE LEARNED 68
WORK CITED 69
APPENDIX 82
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PRODUCT/SERVICE STATEMENT
Trader Joe’s is a healthy grocery store chain that focuses on quality goods at great
prices. The once small chain of local California convenience stores has grown to become what
they are recognized and loved for today. Today, this national chain has 505 stores and offers an
array of the highest standard healthy and organic foods. The
items are packaged in eco-friendly packaging and instead of
single use plastic carryout bags the company uses 100%
recyclable and reusable paper bags. They also replaced
traditional plastic produce bags with biodegradable and
compostable bags. The brand also offers very unique in-house
private label goods that make up about 80% of their products
which aids in keeping prices low.
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ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Industry/Market Trends
Trader Joe’s is part of the supermarket and other grocery (except convenience) stores
industry. This industry is huge and continues to grow as population numbers also grow. This
industry has been growing since the United States population boom from 1940-1960. There are
currently one hundred and fifteen companies that fall in this industry, and they are found all
across the United States and this industry employs roughly 1,980,206 Americans (“Supermarkets
and Other Grocery (except Convinces) Stores”). There are a total of over 76,000 different
supermarket and grocery stores throughout the United States (Plunkett Research).
Currently, the industry side for supermarkets and grocery stores has been increasing over
the recent years. The industry summary for Supermarkets and Grocery (except Convenience)
Stores is currently projected at 3.68% from 2018, and the projected Compounded Annual
Growth Rate is estimated at 3.80% (2019-2026) (Plunkett Research). Specifically, the food
industry of organic and natural foods has grown. In a survey completed by Packaged Facts, the
U.S. retail sales of organic and natural products grew 7% from 2012 to 2016 and reached 69.4
billion dollars, and predicted sales to reach $117.9 billion by 2021 due to an average annual
growth rate of 11% ( Packaged Facts). In 2017, the United States grocery and food retail market
grew by 3.2% and reached a value of over $1.2 billion. The market value for the industry is
forecast to have a value of over 1.4 billion and an increased value of 16.8% in 2022 (“Food and
Grocery Retail in the United States).
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Through research conducted information regarding the trends of American grocery
shoppers was collected. The average American visits the grocery store an average of 1.6 times
per week and spends an average weekly amount of $113 on groceries( “Supermarkets and Other
Grocery ( except Convinces) Stores”). Finally, the average amount of money that Americans are
spending on groceries has been rising since the late 2010’s, after the 2008 recession, due to the
United States’ economic resurgence.
Industry Leaders
Table 1: Representing Top
Industry Leaders and their
overall Revenue from 2018
(Plunkett Research)
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Figure 1: Chart representing comparison of revenue from industry leaders (Plunkett Research)
Outlook of Overall Industry
The supermarket and grocery industry is one of the largest industries in the United States.
Currently with over 76,000 stores across the country and the employment of over one million
people this industry is integral to the United States economy. This industry has been seeing a
steady growth in both revenue and industry locations. As seen in the data presented above Trader
Joe’s is considered one of the leading companies in their industry and they can continue to grow
by continuing their market expansion across the United States.
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Competitive Trends
Brand Competitor
Whole Foods, Sprouts, WinCo, and Kroger are the top brand competitors. Each of these
brands has a different position in the organic grocery store chain. Whole Foods is one the biggest
retailers of organic and natural foods in the world and was one of the first companies to sell
natural and organic foods under a supermarket format. Whole Foods is considered a middle
market because it does not have many store locations and has about 41.1 billion in
sales(Marketline.com).In addition to the same article, Whole Foods has about 311 stores in North
America and the UK. Kroger is based in Cincinnati, OH. They are a leader in the market with
about 2500 stores in 31 states and 82.2 billion in sales(Marketline.com). Kroger is involved in
grocery retailing, manufacturing, and distribution. Sprouts is still new to the market; the store
was founded in 2002 and has about 30,000 employees(Marketline.com). Sprouts offers a range
of fresh, organic, and natural food, including bulk foods, seafood, fresh produce. Lastly, another
major brand competitor is WinCo Foods, the company was founded in 1967. The company has
been around for a great period of time but WinCo only has 30,000 employees in the United
States with a total of 7 billion in sales (MarketLine).
Product Competitors
A product competitor is a company that offers products that compete in the same product
class but have different features and benefits. A major product competitor is Greenwise, owned
by Publix. Greenwise has everything from chicken, paper towels, and even canned goods but
their products are only made with 70% of organic ingredients (Publix.com). The positioning of
greenwise in the market is a middle market because according to Publix.com only 40 of their
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stores carry the organic product, but their organic product is not limited, it is throughout all of
their aisles. The prices for the Greenwise product vary based upon the item. Another product
competitor is Walmart, they have over 1,000 organic products. Their brand Great Value is a less
expensive brand compared to the other products they carry. The Great Value organic brands
carry things such as oatmeal, honey, and coconut milk for a lower price compared to other
organic brands. Walmart’s Great Value organic oatmeal price starts at $3.48 (Walmart.com).
Walmart's Great Value organic brand is a leader in the market because of prices and due to it
being a large grocery chain. Aldi is a subsidiary company, they offer several organic products in
their stores and some of their organic products are locally grown in the area. Aldi’s mission is to
be a faster and easier way for customers to save money on high quality groceries. Aldi organic
brands include Simply Nature, and their products include products such as organic cage free eggs
all the way to Simply Nature organic chips (Aldi.Com)
Generic Competitors
Wawa is a generic competitor to the brand. Wawa conducts grocery delivery from its
local convenience stores, such as fruits, drinks, and grocery items. However, because it is a
convenience store associated with a gas station, it satisfies the need of the customer by being
able to provide its groceries but a customer will not be able to find the same quantity, organic
choices, and health conscious environment that organic stores have to offer. Other generic
competitors include meal kits like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, as well as local Farmers Markets.
Total Budget Competitors
· Dining out
· Cell Phone Bill
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· Movie Tickets
· Clothing Shopping
Top Brand Competitor
One of the top brand competitors is Kroger. They have two in-house organic brands;
Kroger’s Naturally Preferred and Private Selection Organic(MarketLine). The brand also carries
mainstream organics such as Organic Valley and local organic brands. Kroger is a strong market
leader, with $82.2 billion in sales, it is considered one of the highest for an organic grocery
store(MarketLine). Kroger’s major advantage is the variety of certified organic processing
facilities and their wide array of organic products. One disadvantage faced by Kroger is their
lack of classic organic goods such as bread and yogurt (MarketLine).
Top Product Competitor
Greenwise, owned by Publix is the top product competitor. Greenwise’s position in the
market is in the middle because there are only 40 Greenwise brick and mortar stores in the
United States (Greeswisemarket.com). One great advantage Greenwise has, is their direct
association with Publix and the amount of savings that are offered through them. Publix sends
out daily coupons on their mobile app for the greenwise products which differentiate them from
other organic products.
Technological Trends
Inside Company Tech Trends
Our everyday routines are evolving as a result of the rapid advancements in technology.
When the attention is turned to the most recent technology trends within the grocery market
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industry, it is apparent that certain trends are really starting to alter the consumer’s customary
outlook on taking a trip to the grocery store. One of the most distinguished advances within the
grocery business has been the implementation of customer-operated self-checkout machines that
have been showing up in grocery stores everywhere over the past decade (11 Examples of
Grocery Store Technology). These certainly allow for more convenience as shoppers simply
walk up to one of the machines and complete all operations quickly and simply without the
middleman cashier. The companies themselves are also able to cut back on their labor costs as
they ultimately do not need to hire and payout as many employees (Riemenschneider).
The world of cellphones and applications is also making an impact on this particular
industry. Grocery chains and specific third party apps are allowing consumers to do all of their
shopping virtually and have the goods delivered to their door within a matter of hours. This one
is great for shoppers who find themselves crunched for time or those who simply do not want to
leave the comfort of their own home. New and existing companies are starting to emerge and
evolve the grocery market into an online based store as well. Consumers now have the choice to
buy or subscribe to their chosen grocery products and have them shipped straight to their
doorstep. Another very common advancement is the option to go paperless with digital receipts.
This not only contributes to saving the trees, but also allows customers the ability to have a
digital record on hand (11 Examples of Grocery Store Technology). Grocery stores around the
nation are attempting to reinvent the way consumers shop for groceries to allow for cut costs,
optimum convenience, and a better experience overall.
Outside Company Tech Trends
Technology in general is advancing at rapid speeds and many other areas outside of the
grocery industry are also seeing some developing trends. Smartphones have introduced some of
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the world’s finest technology allowing its users access to the internet virtually anywhere there is
cell phone service and recently, at 5G, the fastest speeds we have seen to date. Technology
trends are also bringing us autonomous driving in vehicles, something many would never have
imagined a few decades back (Marr). There has also been a drastic rise in e-commerce through
internet based platforms such as Shopify and eBay. Due to the advances in technology, sellers
are able to showcase their warehouses in a way that comes very close to the real experience of
going out and buying products in-store (Pando).
Economic Trends
The economy’s state plays a huge role in the buyers’ behavior and their overall desire to
make purchases and spend. Thus it is crucial to know the facts and have the numbers on hand
when trying to understand what the current state of the economy is telling us about a particular
firm’s market.
GDP
2017 GDP increased 2.3 percent (from the 2016 annual level to the 2017 annual level)
2018 GDP increased by 2.9 percent (from the 2017 annual level to the 2018 annual level)
2019 GDP increased by another 2.3 percent (from the 2018 annual level to the 2019 annual
level)
Table 2: Representation of GDP % increase from 2017-2019
There is a continuing upward trend in the GDP percentages
Inflation/Consumer price index (CPI)
2017 CPI stands at 244.979 and U.S. inflation climbed 2.1%
2018 CPI stands at 251.631 and U.S. inflation decreased by 1.9%
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2019 CPI stands at 255.759 and the U.S. inflation climbed 2.3%
Table 3: Representation of the rise and fall of inflation rates from 2017-2019
There is some fluctuation in the inflation rate over the past 3 years which indicates
something different for each of the years recorded
Unemployment Levels
2017 Unemployment levels down at 4.1%
2018 Unemployment levels at down at 3.9%
2019 Unemployment levels down at 3.7%

