Trader Joe's is an American chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. By 2015, it was a competitor in "fresh format" grocery stores in the United States. It is owned by a German company, Aldi. By November 2019, Trader Joe's had over 503 stores nationwide in 42 states and Washington, D.C.

Trader Joes is owned by the owner of Aldi Nord. But the Aldi stores you see in the US are owned by Aldi Süd. The two are completely separate companies, that split off from each other in the 1960's, when the founding brothers couldn't agree on whether or not to sell cigarettes.

It's a common misconception that Lidl and Aldi are owned by the same company -- but they're not, they're both simply German. The reason folks might make this mistake is that Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by Aldi Nord. But you may be asking yourself, what is Aldi Nord?

As you've likely heard through the grocery grapevine, Aldi and Trader Joe's have more than a few things in common. They are (albeit distant) branches from the same family tree and have a wide selection of items under their popular store brands, including everyday basics and ultra-seasonal items at affordable prices.