The soaring prices of eggs in the United States and the ongoing egg shortage have been making headlines in the media. Chinese supermarkets in New York and California are selling a dozen eggs for over $12, but the well-known organic chain Trader Joe’s has managed to keep their egg prices low.
According to CNBC’s report on Wednesday (February 19), retail experts say that Trader Joe’s keeps egg prices low by purchasing directly from suppliers and using their own brand products to “avoid brand mark-ups and control costs”.
Kristin McGrath, a shopping expert from Krazy Coupon Lady, told CNBC that a dozen eggs at Trader Joe’s are sold for $3.49, which is about $0.29 per egg. “In terms of consistently maintaining the lowest egg prices, Trader Joe’s is undoubtedly a winner,” she said.
“Nakia Rohde, a spokesperson for Trader Joe’s, told ‘TODAY’, “At Trader Joe’s, we strive every day to provide our customers with excellent value through high-quality products and competitive everyday prices. We only adjust prices when costs change.”
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a dozen eggs in the United States has increased by 65% compared to last year. Just in January of this year, egg prices rose by 15.2%, leading to nearly a two-thirds increase in monthly grocery costs.
Due to the spread of avian flu, the avian flu outbreak in just November and December of last year resulted in approximately 17.2 million egg-laying hens dying, causing an egg shortage in the United States, prompting major retailers to implement egg purchase restrictions.
Trader Joe’s limits customers to buying only one dozen eggs per day, while Walmart restricts bulk purchases to two 60-pack cartons of eggs. Kroger and Aldi limit purchases to 2 dozen eggs at a time, while Whole Foods and some Costco stores allow the purchase of up to 3 dozen eggs at a time.
McGrath recommended several strategies for finding more affordable egg prices, including using store apps to obtain digital coupons, joining loyalty programs, and utilizing cashback apps like Ibotta. She said, “Retailers change weekly because they will adapt and provide different promotions to attract people to their stores.”
McGrath also suggested going to buy eggs earlier in the day, as cheap eggs are quickly snapped up once they hit the shelves.
Now, some grocery stores in New York have started selling individual eggs because some customers find it difficult to afford dozens of eggs. Fernando Rodriguez, the owner of Pamela’s Green Deli in the Bronx, told the “New York Post,” “These people don’t have enough money to buy a dozen eggs, so I have to sell them individually.”
Walmart’s goal is to maintain availability while managing egg shortages. A Walmart spokesperson told NBC News, “Despite very tight supply, we are working with suppliers to meet customer demand and keeping prices as low as possible.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to rise by another 20.3% in 2025.