Table 4: Representation of the rise and fall of unemployment levels from 2017-2019
Unemployment levels are steadily decreasing
Consumer Confidence Index
2017 101.23
2018 101.22
2019 100.87
Table 5: Representation of the consumer confidence index from 2017-2019
There is a very slight decrease in confidence between 2018-2019
According to the economic trend analysis above, the economy is in a fairly healthy state.
We continue to see an upward trend in the GDP percentages which all reflect positively on the
overall growth of the nation in terms of expansion of goods, production, and services. We have
seen some fluctuation in the inflation rate over the past 3 years which indicates something
different for each of the years recorded. With increased inflation comes an increase in cost of
goods, services, and living which produces feelings of uncertainty and risk for the consumer.
Unemployment levels are steadily decreasing which is great because with more consumers
working and generating income, more money is likely to be spent. According to the CCI
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published by the Conference Board, consumers remain confident in the future economic
circumstances although we have observed a very slight decrease in confidence between 2018-
2019.
Political, Legal, Regulatory Trends
The following are political, legal, and regulatory trends that have an effect on the
Supermarket and Grocery (not Convenience) Store.
In December 2019 the United States Department of Agriculture finalized a rule regarding
food stamp benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This ruling is going
to impose stricter work environments where states can produce narrower criteria to waive
requirements of able-bodied workers without dependents work a minimum of twenty hours of
work a week in order to retain their benefits (Redman). The overall point of this new ruling is to
help move and motivate more able-bodied adults to self-sufficiency and employment. In
conclusion, this ruling would benefit the supermarket and grocery industry since stores will have
stricter requirements regarding food stamp benefits and other governmental benefits which will
ultimately allow companies to not lose revenue on these transactions.
Over the summer, the United States House of Representative passed a bill to raise
minimum wage to $15 per hour. The Raise the Wage Act would increase the minimum wage to
$15 by 2025, this bill is currently being sponsored by the Democrat controlled house and was
originally proposed by the Virginia Democrat Rep. Robert Scott (Jennings). If this Act is to pass
it will be the first time in more than a decade that the minimum wage amount would change, and
in turn would affect an estimated 33 million people (Jennings). Overall, if this bill is to pass then
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the industry being studied would be negatively affected. By raising the minimum wage to $15
per hour for all employees many different aspects within companies will be affected. The biggest
issue that would stem from this is that the overall cost of goods in supermarket and grocery
stores would increase in order to help compensate for the increased value of minimum wage.
Societal Trends
Demographic Trends Analysis

Population Population growth is declining.
Age Demographics Under 5 years old: 6%

18 years or older: 77.6%
65 years or older: 16%
Gender Composition Female: 50.9%

Male: 50.1%
Ethnic Diversity White alone: 72.2%

Black or African American alone: 12.7%
Asian alone: 5.6%
Two or more races: 3.4%
Education High school degree or higher: 88.3%

Some college, no degree: 20.3%
Bachelor’s degree: 20%
Associates degree: 8.6%
Occupation 7,757,807 total employer establishments

128,591,812 total employment
Men-owned firms: 14,844,597
Women owned firms: 9,878,397
Family Structure Households: 119,730,128

