Thrive Market vs Trader Joe’s

There’s a lot of buzz about Thrive Market and Trader Joe’s. Each company is highly-regarded for their own unique reasons.

But which one is better-suited to your needs? To answer that, we need to take a closer look at each brand.

One might have prices or services that the other doesn’t, and vice-versa. There’s a lot to like about both, so let’s dig right in to see which brand offers the best shopping experience.

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is a popular grocer that offers items at rock-bottom prices. If there’s one in your area, there’s probably a long line of people waiting to get in as we speak.

People will endure a lot to save a few bucks. Ah, yes, the almighty dollar.

The reasoning for this is quite simple, really. Good foods, cheap prices, NO delivery options. This is where Trader Joe’s loses out to their online competitors.

Admittedly, online delivery service is a huge undertaking. There’s a lot that goes into it, and for Trader Joe’s to continue selling products at low prices, they can’t afford to start delivering.

If they did, it would likely crush their entire business model. You see, Trader Joe’s prides themselves on hiring people to work in their stores. Sure, having a delivery service would open more slots for employment.

But the cost would be too high. A cost that would actually negatively impact its existing in-store employees. Not to mention the savings their customers are currently enjoying.

And this is where Trader Joe’s gets a big thumbs up. You’re getting a vast quantity of health foods for prices you can’t find anywhere else. If you’re on a strict diet or have dietary restrictions, Trader Joe’s is a safe place to shop.

From vegan-friendly to keto, you’ll have no trouble eating high-quality foods on the cheap that accommodate your needs. The downside to these items is that they aren’t substantially-sourced like you find with Thrive Market.

A lot of people do business with Thrive Market for this very reason. They’re pretty serious about where their foods come from. Trader Joe’s, not so much.

But again, this allows them to keep their prices low. So it gets down to the individual. Do you want to support farmers or your wallet?

For better or worse, that’s the arguing point when comparing these two brands. In the price department, Trader Joe’s can’t be touched. The money you’ll save shopping with them is on par with shopping at Aldi (and wouldn’t you know, they’re owned by the same company).

You can also find all of your produce and dairy needs at Trader Joe’s – neither of which is offered by Thrive Market.

Another huge plus with Trader Joe’s is that there’s no membership fee. Anyone can shop with them at any time. The flip side of this is that you might have to wait in line.

Current Thrive Market Promo:

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Thrive Market

Thrive Market, on the other hand, does indeed require you to be a member to shop with them. This is more than just a simple sign-up, however.

You’ll have to pay either a monthly or yearly fee to gain access to their long line of healthy foods and products.

For those who wish to shop only a few times or so a year, Thrive Market charges $9.95 on the months you use. Not bad considering the savings you stand to net. But more on those in a moment.

If you’re serious about stocking your home with quality products and prefer not stepping foot in a store, a yearly membership is more sensible. This will set you back $59.95 (equals out to $5 a month).

Both yearly and monthly members benefit from free shipping on orders that are $49 and higher. And for your very first purchase, your order needs to total just $25. Not a bad gig, and a perfect time to stock up your fridge and cabinets.

To do that, you get to choose from over 6,000 items. Compare that to the 4,000 that Trader Joe’s stocks. Thrive Market carries more than 500 unique brands, including their own private label.

One of the biggest benefits of signing up with Thrive Market is their savings. You can expect to pay an average of 25 to 50 percent less than what you’d pay at most retail stores. Trader Joe’s is the exception here, however.

Even with Thrive Market’s discount prices, they don’t quite compare to Trader Joe’s. And as we already discussed, you can’t buy dairy or produce from Thrive Market.

Now, with all that being said, food delivery is key to Thrive Market’s success. And that’s simply something you can’t get with Trader Joe’s.

Thrive Market ships your order to you quickly and efficiently. They pack their products in ways that prevent melting, prolonging the life and quality of your orders.

On top of that, all of their packaging is 100 percent recyclable. It’s a great way to do your part in repurposing resources. Thrive Market shines when it comes to being environmentally-friendly. Even their warehouses operate on a zero-waste scale.

As you can see, there’s certainly a trade-off when shopping with either brand. Trader Joe’s is cheaper, offers produce, and doesn’t require a membership. But you can’t have your food delivered.

Thrive Market does require a membership fee and is limited on some of the foods they carry. But there’s a greater number of products available, and it’s all delivered right to your door.

Bottom Line

If you don’t mind physically shopping for your food, Trader Joe’s is a great way to save money on healthy products. You can do all of your shopping under one roof, with the caveat that you may have to wait in line.

Thrive Market is perfect for the person who insists on supporting farmers and prefers not making a trip to the store. The savings, while not as great as Trader Joe’s, are still very good.

And you’ll have access to supplements and other items not found at Trader Joe’s.

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