The Grocery Chain That Just Put A Nationwide Limit On Eggs Per Customer

It's been a big week in the egg department, with customers in some parts of the country seeing prices double and even worse — and that's if they can get their hands on them at all. Some shoppers have arrived only to be met with empty fridges — a result of a resurgence of bird flu across America's egg and dairy farms. Forced to slaughter nearly 150 million birds since the outbreak began in 2022, the country has found itself faced with yet another shortage. Now, following reports of egg surcharges at popular breakfast chains, some stores have placed limits on how many customers can buy in specific areas and Trader Joe's has issued a nationwide mandate.

Trader Joe's spokesperson Nakia Rohde issued a statement to KOIN, saying, "Due to ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we are currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe's stores across the country." Priced at around $5 per dozen, it's not surprising if customers, in the face of the surging prices at other grocers, went to Trader Joe's to stock up. In fact, throughout years of food inflation, Trader Joe's has been a place of refuge by remaining significantly more affordable than other food stores, with data from Consumers' Checkbook placing its prices about 20% below average during the peak of inflation in 2022.

From the size of the parking lots to the privately labeled snacks, TJ's entire business model helps customers save. The nationwide egg limit is just its way of ensuring everyone can.

In a Reddit thread posted yesterday afternoon, one Trader Joe's shopper described a situation where he was asked by a fellow customer to help them get around the limit by purchasing an additional carton of eggs for them. He refused to take part, but the responses from other TJ's shoppers seem to show their general appreciation for the chain placing a limit on its eggs. "My TJ's instituted the one dozen per household this week. Where they'd normally be out by 8:30 am, I was there by 9:15 and there were still eggs left," said one customer. Another commented, "The egg shortage is all over. My TJ's here in Arizona is limited to one as well. I got one of the last free-range dozen. There [were] maybe 10 total egg cartons, including the half dozen. I was happy they hadn't marked the prices up."

Earlier in the week, many shoppers reported finding empty shelves where the eggs would normally be at their local TJ's stores. Most reported their stores selling out of them completely within a couple of hours of the location opening its doors. By placing a limit on how many eggs each customer can buy in a single day, Trader Joe's is ensuring that every customer has an equal opportunity to get their fix of eggs at an affordable price. Now, if only Trader Joe's would open more stores in different locations.