Persons per Household: 2.63
Language other than English spoken at home:
21.5%
Table 6: Representing Societal Trends
In regards to the demographics of the United States, there are a multitude of trends. In
regards to population, population growth has been on a decline as natural increases have dropped
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below one million for the first time in decades (Census, 2019). In addition, life expectancy is
increasing for the first time since 2014 (NYTimes, 2020). In terms of ethnicity, the United States
is becoming more and more racially and ethnically diverse as by 2045, and whites are expected
to become the minority race (Brookings, 2018). For occupations, women are overtaking men as
the majority in today’s workforce as they hold 50.04% of jobs in America (WSJ, 2020).
Education-wise, the United States is also seeing an increase in enrollment in higher education.
Between 2000 and 2017, there has been an increase in undergraduate enrollment by 27% (NCES,
2019).
Lifestyle Trends
In this day and age, most Americans are striving for a healthy lifestyle. As there is a
growing concern of climate change, there has been an increasing amount of people interested in
sustainability and conservation of Earth’s resources. With this increasing interest in living
healthier lifestyles, many Americans are taking part in healthy activities that improve not only
themselves, but also benefit the health of the Earth as well. These activities include exercising,
eating healthy, cutting back on animal by-products, as well partaking in reducing, reusing, and
recycling. For example, the plant-based and organic personal care industry has surged in
popularity and is expected to be worth billions in the next 5 years. Overall, the industry has
increased in sales from 7% to 16% of brands incorporating plant-based items into their product
list. This increase in popularity is due to the adjacent increase in interest of plant-based products
(MSN). In addition, in an effort to replicate a healthy lifestyle, according to a study in 2019, 58%
of professionals revealed they would be more likely to accept a job that offered a fitness and
wellness package. (ClassPass)
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Cultural Beliefs
In America, there are many cultural beliefs that have evolved over time. In regards to
overall health, healthy practices and dietary habits have changed drastically over the past 50
years. As food education and research are improving, many Americans are shifting from fast and
cheap food to fresher and more wholesome foods to eat. In a study from this year, 70% of
Americans claimed that when they partake in a healthy diet they feel like "the best version of
themselves” (“1 in 3 Americans Say They Were Never Educated on Healthy Eating Habits; New
Del Monte Foods, Inc. State of Healthy Eating in America Study Reveals Millennials Feel Social
Anxiety and Stress to Eat Well.”). As more Americans become educated in healthy eating habits,
they also feel more inclined to exercise as well. In addition to having healthy bodies, there is an
increasing effort among Americans to live greener lifestyles by reducing their waste, carbon
footprint, intake of meat products, eating organic products, and consuming sustainable products.
Between 2014 and 2017, veganism rose from 1% to 6% (Forgrieve), and recycling rates have
increased to over 35% since the 1960s (“National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials,
Wastes and Recycling).
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ANALYSIS OF THE CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
Who
Demographics
Trader Joe’s is well known for having a cult-like customer base. Primarily, this customer
base is made up of people with higher levels of income, college degrees, and adults between the
ages of 25 and 45. In regards to race and ethnicity, 39% of Trader Joe’s customers are of Asian
descent, 20.8% are African Americans, 19.7% are Caucasian, and 19.9% are Hispanic or Latino.
In addition, 46% of Trader Joe’s customers have kids, while 53% have no kids and would fall
under the ‘Working Couples/Singles’ psychographic (Numerator, 2020).
Trader Joe’s has extremely strong customer loyalty as they focus on providing high
quality foods at low prices, and also offer great customer service. Trader Joe’s employees are
known for being very friendly and knowledgeable, and help to improve customers’ overall
experiences. Through customer loyalty, Trader Joe’s relies on word of mouth of their customers
to promote their stores. The previous Trader Joe’s President, John Ranch, explained the type of
people that Trader Joe’s caters to. He said that Trader Joe’s is “For people interested in good
food at outstanding prices. We try to create a sense of adventure and excitement, getting people
to try new things at prices they can afford.”. In addition, the Founder of Trader Joe’s, Joe
Coulombe, states that he designed Trader Joe’s for the “overeducated and underpaid” (Coriolis
Research). As a whole, customers that shop at Trader Joe’s can be described as people who are
interested in expensive and unique foods, but without the expensive price tag.
Psychographics
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Trader Joe’s psychographics are composed of four different types of people. The Frugal
Foodie, The Iconoclast, The Sensitive Parent, and Working Couples/Singles (Coriolis Research).
● The Frugal Foodie can be described as someone that has an adventurous palette, but is
also on a budget.
● The Iconoclast is classified as a person that thrives in counter culture and continually
goes against the grain, so their innate quirky behavior coincides with Trader Joe’s values.
● The Sensitive Parent is someone that wants healthy and safe food for their children,
and avoids chemical additives.
● Working Couples/Singles are people that are often busy working, but also like to
indulge in foods that don’t break the bank.
How Many
Trader Joe’s operates in the natural and organic foods division and yields about 10.5% of
adults in the U.S. each month (Research and Markets). In 2017, the number of adults, or people
over the age of 18, was 247,403,128 (Census). With this information, Trader Joe’s brings in
about 25,977,328 customers monthly in the United States.
What
Customers shop at Trader Joe’s for their grocery needs from the bakery, beverage, frozen,
grocery, produce, and refrigerated departments. Consumers will likely go on to directly eat or
use these items to prepare meals after the initial purchase. Each individual will vary when it
comes to the amount of items being purchased just as shoppers vary in family size, appetite, and
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other outside factors. These factors will also directly affect the frequency of the grocery trips
taken to Trader Joe’s.
Over the years Trader Joe’s has become more focused on what happens to the packaging
of their products after they have been used, eaten, and thrown out. The overall awareness for
sustainability and its effects on the environment have become a rising topic of discussion across
the nation. Trader Joe’s recently announced that it would start packaging items in more eco-
friendly packaging. In 2018, the company as a whole also decided to do away with single use
plastic carryout bags altogether and instead use 100% recyclable and reusable paper bags.
According to the website’s announcements on sustainability they also replaced your traditional
plastic produce bags with biodegradable and compostable bags (Announcements).
Where
Trader Joe’s focuses on renting or leasing properties less than 11,000 square feet, so they
can minimize rental costs (Coriolis Research). Furthermore, 28% of Trader Joe’s stores are
located in California making it the most concentrated area in the country for the stores, and the
remaining stores are spread across the United States.
When
Trader Joe’s has a strong customer base who have continuously proven their loyalty to
the brand. Cars pack the parking lots of stores across the nation daily, but it is around the
holidays that stores find themselves with their highest sales. During the months of October
through January a great number of American holidays occur and thus a large influx of seasonal
purchases take place in response. Trader Joe’s offers exclusive seasonal products specific to
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certain months of the year which adds on to their already increasing sales. Managers of different
Trader Joe’s stores across the country have also stated that the stores busiest days of the week are
Saturdays and Sundays likely because consumers are off of work and school for the weekend
(Bellomo).
Why & How
Why do customer’s buy this type of product?
Consumers are more health conscious than ever. Buyers are increasingly growing
concerned about the foods they eat and where they come from. Many consumers now prefer to
purchase organic foods and products as opposed to non-organic in an approach to living a
healthier lifestyle. Sixty-six percent of younger millennials from the ages of 25 to 34 agree that
organic foods are healthier than non-organic (Formanski). The graph below shows the
percentage of why consumers prefer to buy organic products with data collected from 2,000
internet users over the age of 18 (Formanski).
Figure 2: Chart representing why
consumers prefer to buy organic beef
products in relation to the trend of
consumers purchasing habits
(Formanski)
Trader Joe’s successfully satisfies
not only the basic food needs
consumers have, but also caters to the needs of the more health conscious consumers as
well. When customers see Trader Joe’s brand name on the packaging of an item or product, they
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are ensured that there are no genetically modified ingredients, no artificial flavors, and there is
no artificial food coloring anywhere in that product. All of Trader Joe's products that have added
color are derived from naturally available products like plants, annatto, and paprika. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified Trader Joe's artificial flavors as essential
oils, protein hydrolysate, or any product of roasting (Trader Joe’s.com).
How do customers buy this type of product?
Trader Joe’s is far from your average grocery store. The overall shopping experience at
Trader Joe’s is one that continues to bring people in and keep them stopping back in for more.
When consumers are preparing to make their weekly trip to the grocery store, it may be
considered a routine buying decision to some who do not give much thought on the differences
between brands. Although, for those health conscious shoppers it is very much a complex buying
decision for them as there is going to be a significant level of differences between brands.
The company markets an “experience” that strives to make any buyer feel like they made
the right decision to shop there (Kaufman). A Forbes article written by Blake Morgan highlights
the unique traits of the store itself, “from the Hawaiian shirt uniforms to the bright murals and
welcoming store layout” the brand encompasses a distinctive approach to grocery shopping and
this particular approach is working as they have generated a loyal customer base (Morgan). The
store regularly finds itself on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s list for best customer
service experience and top customer satisfaction which says quite a bit.
With no coupons, no sales, and no loyalty programs the store sticks to a rather simple
way of shopping while still providing wholesome products at a lower price point than other
similar competitors in the market. The stores’ checkout lines operate the old-fashioned way with
employees manually scanning and bagging items for you. With plenty of employees on staff at
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all times the company ensures a speedy process with limited delays regardless of the absence of
self-checkout options offered. Trader Joe’s accepts mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay,
Samsung Pay), credit/debit cards, cash, personal checks, EBT cards, and Trader Joe’s Gift Cards
(physical cards) which guarantees convenience and ease of payment for any shopper.
Why Non-Customers
Trader Joe’s grocery store targets a specific small market segmentation. The market that
Trader Joe’s tends to focus on is that of the natural and organic food segment, while also
targeting individuals who shop on a budget. The market is a growing segment within the grocery
industry and continues to increase every year due to society’s focus on becoming healthier and
more environmentally friendly. Trader Joe’s has some of the highest market reviews from its
consumers. However, many trends are developing that are, in turn, taking away customers from
their stores. The new trend of online grocery shopping and food delivery service has begun to
make impacts on the grocery store market in general. Since the acquisition of Whole Foods
Market by Amazon, the company’s online grocery store has begun to develop at a rapid rate and,
in turn, has pulled customers from many different grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s
(Redman). A second reason as to why some consumers avoid Trader Joe’s is their usage of
plastic packaging with their products, which can be cited through the petition against the
company started by Greenpeace (Trader Joe’s Vows to Cut Back on Single-Use Plastic Waste).
Since Trader Joe’s carters towards the more environmentally friendly market segment, they must
make sure that they represent what they preach. Another reason that deters consumers from
shopping at Trader Joe’s is their lack of all grocery store fundamentals. Trader Joe’s is a type of
grocery store that mainly carries food products solely; meanwhile, all other traditional grocery
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stores have delis, household products, and butchers (Kadet). This difference affects the company
since it is not a one-stop-shop; there is a large number of consumers that decide to spend their
money elsewhere specifically in grocery stores that are considered one-stop shops. Overall, the
most significant indicator that keeps people from shopping at Trader Joe’s is the new trend of
online grocery shopping and lack of traditional grocery store fundamentals of a one-stop shop.
Customer Reviews
Below is a mix of positive and negative reviews about Trader Joe’s from the third party source
Yelp.
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I love you, Trader Joe's. I love you so much.
Rachel F. This location is so busy they have their own
parking lot attendant. They have a ton of
Tampa, FL overly friendly employees ready to help you.
Seriously they're like deranged stepford flight
5/30/2019 attendants and I'm here for it. They must be
getting paid well because they act RIGHT.
Everything is always well stocked, clean, and
they have two squeaky clean gender-neutral
restrooms. Free coffee and samples all day
errrrrday. I've heard that they'll pretty much
let you try anything if you ask nicely but I've
never tried it.
I come here for the flowers, snacks, wine,
dried fruits, and frozen entrees. They won't
have everything on your list, but you'll leave
with things you didn't know you needed.
Each product is the perfect blend of ethical,
high quality, and low price.
You can return anything, even if it's been
open or tried. This gives me peace of mind
because I think if lots of one thing was
getting returned, the big wigs would get rid
of it, so in turn I believe that most things in
the store will be tasty.
They care. It shows. I like.
Definitely not worth the hype. I heard so

Leslie L. many good things about TJs, so I wanted to
try it out. Maybe his is just the smallest store
Auburn, AL they have, but the selection is pitiful. None of
the things that I had recommendations to try
8/6/2017 were in stock. And then the line was half a
football field long in the middle of the day on
a weekday. Definitely not worth an extra trip
here.
Leiba S. This is my first time at Trader Joe's. I've

always gone to Whole Foods. Well let me tell
Hollywood, FL you that Whole Foods is in the rear view.
An associate by the name oF Exevian
25
1/21/2020 accompanied me through the aisles which
were super oorganized and super clean. He
informed me that In this Establishment you
can virtually try anything before you buy it. I
tried the smoked salmon with capers. It was
delicious but too rich with cream for me
today.
Next I tried the Kale Gnocci which was

sooooo good.
The crew member Mareen was very pleasant

and gave me a free bag for my first visit!
They even rang a bell which I thought was
cute.
The bathrooms are gender neutral. They take

