Trader Joe’s is a popular grocery store chain known for its unique private label products, reasonable prices and loyal customer base. However, unlike large publicly traded supermarket chains such as Kroger or Albertsons, Trader Joe’s is a privately held company owned by Aldi Nord. This means that there is no direct way for everyday investors to invest in or buy shares of Trader Joe’s. While you can’t invest in Trader Joe’s directly, there are some indirect ways to invest in the success of the grocery chain, such as investing in its parent company Aldi or other publicly traded grocers and consumer staples companies that compete with Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s is a private company with no public stock
The key fact limiting investment in Trader Joe’s is its private ownership structure. Trader Joe’s is owned by Aldi Nord, one of the two German companies that run Aldi discount grocery stores globally. Aldi Nord is still owned by the founding Albrecht family and is not publicly traded on any stock exchange. With no publicly traded stock, everyday investors have no way to directly buy shares of or invest in Trader Joe’s itself.
Investing in Aldi Nord provides indirect exposure
While you can’t invest in Trader Joe’s directly, you can get indirect exposure to the success of the grocery chain by investing in its parent company Aldi Nord. Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe’s and its operating income contributes to Aldi Nord’s overall earnings and valuation. Though still private, there are reports that Aldi Nord could eventually conduct an IPO and list shares publicly. An Aldi Nord public listing would provide the first opportunity for everyday investors to gain exposure to Trader Joe’s performance.
Invest in public grocery and consumer staples companies
Another approach is to invest in other publicly traded grocery chains and consumer staples companies that compete with Trader Joe’s. For example, Costco, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walmart and other supermarkets all compete for the same customers. Investing in a basket of these grocery and consumer staples stocks provides indirect exposure to the broader industry trends that also impact Trader Joe’s. Monitoring the performance of these public competitors can give insights into how Trader Joe’s may be performing.
In summary, there is currently no direct way to invest in Trader Joe’s since it is a private company owned by Aldi Nord. The best options for investors are to gain exposure by investing in Aldi Nord if it ever goes public, or by investing in other publicly traded grocery chains like Kroger that compete with Trader Joe’s.