How Trader Joe’s eggs are still so cheap

These prices are hard to beat.

Egg prices are soaring across the country, with some stores charging over $10 for a dozen — but shoppers have found one grocery store where the prices have stayed relatively affordable: Trader Joe’s.

According to The Krazy Coupon Lady, a blog that has been tracking weekly egg prices at major retailers, eggs at Trader Joe’s were going for an average of $3.49 a dozen as of the week of Feb. 11.

The price of TJ’s eggs falls below the national average, which as of January was $4.95 for a dozen Grade A large eggs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during December – an increase from $2.51 in December 2023 — and it’s only expected to get worse. In fact, it’s not uncommon right now for a dozen to cost up to $12.

Trader Joe’s has recently implemented a purchase limit on their eggs in order to control its supply, and customers are only allowed one dozen eggs per person, per day.

But according to CNBC Make It, Trader Joe’s is able to keep their egg prices down likely because they buy directly from suppliers, have a smaller product selection, as well as use private-label brands to avoid price markups and control costs.

“At Trader Joe’s we work hard every day to provide our customers outstanding value in the form of the best quality products at the best everyday prices,” Trader Joe’s spokesperson Nakia Rohde told TODAY.com. “We only change our prices when our costs change.”

A nationwide bird flu outbreak has led to a shortage of eggs as well as a major price increase for the common grocery item.

The egg shortage has also plagued the restaurant industry. Waffle House said that a 50-cent surcharge will be implemented per egg.