apple play. They take ETB. They even donate
food across the nation; nothing goes to waste
here. This is my new spot for groceries.
26
ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
Financial Performance
Trader Joe’s is a privately held company, but in 2015 Trader Joe’s estimated sales
amounted to $8.27 billion and they are expected to reach $9.67 billion in sales by the year of
2021(Projected Sales of Trader Joe’s in the U.S. 2015-2021). Although in 2017 it was stated by
Business Insider that the company was bringing in
an estimated $13.3 billion in revenue (Houston).
Figure 3: Representation of Trader Joe’s Total Market
Share Percentage (big gale.com)
Based on their past financial performance, during
the fiscal year of 2011 Trader Joe’s generated about
five billion in total sales and over one million sales
per employee (big gale.com). With Trader Joe’s being a private company, during the year of
2019 Trader Joe’s owned 3.49 percent market share of supermarkets in the state of Washington,
and in 2018 they owned 3.30 percent of supermarket’s market share in New York (big gale.com).
The Pie chart below shows the percentage of Trader Joe’s total Market Share based on four states
in the United States. In 2015, Trader Joe’s had a high profitability year of 13 billion dollars in
revenue while still maintaining a lower price compared to its competitors(big gale.com). About
80 percent of Trader Joe’s items are private labeled items. According to elementum. Com “By
procuring products directly from suppliers, distributing them through its own centralized
27
distribution network, and labelling them directly as Trader Joe’s brand, the store is able to offer
the same quality for a much lower price”(Ryan).
Market Strategies
Target Markets
Trader Joe’s is one of the most successful grocery store companies within the United
States and continues to grow every year steadily. Trader Joe’s has practically perfected their
marketing strategies and their knowledge on their target and potential markets. The company
aims to specifically target the market segment that focuses on health and nutrition while also
being concerned about the price point. Since the company ensures their consumers that there are
no artificial flavors, coloring, or genetically modified ingredients in their products, they can
solidify their market image as providing focus to their consumers on their dedication to health
and nutrition. Trader Joe’s has developed an almost cult-like following due to their heavy focus
on reaching the correct markets and providing products that their customers ultimately can not
live without. Trader Joe’s aims to be as inclusive as possible to all ethnic groups by providing
and creating authentic and meaningful relationships with all the fastest-growing consumer
markets within the United States (Llopis). Overall, the target market of Trader Joe’s regards
individuals, specifically millennials and generation z, that are very health conscious, but also
enjoy shopping on a budget.
Positioning
Since the start of Trader Joe’s over fifty years ago, the company has always known how
to position themselves towards the consumer market so that they can provide the best possible
experience of their consumers. Currently, the American population and consumer market are
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changing at such a high speed that many companies are having difficulties maintaining their hold
on their customers due to a variety of reasons. However, Trader Joe’s has always been a
company that prides themselves on their ability to position themselves towards their consumers.
One of the most significant aspects that Trader Joe’s uses to help position themselves towards
consumers is their ability to focus on cultural awareness and a “grass-roots marketing niche that
draws viral activity” (Llopis). Trader Joe’s is known for their overall unconventional and
culturally tailored attitude towards consumers, which can be seen in their numerous authentic
cultural brands, and this attitude is heavily ingrained in the company’s business model. For
example, Trader Joe’s is able to position themselves to a diverse group of consumers due to their
iconic packaging and brand names for their private brand labels. Trader Joe’s also does not use
date, consumer relationship management, analytics, or any other means to segment, target, or
track their consumers to aid on marketing strategies (Yohn). The company does not rely on data
to help learn how to position itself better towards consumers and instead relies and focuses on its
employees to facilitate the kind of customer intimacy that enables it to have the products and
deliver the experiences that customers want” (Yohn). This unconventional method of marketing
has allowed Trader Joe’s to continuously maintain their high levels of customer satisfaction,
while also still being able to keep their company positioning in the growing organic and natural
food market industry.
Image and Brand
29
Trader Joe’s focuses on providing the image of environmental sustainability, high focus
on the natural/organic food industry, and consumer experience. Trader Joe’s prides their ability
to create meaningful and authentic relationships with their consumers by making sure that the
best possible customer experience is provided every single trip to one of their stores. Since
Trader Joe’s does not partake in any customer research due to their belief that it is unnecessary to
their success, they can advertise and pride themselves on their abilities to still provide a detailed
image of their focus of placing their consumers above any other aspect. The most significant
marketing expense that Trader Joe’s focuses on to reach consumers is The Fearless Flyer, which
is the company’s low-budget newsletter/cataloged eight times a year (Yohn). This newsletter is
the primary method that the company uses to help highlight their image and current brand
mission. These newsletters tend to be very quirky, which is a signature for the brand while also
presenting the company’s strategy of focusing on their existing shoppers and increasing
consumer spending.
In contrast, most other grocery stores solely focus on increasing customer numbers and
not focusing on improving and providing a more exceptional customer experience (Lutz). One of
Trader Joe’s other most extensive and expensive marketing strategies is that of allowing
customers to try a majority of their products for free. Again, since Trader Joe’s does not partake
in consumer research, they instead spend their marketing budget on providing the experience of
trying their products to their customers. Trader Joe’s has mastered its brand image by placing a
heavy focus on its customers and making sure that they are receiving the best possible services
available. This level of dedication to the consumer and brand image is truly the reason why
Trader Joe’s has been so successful over the years and maintains the title of one of the most
consumer-friendly stores in the grocery and supermarket industry.
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Marketing Programs
The Trader Joe’s corporation has never been known to run off of a traditional business
playbook. The brand itself values simplicity in their overall business plan. In their 62 years of
business, the corporation has only had a mere three CEOs which exemplifies the consistency of
the values they have instilled in the business throughout the different leadership terms (Yohn).
The brand surprisingly spends the majority of its marketing budget on free product
samples in order to foster stronger shopper retention. With no actual advertisements, no
billboards, and no magazine spreads the company acquires most of its exposure from its
newsletters, its podcast, and its social media accounts (Yohn). Trader Joe’s main source of
advertising is from their regularly dispersed newsletter mentioned earlier, The Fearless Flyer.
The newsletter, as described by marketing author Scott Aughtmon, incorporates “personality and
gives readers a description and or story behind special products currently being offered in stores”
(Aughtmon). The company also has a podcast called Inside Trader Joe’s, which gives listeners a
chance to dive deeper into the mechanics behind running such a unique company (Trader Joe's
Launches First-Ever Podcast Series). The brand’s social media accounts are spread across
multiple platforms with their largest following coming in at 10 million monthly viewers on
Pinterest. They also have 1.9 million followers on Instagram and 3.7 thousand subscribers on
their YouTube channel.
Trader Joe’s seems to construct its marketing around the focus of its existing clientele
versus the marketing of a more traditional grocery store that would focus more so on getting
shoppers in the door. When it comes to marketing research the company collects zero buyer data,
as the brand feels it is unnecessary to spy on customers. Instead “the company relies on its staff
to facilitate the kind of customer intimacy that enables it to have the products and deliver the
31
experiences that customers want” (Yohn). Over the years Trader Joe’s has grown to learn who
their audience is and the reasons why this audience chooses to shop with their company as
opposed to any of their leading competitors. They keep up with their simplified theme by
limiting their inventory overall which, contrary to the belief, actually encourages shoppers to buy
more (Ryan). The brand offers very unique in-house private label goods which make up about
80% of their products. As stated by Janie Ryan, a supply chain analyst, “by procuring products
directly from suppliers, distributing them through its own centralized distribution network, and
labelling them directly as Trader Joe’s brand, the store is able to offer the same quality goods for
a much lower price than competitors” For example “Annie’s Organic Instant Pasta Shells sell at
Whole Foods for $3.29, while the same organic product under the Trader Joe’s label sells for just
$1.49” (Ryan).
Other
Production Capacity
In terms of production capacity, Trader Joe’s carries less items than a regular grocery
store. To keep track of inventory, many retail and grocery stores use stock keeping units, or
SKUs, and these SKUs are used to label each individual item. On average, Trader Joe’s carries
4,000 SKUs while other grocery stores carry over 50,000 SKUs, so the production capacity of
Trader Joe’s is about 80% smaller than a typical grocery store (Technology and Operations
Management).
Technical Capabilities
32
As a company focused on customer experience, Trader Joe’s has limited technology in
their stores to further their efforts to build loyalty and relationships with their customers.
Keeping a traditional checkout system, they omit having any self-checkout stations or additional
screens, but offer friendly customer service instead.
Organizational Structure and Culture
Trader Joe’s is known for their nautical decor and relaxing environment. With this
nautical theme, all Trader Joe’s employees have a dress code that also coincides with this
aesthetic, and these uniforms commonly include Hawaiian shirts and Leis. In addition to this
theme, management and leadership also coincides with the theme. Each store is composed of one
store manager, or “the Captain”, and also eight to twelve “Mates” which are middle managers,
and all other employees are “Crew Members”. With this hierarchy, there are multiple managers
that employees can report to, and also that they can receive specialized instruction from.
Moreover, Trader Joe’s Crew Members and Mates are encouraged to take ownership of their
work from designing, reorganizing, being creative, as well as their triumphs and mistakes. For
example, Crew Members are encouraged to take initiative and recommend new ideas for the best
ways on how to structure the store structure and shelving, and also are able to use their creativity
to decorate all signage that will promote products for customers to buy. In addition to having a
positive and supportive work environment, Trader Joe’s provides great pay to their employees.
Crew Members hourly wage can range from $11-$20 an hour, while Mates make $18-$30 an
hour, and Captains can make an average of six figures (Business Insider, 2019). Furthermore,
Trader Joe’s also offers a multitude of other benefits for their employees. To be specific, all
employees are eligible to receive a 7-10% annual increase based off their semi-annual reviews,
employees also have a 10% discount on all Trader Joe’s goods, and employees are provided with
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a low-cost medical, dental, and vision plans (Trader Joe’s, Careers, 2020). In 2018, Glassdoor
voted Trader Joe’s as one of the best places to work in the United States (Business Insider,
2018).
Management and Leadership
Trader Joe’s parent company is Aldi Nord, a company of German supermarket chains.
Moreover, Aldi Nord is also the parent company to grocery store Aldi which has 10,000
locations worldwide. In regards to their domestic corporate office, Trader Joe’s headquarters are
located in Monrovia, California as it is adjacent to the multitude of stores in that region. The
Monrovia corporate headquarters are home to CEO Dan Bane, President of Stores, Jon Basalone,
and other company executives.
Financial Stability
Trader Joe’s is expected to grow expeditiously as far as sales and finances. In 2015, the
grocery store was projected to make $8.27 billion dollars, and by 2021, they are expected to
increase sales by 17% and accruing $9.67 billion dollars (Statista)
34
SWOT ANALYSIS
Statement of External Likelihood Seriousness # Threat Index #

Threats of occurrence #
Economic Trends (#1) 3 5 15
Technology Trends 4 5 20
Competitors Expansions 5 5 25
Competitor Expansion:
More grocery stores are expanding and could cause a decrease in sales and profit for
Trader Joe’s
Technology Trends:
The new trend of online grocery shopping and food delivery service has begun to make
impacts on the grocery store market in general. Since the acquisition of Whole Foods Market by
Amazon, the company’s online grocery store has begun to develop at a rapid rate and, in turn,
has pulled customers from many different grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s.
Economic Trends:
35
If the U.S. begins to experience high inflation rates this will likely cause an increase in
cost of goods, services, and living. This produces feelings of uncertainty and risk for the
consumer. (#1)
If the U.S. begins to see high unemployment levels there will be fewer people out there
making steady income. With less money being made, less consumers will be willing to spend as
much. (#2)
Statement of External Opportunities Attractiveness Success Opp. Index #

# #
Societal Trends 4 4 16
Market Industry 4 5 20
Economic Trends:
When the U.S. has high GDP levels there will likely be an expansion of goods and
services. This will reflect positively on the overall growth of the nation. (#1)
When the U.S. begins to experience low inflation rates this causes a decrease in cost of
goods, services, and living. This increases the consumers' will to spend. (#2)
When the U.S. begins to see low unemployment levels there will be more people making
steady income. With more money being made, more consumers will be willing to spend. (#3)
Societal Trends:
36
Trader Joe’s are typically located in affluent and educated areas, but if they decide to
expand into lower income areas, they can reach more customers by tapping into another
demographic segment.
Market Industry:
Specifically, the food industry of organic and natural foods has grown. In a survey
completed by Packaged Facts, the U.S. retail sales of organic and natural products grew 7% from
2012 to 2016 and reached 69.4 billion dollars, and predicted sales to reach $117.9 billion by
2021 due to an average annual growth rate of 11%.
Statement of Internal Strength Company Importance Strength Index #

Performance to
# company’s
success #
Customer Loyalty (#1) 5 5 25
Customer Loyalty (#2) 5 5 25
Product Quality 5 5 25
37
Media Presence 4 5 20
Consumer Awareness 5 5 25
Customer Loyalty:
Trader Joe’s experiences strong customer loyalty from their buyers. This marks a high
level of perceived value and a strong relationship with the brand. (#1)
The brand is able to offer lower prices than competitors within the same market. Lower
prices keep customers satisfied and coming back. (#2)
Product Quality:
The company offers wholesome products and ingredients that cater to the needs of the
more health conscious consumers. When customers see Trader Joe’s brand name on the
packaging of an item or product they are ensured that there are no genetically modified
ingredients, no artificial flavors, and there is no artificial food coloring anywhere in that product.
Media Presence
They still manage to maintain a good amount of outside exposure through their
newsletters, podcast, and social media accounts. Their social media presence is strong with large
followings on each
Consumer Awareness
38
One of the most significant aspects that Trader Joe’s uses to help position themselves
towards consumers is their ability to focus on cultural awareness and a grass-roots marketing
niche that draws viral activity. Trader Joe’s is known for their overall unconventional and
culturally tailored attitude towards consumers, which can be seen in their numerous authentic
cultural brands, and this attitude is heavily ingrained in the company’s business model.
Statement of Internal Company Importance to Strength Index #

Weakness Performance # company’s
success #
Advertising 4 3 12
Internal Spending 4 4 16
Data Collection 5 3 15
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Technological Setbacks 4 3 12
One – Stop – Shop 4 5 20
Advertising:
Trader Joe’s has a lack of advertising. They do not spend any additional money on actual
commercial advertisements, billboards, or magazine spreads.
Internal Spending
They do not set aside much of their budget for traditional marketing. The brand
surprisingly spends the majority of its marketing budget on free product samples.
Data Collection
There is a lack of marketing research through data mining. The company collects
absolutely zero buyer data.
Technological Setbacks
The brand does not incorporate much growth in technology. The stores’ checkout lines
operate the old-fashioned way with employees manually scanning and bagging items for you.
One - Stop – Shop
Trader Joe’s is the type of grocery store that solely carries food items; meanwhile, all
other traditional grocery stores have delis, household products, and butchers. This difference
affects the company since it is not a one-stop-shop; there is a large number of consumers that
decide to spend their money elsewhere specifically in grocery stores that are considered one-stop
shops.
40
ISSUES ANALYSIS
Statement of External Threats:
1. Increase in Inflation TI#15

2. Technology Trends TI#20
3. Competitor Expansions TI#25
As a grocery store brand Trader Joe’s face many external threats. A major threat Trader
Joe’s face is the expansion of its competitors, with more grocery stores expanding and opening
many new locations across the United States its causing a threat to the company because
customer’s may now go shopping at other stores. Another threat Trader Joe’s faces from the
41
economy is a high inflation, with high inflation there will be an increase in cost of goods,
services and living. High inflation will cause a feeling of uncertainty and risks for its consumers.
Lastly, a major threat Trader Joe’s face is the threat of technology trends consumer now prefer to
shop online and go the route of E-commerce to receive their groceries, with technology
advancement Trader Joe’s may not be able to keep up with it’s competitors which could hinder
the company ability to keep up within the market.
Statement of External Opportunities:
1. High GDP OI#25

2. Low Inflation- decrease in goods and services OI#25
3. Unemployment- Less Income OI#25
The economy’s state plays a huge role in the buyers’ behavior and their desire to make
purchases and spend. When the United States has high gross domestic product (GDP) levels,
there will likely be an expansion of goods and services and this will ultimately reflect positively
on the overall growth of the nation. In 2019 the U.S. GDP increased by 2.3 percent. When the
U.S. begins to experience low inflation rates, this causes a decrease in cost of goods, services,
and living and this will end up increasing the consumers general will to spend. The U.S. inflation
levels have only slightly increased in 2019. Concurrently, when the U.S. begins to see low
unemployment levels there will be more people making a steady income. With more money
being generated, more consumers will be willing to spend. In 2019 the U.S. unemployment
levels were down at 3.7%. With the generally healthy state in which the economy currently
stands, this points towards a great deal of direct opportunities the company can expand upon in
the overall sales of their products.
Statement of Internal Strengths:
42
1. Customer Loyalty SI#25
2. Lower Prices SI#25
3. Appeal to a healthy lifestyle SI#25
4. Culture Awareness SI#25
Trader Joe’s is reputable for having a devoted customer base. This relationship is based
on the loyalty they have with their customers, and this loyalty is derived from the quality of their
products, low prices, and friendly environment. In addition, Trader Joe’s is a supplier of healthy
foods that are organic, plant-based, free of additives, and also gluten-free. The healthy food that
they offer appeals to many of those that are looking to live a healthier lifestyle, and for a low
price. Lastly, an additional strength for Trader Joe’s is that they are culturally aware. Trader
Joe’s has become an advocate for sustainability in their stores, and has been working to produce
more eco friendly packaging. In 2018, as a whole, the company decided to exhaust the use of
plastic grocery bags, and uses only 100% recyclable and reusable paper bags to store their
products.
Statement of Internal Weakness:
1. Limited Variety SI#20

2. No Marketing SI#16
3. “Old fashioned” Checkouts SI#12
Even though Trader Joe’s has a strong customer base and relative success, the company
does present multiple weaknesses. Trader Joe’s prides themselves on their relationships with
their customers and how every store offers specific items specifically for the local demographics.
However, Trader Joe’s is a grocery store that has a minimal variety. Trader Joe’s is a store that
mainly carries food products solely; meanwhile, other stores have delis, butchers, and household
products. This is an issue that can prevent people from wishing to spend their money at Trader
Joe’s since it is not a “one-stop-shop”. Trader Joe’s also does not spend any additional money on
43
advertising besides their newsletter. Since Trader Joe’s does not spend any additional money on
actual commercial advertisements, billboards, or magazines, there is an entirely untapped market
possibility that could potentially cause a significant increase in company sales and customer
loyalty. A third weakness is that the company still utilizes “old fashioned” checkout lines. This
internal weakness demonstrates how Trader Joe’s does not incorporate much technological
growth into its stores. This weakness is an example of how trader Joe’s is not currently interested
in comparing to competition at this point since many other grocery stores now offer self scanner
checkouts or simply more technology-friendly streamlined experiences.
44
MARKET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2021
Goals:
1. Engage with wider audiences through the creation of advertising on social media
platforms, specifically Instagram.
2. Increase e-commerce by implementing a grocery delivery service and advanced
technology in check-out.
3. Maintain a strong customer base, and attract new customers through the creation of a
loyalty program.
4. Increase customer satisfaction.
● Follow the market economic trends and reflect product prices based on current
inflation rates
Objectives:
1. Portion off 5% of the company’s budget in order to increase brand awareness by 10%.
2. Increase e-commerce sales by 10% through the implementation of a grocery delivery
service, and including online payment options.
3. Create a loyalty program for new and existing customers that is based off of points from
purchases. This program is expected to increase customer loyalty by 5%.
4. Establish a system of surveys that allows customers to record their feedback for products
and overall customer experience to increase customer satisfaction by 10%.
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TARGET MARKET SEGMENT
Primary Market
Geographic Segmentation
Of the 508 stores total Trader Joe’s stores, about 36% of the stores are located in
California, making California the leader in the country for the most Trader Joe’s locations. Of
the many stores located in California, the majority of them are located near San Jose which is a
part of Santa Clara County, and is also considered to be Silicon Valley. Given the concentration
of Trader Joe’s stores in this location, the demographics and psychographics of Santa Clara
County/Silicon Valley is exemplary of the Trader Joe’s target market.
46
Figure 4: Map Representing Trader Joe’s locations in Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley (“Stores”)
Demographic Segmentation
Demographic Analysis
Population Estimated 1,927,852 as of July 2019.
Age Demographics ● < 19 years of age: 26.6%

● < 20-44 years of age: 37%
● < 45-64 years of age: 25.2%
● < 65 years of age and older: 11%
Gender Composition ● Females: 48.2%

● Males: 51.8%
Ethnic Diversity ● Asian: 41.3%

● White: 33.8%
● Hispanic/Latino: 17.4%
● Black/African American: 2.9%
● Other: 4.6%
Education ● High School Education or Higher of people ages 25+:

92.2%
● Bachelor’s Degree or Higher of people ages 25+: 58.5%
Occupation ● Median Household Income: $116,257

● Total in civilian labor force, ages 16+: 68.3%
Family Structure ● Number of Households from 2014-2018: 44,079

● Persons per Household from 2014-2018: 2.75
● Family Households: 70.6%
● Non-Family Households: 29.4%
● Male Householder: 51.3%
● Female Householder: 19.3%
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Table 7: Representation Demographic Segmentation
From this data, one can conclude that the county of Santa Clara in California has a
relatively young, educated, and affluent population. This conclusion can be drawn from the data
as 63.6% of the population is under the age of 44, the Median Household Income is $116,257,
and almost 60% of the population has a Bachelor’s Degree. In regards to race and ethnicity,
people of Asian descent count for the majority of the population at 41.3%, while Caucasian
people come as a close second at 33.8%, Hispanic/Latino people make up 17.4% of the
population, African American/Black people make up 2.9%, and people of mixed race and other
ethnicities make up 4.6% of the population (Census Bureau).
Psychographic Segmentation
Santa Clara County is home to one of the biggest locations in technology, Silicon Valley.
Silicon Valley is the most expensive metro area in the US and is home to many of the biggest
tech companies including Google, Facebook, Apple, Cisco Systems, and Ebay. In San Jose, the
average home price is over $1 million (Business Insider, 2019). With the average household with
a college education and making over 6 figures, Santa Clara and Silicon Valley are home to very
intelligent and successful individuals. However, not only is Silicon Valley a leader in
technology, but it is also a trend setter for health as well. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey drinks salt
juice every morning and eats only one meal a day. Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey fills up his
coffee with butter, partakes in intermittent fasts lasting 60 hours, and others engage in strict
ketogenic diets (Well and Good, 2020). At its core, Silicon Valley centers itself around
productivity and in turn, its employees are always finding new ways to keep themselves healthy
so they can operate at peak performance. As Silicon Valley is a hotbed for new ideas and new
products, residents are focused on finding the latest and greatest of everything. This concept is
48
very beneficial for creative companies like Trader Joe’s that focus on providing new and
eccentric, diverse, and high quality products to its consumers. As a whole, the psychographics
for Trader Joe’s primary market include highly intelligent and successful people, health nuts,
people with a taste for the finer things, and those looking always for the newest and quirkiest
products that they can boast to their friends about.
Secondary Target Markets
Geographic Segmentation
California currently has 184 locations, but the state of New York is home to the second
state with the most stores with its 27 locations. Each of these locations has been strategically
placed across the state covering about 5% of Trader Joe’s overall locations. The secondary
geographic market being concentrated on is the city of New York where 9 of the states’ 27 stores
can be found (Number of Trader Joe’s Locations in the US).
Figure 5: Map Representing Trader Joe’s locations across United States of America (“Stores”)
New York City is home to about 8.4 million residents who all find themselves needing to
grocery shop at some point (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: New York City, New York). The
city is filled with a rather large, affluent, and educated population, which makes for the perfect
area to set up shop. According to Business Insider, “among the ten largest cities in the U.S.,
NYC has the fourth lowest obesity rate and ranks better than the national average for frequent
produce consumption” (Spector). 56% of NYC residents claim that they consider themselves to
be healthy eaters (Stress In New York City). The city also has a median household income of
49
$60,762 according to the
U.S. Census Bureau (U.S.
Census Bureau QuickFacts:
New York City, New
York). These factors all
point towards the ideal
market in which Trader
Joe’s should focus on targeting in order to accomplish getting consumers to come in to shop for
their favorite healthy and reasonably priced goods.
Demographic Segmentation
The city of New York carries a very unique demographic because it is so culturally and
ethnically diverse. The age group Trader Joe’s should ultimately hone in on are those within the
age range of 20-39. This is because they are likely within the younger generations (Millennials
and Gen Z) that are becoming knowledgeable about the importance of caring not only, what they
are putting in their own bodies, but that of their family’s as well. This group makes up about
32% of NYC’s current population (Census Profile: New York, NY). Trader Joe’s as a company
should also target those who are educated. As mentioned earlier, those who are more educated
are likely to make healthier choices concerning what foods they eat and the origin in which those
foods came from. Those who reside in NYC who are over the age of 25 and have a high school
education or higher make up about 81% of the city’s total population (Census Profile: New York,
NY). The company should focus on those within the income range of about $45,200 to $135,600
which was defined by Pew Research in 2016 as the national middle-class income range for a
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household of three (Kochhar). Consumers who fit into this range are affluent enough to afford
groceries on their own but may not be wealthy enough that they want to buy the highest priced
healthy food items on the market. NYC’s middle class comprises about 48% of the city’s
residence in accordance to the New York Post in 2018 (Byrne).
Behavioral Segmentation
When breaking down the behavioral characteristics of those who live in The Big Apple,
we know the benefits sought after from grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s is the ability to
purchase healthier and better priced food items than that of the leading competitors. This can
really be done for any occasion or specific time of year as the company offers seasonal items that
are only provided for a limited amount of time throughout the year. The company has a large
number of consumers who will go to a Trader Joe’s store specifically for some of these seasonal
favorites, and that is definitely an element to focus on when it comes to segmenting the market
(Dig In). This ties right back into the brand’s high levels of customer loyalty. Trader Joe’s as a
brand has always had a “cult” like returning customer-base. According to a 2017 Research and
Market Report, 10.5% of the adult population shops at a Trader Joe’s at least once a month
(Chew). The company should really focus on the characteristics in these specific consumers as
they are likely the ones who are doing the most shopping.
Business Markets
Information gathered within this business markets segmentation table is derived from
information regarding our primary and secondary markets. In this report we are targeting
consumers for a B2C market.
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Business Markets Analysis
Demographics Industry: Millennials and Generation Z
Population: 20-44 year old working class
population
Location: Santa Clara/ Silicon Valley, CA
Operating Variables Technology: Social Media Platforms,

specifically Instagram and grocery delivery
services
User Status: Targeting loyal Trader Joe’s
customers and potential new customers in
the millennial and generation z demographic
Purchasing Approaches Purchasing Function Organization:

Centralized through the organization of
online payment options through Instacart, in
store payment, and e-payment options
through Apple Pay and Android Pay
Power Structure: Financially dominated due
to price points being key influencer in
purchasing actions of customers in
determining whether or not to purchase
goods
Existing Relationship: Maintain current
customer basis and attract new customers
Purchasing Criteria: High quality goods,
cheaper prices, and high quality customer
service
Situational Factors Urgency: Serve consumers in both sudden

services and normal scheduled delivery
services
Size of orders: Dependent on consumers
needs
Personal Characteristics Buyer Seller similarity: Whole Foods

Market
Attitudes towards risk: Trader Joe’s prides
themselves as risk takers, who strive to
provide new and unique high-quality foods
Loyalty: Strong Company loyalty to
consumer, competitors Whole Foods and
Publix
Table 8: Representation of the Business Market
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Strategy Statement
To the health conscious millennial and generation Z consumer, Trader Joe’s is a safe
haven of a grocery store that offers extremely high quality natural and organic products. Trader
Joe’s sets themselves apart from other chain grocery stores in the fact that all their products are
non-genetically modified, free of artificial preservatives, and mostly organic while providing
goods that range from freezer foods to produce to prepackaged snacks.
Value Proposition
Company and Product Trader Joe’s, a national grocery

retailer, focuses on natural and
organic products
Target Market Health conscious people from 20 to 44 years

of age who value high quality non-GMO,
organic foods located in Santa Clara
County/Silicon Valley California.
Benefits Large diverse selection of high quality and

nutritious foods for all health and dietary
needs.
Price 10% Premium Price
Value Proposition Premium quality organic and non-GMO

products for a moderately cheap price.
Table 9: Representation Value Proposition Data
Even though Trader Joe’s is a national grocery store chain it manages to maintain the feel
of a small time store due to the company's focus on offering products that target every specific
geographic market. Trader Joe’s also does not carry any outside brands, and only sells Trader
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Joe’s version of products which allows for their goods to remain at a relatively low price. The
consumer experience at Trader Joe’s is designed with convenience and enjoyment at the center
so that all consumers are partaking in an enjoyable experience rather than the chore of grocery
shopping.
MARKETING IMPLEMENTATION AND STRATEGY FOR 2021
Action Plan 1
Title: Customer Loyalty Program
Objective: Increase customer loyalty by 5%.
Target Market: The loyalty program is targeted primarily towards existing Trader Joe’s
customers, but is expected to also establish and maintain relationships with new customers.
Description of Program: This loyalty program is based off of points from purchases. With these
points that are earned, Trader Joe’s customers will be able to receive monetary discounts with
these accumulated points, and these points will be referred to as “Trader Treasure Coins”. Each
dollar spent at Trader Joe’s will be equivalent to one Trader Treasure Coin, and once a customer
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reaches 2,500 coins, they can redeem a free item of $2.50 or less. Customers are only allowed to
redeem products once they reach 2,500, 5,000, or 10,000 Trader Treasure Coins. Once a
customer reaches 5,000-10,000 coins, they can redeem a free bottle of wine or an individual
product with equal or lesser value. Trader Treasure Coins are capped at 10,000 coins, so the
highest value of products that are given away are $10, and customers Trader Treasure Coins
cannot exceed 10,000 coins at any point in time, but once these coins are redeemed, they reset
back to zero.
Who: The person who would be responsible for carrying out this program would be Nicole
High, the Director of Customer Relations Communications.
Timing: This program can be implemented as soon as June 2020 and with proven success, can
be a sustainable program that remains in place unless removed or revised.
Budget: The budget for this program can vary. Yearly, the average customer will be able to save
$10 in Trader Joe’s goods, so the budget for this loyalty program is expected to be $10 per
customer, and can range anywhere from $10,000-$500,000.
Measurement: The effectiveness of this program will be measured in percentages. If it is
observed that customer loyalty has increased by 5% then the program will be considered a
success. In order to measure customer loyalty, there must be at least a 5% increase in sales from
new and existing customers.
Action Plan 2
Title: Purchase Personalization
Target Market: This plan is targeted for existing Trader Joe’s customers.
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Description of Program: This Purchase Personalization program is based on Trader Joe’s
customers purchase history. With this customer data, Trader Joe’s can make suggestions for
customers based on their likes and preferences from previous purchases. These suggestions will
be sent to customers via email and will feature at least two products that the customer would like.
These suggestions will be able to be drawn from the customer information database, and by
creating niches of purchase combinations of similar customers.
Who: The digital marketing department and IT department of Trader Joe’s are responsible for
the development of this program.
Timing: This program can be put in place in May 2020 and be in effect until January of 2021.
With proven success, it can have longevity, and be put in place indefinitely.
Budget: Yearly, the cost can range between $5,000 and $100,000 depending on the cost of mass
email marketing services, and the cost of employee labor.
Action Plan 3:
Title: Trader Joe’s Credit Card
Target Market: The credit card program is targeted primarily towards existing Trader Joe’s
customers, but will also establish and maintain relationships with new customers.
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Description of Program: With the implementation of the Trader Joe’s credit card, Trader Joe’s
customers are given the opportunity to sign up for the credit card to receive up to 5% off on
Trader Joe’s products when using the credit card in-store.
Who: The finance department of Trader Joe’s would be responsible for the implementation of
the Trader Joe’s credit card.
Timing: This program can be put in place in August 2020 and with proven success, it can have
longevity, and be put in place indefinitely.
Budget: The budget for this project can range from $50,000 to $500,000 depending on the size
of the financial team needed. The average salary for employees in Finance in the United States is
between $50,370 and $113,530 (Salary.com).
Action Plan 4
Title: An established system of online/mobile surveys (located on receipts that allows customers
to record their feedback on products and overall customer experience)
Objective: The goal is to increase the overall customer satisfaction percentage by at least 10%.
Target Market: The target market of this program would be those who are repeat customers as
well as those who were considered unsatisfied.
Description of the Program: In order to successfully accomplish the objective, the program
being put in place would consist of the introduction of a unique link along with a unique QR
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code to an online/mobile accessible survey. This link will be located on the bottom of the paper
receipts already received with each transaction at Trader Joe’s. The link will direct the shopper to
a brief survey that will include a set of questions directly relating to the products the store is
currently offering and their shopping experience overall. As an incentive to reach those who
would normally avoid filling out surveys, the company should offer an entry into a drawing for a
large prize. This will allow customers to voice their opinions in a simple way that does not
require much effort on their part but provides a lot of useful data for Trader Joe’s to analyze and
take into account.
Who: The person who would be responsible for carrying out this program would be Nicole
High, the Director of Customer Relations Communications.
Timing: This program will be rolled out May 5th , 2020 and will go through September 5th,
2020. If all goes well it will continue indefinitely so shoppers will always have a place to bring
their feedback.
Budget: The budget for this program is $5000 – Five $1000 gift cards as prizes (Pinpoint
Software, Inc.).
observed that customer satisfaction has increased by 10% then the program will be considered a
success.
Action Plan 5
Title: Begin the implementation of self-serve checkout options within Trader Joe’s stores.
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Objective: Develop and implement new check out methods for Trader Joe’s. Work to implement
a self checkout option at stores. Start this process at selected target markets. Work in accordance
with our goals and objectives to increase e-commerce sales by 10%.
Target market: On the go customers who are looking to get in and out of stores quickly.
Description of program: Trader Joe’s is known as a brand that sticks towards the same
methodology and tends to not stray away from their practices. As technology becomes more and
more user friendly, many places of business are deciding to implement certain practices within
their stores and marketplaces. Specifically within the grocery industry the usage and
implementation of self check out options have begun to appear everywhere. Self checkout is a
method of consumer check out that allows customers to check themselves out of stores. This
program will revolve around the implementation of self-checkout options within Trader Joe’s
stores.
Who: IT department, engineering department
Timing: May 5th, 2020 is when the development and formation of self-checkout stations will
begin. July 2020-May2021 will be the period of time in which the self-checkout stations will be
used.
Budget: Average salary of construction worker: $16 (“Q: What Is the Average Construction
Worker Salary by State in 2020?”)
15 hours per week for one month (to pay for construction of self-checkout stations)
$960 cost per construction worker, 10 per location
Total budget for ten locations: $96,000
Measurement: In the stores where self-checkout will be tested, surveys will be created and
given to customers. These surveys will be handed out at an interval in order to measure
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satisfaction levels over the course of time that the action plan takes place. In these surveys
questions regarding customers satisfaction regarding self-checkout and their overall shopping
experience will be asked. Depending on how successful the plan is, self-checkouts could be
implemented at Trader Joe’s across the US.
Action Plan 6
Title: Click Shop: Order your groceries online and have them delivered to your door.
Objective: Partner with grocery delivery service InstaCart to offer customers the ability to have
their groceries delivered to them. Work in accordance with our goals and objectives to increase
e-commerce sales by 10%.
Target market: Consumers who are too busy to shop in stores and rather have their groceries
delivered to them directly.
Description of program: Partner with grocery delivery program Instacart to provide consumers
the opportunity to order groceries online and have them delivered to their homes. This method
would be implemented for the purpose of being able to compete better against the market
competitors of Trader Joe’s. Many grocery store chains are now offering customers the
opportunity to order groceries to their door, rather than having to come into actual stores to
collect and purchase all their groceries. This method of purchase has become increasingly
popular among the working demographic who do not have time to spend one to three hours a
week on grocery shopping when they can just order offline.
Who: Distribution/ logistics, IT Department, and marketing/advertising
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Timing: Since the time it takes to convert a company over to an online delivery service program
is relatively fast this program can begin to take place quickly (Deng). Converting to delivery
options is relatively low cost with full sites being launched after initial companies. The
development and creation of a Trader Joe’s online grocery service will begin on April 5th 2020
and will launch for usage by June 1st. This program will take place until April 2021.
Budget: Instacart charges 3% per order when in partnership with a company (Gaffney). The
average order cost is $75 (Gaffney). The overall budget will vary exactly on the total number of
orders placed between the time frame. A budget of $15,000 -$20,000 can be set aside depending
upon the number of orders placed and the cost of each individual order.
Measurement: This will be measured by the number of orders placed through the online
grocery delivery service. Data will be collected over the plan's time period in order to measure
the amount of usage that the program receives. By measuring the success of grocery delivery
usage Trader Joe’s will hopefully be able to determine if they would like to offer this option
through the US.
Action Plan 7
Title: YouTube Channel
Objective: To increase Trader Joe’s brand awareness by 10 percent through YouTube
advertising
Target Market: Millennials and Generation Z
Description: To accomplish this objective, a YouTube channel will be created for Trader Joe’s
where consumers can have a feel of the Trader Joe’s Culture and brand through videos. The
YouTube channel will include a tour of the stores to show the different items, interviews with
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different employees asking about the culture of Trader Joes. In Addition, the YouTube channel
will have a tutorial video showing different recipes that consumers can try at home using Trader
Joe’s products.
Who: Tara Miller, Marketing director of Trader Joe’s, Marketing Department, and IT
Department
Timing: The timing for this plan is May 5th, 2020 until September 5th, 2020. Consumers will
have more time for social gatherings during the summer and having a YouTube channel with
recipes ideas will bring awareness to the brand and product that consumers can purchase to try at
home during their summer nights with friends and family.
Budget: The budget for this plan is $6,000 dollars to hire a designated video production team to
record and edit the content. An average video production team can cost about $1,200 dollars
nationwide (thumbtack.com). With a $6,000 dollars budget there will be an extra $1,200 dollars
that could be used to create an extra video for the YouTube Channel if necessary.
Measurement: The effectiveness of this program will be tracked through YouTube Analytics,
where the consumer's engagement on the video can be tracked. In addition, YouTube Analytics
will help view the metrics of the content which will help the company visualize what is
important to the YouTube viewers.
Action Plan 8
Title: Social Media advertising
Objective: Social Media advertising will accomplish an increase in brand awareness by 10
percent
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Description: To accomplish the objective, this program will have advertising on all social media
channels such as, Instagram, Facebook, and twitter. Customers will see a boosted post of Trader
Joe’s on all their social media channels. The boosted post will include the type of items Trader
Joe’s carries, the deals that they are having, and it will also show Trader Joe’s in the consumer’s
area.
Who: Tara Miller, Marketing director for Trader Joe’s and the Marketing Department
Timing: This program will take place starting May 5th, 2020 until September 5th, 2020. During
the summer, consumers are liable to do more shopping because they are home, away from
school, and there could be more social gatherings. The utilization of social media will also
increase. Furthermore, the month of August and September children are returning to school and
families are coming back from vacation. Families will be looking for healthy items to pack for
school lunches and healthy meals for dinner.
Budget: The budget for this program is 80,000 dollars. Social media advertising can range from
3,000-20,000 dollars (DePhillips). With an 80,000 dollars budget more boosted posts can be
posted on social media, which will lead to more consumers seeing the Trader Joe’s brand.
Measurement: To measure this program, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool will
be used to measure the consumers interactions with the advertisement. Also, before customers
check out their items, Trader Joe’s employee will ask the customer how they did they hear about
the brand and the employee will notate the information in the system.
Action Plan 9
Title: Google’s First Page of Search Ranking
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Objective: To increase Trader Joe’s brand awareness by 10%
Description: This program will allow Trader Joe’s to be the first ranking in consumers Google
search for grocery stores and healthy meals in their area. Being on the first page of Google, the
Trader Joe’s brand will receive more clicks, which will bring more awareness to the brand
because consumers rely on Google results.
Who: IT / Logistics Department, Tara Miller, Marketing director of Trader Joe’s, and Marketing
Department
Timing: The timing for this plan is May 5th, 2020 until September 5th, 2020. With the summer
season more consumers will be searching for meal ideas for their summer nights and will utilize
the Google search engine for the best options.
Budget: The budget for this plan is 40,000 dollars. This type of advertisement can cost about
10,000 a month if the brand receives 10,000 clicks. According to wordstream, the average cost
per click (CPC) can cost between 1 and 2 dollars (Shewan). A 40,000 dollar budget could lead
to 40,000 clicks for the brand awareness of Trader Joe’s.
Measurement: The effectiveness of this program will be tracked on Google analytics to
determine how many clicks the brand received on the Google search page. Google Analytics will
also assist in measuring the Return of Investment(ROI) and determine if the ad is beneficial.
Action Plan 10
Title: Trader Joe’s electronic payment options: Apple and Android Pay
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Objective: To increase e-commerce for Trader Joe’s through the implementation of new
checkout methods.
Description: This program will utilize mobile wallets as the method of pay and checkout for
Trader Joe’s customers. This program would require customers to simply scan the bar codes of
the items they wish to purchase and then bag them once they are paid for. Implementing this
checkout method would help ease the stress that cashiers develop due to high influxes of
customers while also keeping line ques shorter. The mobile pay methods will include Android
Pay and Apple Pay.
Who: IT department, PR/Marketing department
Timing: The timing for this plan is May 5th, 2020 until October 31th, 2020. With the summer
and fall season more consumers will be searching for easier manners to obtain their groceries to
complement their on the go lifestyle, especially in the summer months.
Budget: Research and development of service: $5,000
Creation of working app that can be implemented: $5,000
Measurement: The usage of mobile checkout can be measured through the data collected on
customer purchases. Trader Joe’s IT department can determine how successful mobile checkout
is depending upon the number of purchases completed in this manner. Surveys will also be
presented to customers who use mobile checkout as their method of payment to determine
whether or not they would continue using the service.
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BUDGET
Organized in order of priority:
Budget Items Amount Justification

(Highest priority - Lowest priority)
Social Media Advertising $80,000 Social Media advertising is very

effective due to the digital age. According to Oberlo.com, social media statistics shows there
are about 3.6 billion social media users worldwide (Oshin). Social Media advertising will bring
awareness to the brand and could lead to loyal customers
Grocery Delivery $15,000-$20,000 With the introduction of a

grocery delivery program Trader Joe’s can expect to see an increase in customer purchases.
This will most likely occur since a grocery delivery system will provide opportunities for Trader
Joe’s to target consumers who consider themselves too busy to shop in person and rather have
their products delivered to them.
YouTube Channel $6,000 A YouTube channel will create

content that consumers can visually see and consumers will be able to get an inside look of
what the Trader Joe’s brand has to offer. A YouTube video can reach millions of views, which
can lead to new customers.
Google's First Page $40,000 Being on Google's first page can lead
to millions of clicks and more attention to the Trader Joe's brand. According to Neil Patel, 93
percent of online experiences begin with a search engine and 75 percent will never scroll past
the first page (NeilPatel.com).
In Store Grocery Pickup $10,000 This method of checkout would aid

in the increase of e-commerce for Trader Joe’s through its catering towards busy customers.
This method would help ease the stress that cashiers develop due to high influxes of customers
while also keeping line ques shorter, which in turn would allow them to check out more people
through the day.
Online/ Mobile Surveys $5,000 This will allow buyers to voice their
opinions in a simple way that will provide a lot of useful data that the company can analyze and
take into account for future improvement.
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Customer Loyalty Program $500,000 The implementation of a
customer loyalty program for Trader Joe’s will help to increase customer lifetime value as well
as maintaining existing customers.
Purchase Personalization $100,000 With personalized emails and

other methods of contact for consumers, Trader Joe’s will expect to receive an increase in sales
and customer loyalty as well.
Self-Serve Checkout $96,000 Through the implementation

of self-checkout options Trader Joe’s can expect to see an increase in the amount of purchases
they have, due to the faster and more efficient manner that self-checkout options provide.
Credit Card $500,000 With the introduction of the

Trader Joe’s credit card, customers that sign up for this card will receive up to 5% cash back on
their products. As a result, customers are expected to spend more money at Trader Joe’s to
receive more cash back rewards.
Total Budget $1,352,000-1,357,000
As of 2017, the company was generating about $13.3 billion in revenue (Houston).
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WHAT WE LEARNED
We have all learned so much from how hands-on this project turned out to be. Breaking
down each section of the marketing plan in class would have been one way of learning this
concept. But to turn around and actually apply what we have learned to our own company plan
is going to be so beneficial to us in the real world. We are able to further understand all of the
research, time, and energy that really goes into constructing an actual marketing plan in 2020.
It is so important to really know the audience and the market serving them and the only way
one can come by that is with good research. Now, in the near future when we are presented
with the task of assembling a marketing plan we will have a great deal of background
knowledge to successfully do so.
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Marketing Plan Final Design 1

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AMELIA STIMPSON, KAYLEE HINZMAN, SIDNEY KELLY, AND TERESSA BRIZARD

ANALYSIS OF THE CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT 17

ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 26

MARKET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2021 44

TARGET MARKET SEGMENT 45

MARKETING IMPLEMENTATION AND STRATEGY 2021: TRADER JOE’S 54

array of the highest standard healthy and organic foods. The

items are packaged in eco-friendly packaging and instead of

single use plastic carryout bags the company uses 100%

recyclable and reusable paper bags. They also replaced

traditional plastic produce bags with biodegradable and

compostable bags. The brand also offers very unique in-house

private label goods that make up about 80% of their products

which aids in keeping prices low.

Grocery Retail in the United States).

United States’ economic resurgence.

Table 1: Representing Top

Industry Leaders and their

overall Revenue from 2018

Outlook of Overall Industry

by continuing their market expansion across the United States.

States with a total of 7 billion in sales (MarketLine).

all the way to Simply Nature organic chips (Aldi.Com)

Total Budget Competitors

· Cell Phone Bill

Top Brand Competitor

store(MarketLine). Kroger’s major advantage is the variety of certified organic processing

lack of classic organic goods such as bread and yogurt (MarketLine).

Top Product Competitor

other organic products.

Inside Company Tech Trends

optimum convenience, and a better experience overall.

Outside Company Tech Trends

going out and buying products in-store (Pando).

There is a continuing upward trend in the GDP percentages

Inflation/Consumer price index (CPI)

2017 CPI stands at 244.979 and U.S. inflation climbed 2.1%

2018 CPI stands at 251.631 and U.S. inflation decreased by 1.9%

something different for each of the years recorded

2017 Unemployment levels down at 4.1%

2018 Unemployment levels at down at 3.9%

2019 Unemployment levels down at 3.7%

Unemployment levels are steadily decreasing

Consumer Confidence Index

There is a very slight decrease in confidence between 2018-2019

Political, Legal, Regulatory Trends

Supermarket and Grocery (not Convenience) Store.

requirements of able-bodied workers without dependents work a minimum of twenty hours of

ultimately allow companies to not lose revenue on these transactions.

Demographic Trends Analysis

Age Demographics Under 5 years old: 6%

Gender Composition Female: 50.9%

Ethnic Diversity White alone: 72.2%

Education High school degree or higher: 88.3%

Occupation 7,757,807 total employer establishments

Family Structure Households: 119,730,128

wellness package. (ClassPass)

Wastes and Recycling).

under the ‘Working Couples/Singles’ psychographic (Numerator, 2020).

and avoids chemical additives.

indulge in foods that don’t break the bank.

about 25,977,328 customers monthly in the United States.

taken to Trader Joe’s.