Trader Joe’s Delivery: How It Works, Pricing & More

If you’re a Trader Joe’s fan, but don’t live near one of their stores, you may be wondering if they offer grocery delivery.

Wonder no more! In this blog post, we’ll break down how Trader Joe’s delivery works, the pricing and what kind of products you can expect.

So whether you’re just curious or are ready to take advantage of this service, keep reading!

Can You Order From Trader Joe’s Online?

Many grocery stores offer online ordering from their website, even if they don’t offer same-day delivery.

Unfortunately, Trader’s Joe’s still hasn’t made its items available online yet.

If grocery delivery isn’t an option, but you still want to get your fix of Trader’s Joe’s Cookie Butter and Two Buck Chuck, use their in-store shopping list feature to plan out your trip before you go.

This will help you get in and out quickly with minimal hassle.

Does Trader Joe’s Have Delivery?

Trader Joe’s doesn’t offer home delivery service of their products through their website, nor do they have a dedicated grocery delivery service.

In order to have your groceries delivered, you’ll need to use a third-party grocery delivery platform.

Currently, the only two platforms that offer delivery from Trader Joe’s are Dumpling and TaskRabbit.

Does Trader Joe’s Have Curbside Pickup?

Trader Joe’s doesn’t offer a curbside pickup option for its products.

In addition to not having shoppers on staff, they also don’t have the proper setup at their stores for curbside pickup.

Why Doesn’t Trader Joe’s Have a Delivery Service?

If you were lucky enough to live in New York City prior to 2020, you might remember that Trader Joe’s used to deliver within the city.

However, as of 2019, the company stopped offering delivery services in New York.

Despite the chain’s popularity and the fact that high consumer demand for delivery has skyrocketed, Trader Joe’s has remained firm that it won’t offer delivery services anytime soon.

According to the marketing director Tara Miller and VP of marketing Matt Sloan, the company opted not to employ their own delivery drivers due to the massive time and money that would be required to make such a venture successful.

In Sloan’s words, the company would prefer to invest “resources in [its] people rather than build an infrastructure that eliminates the need for people.”

In other words, instead of investing months or years into developing a delivery and pickup operation, Trader Joe’s would rather focus on improving their stores, increasing selections, and improving customer experiences and satisfaction.

Since the company doesn’t seem quite ready to abandon the idea of in-person shopping, we’ve got a couple of workarounds that will help you get what you need.

How to Get Trader Joe’s Delivered

There are a few ways you can get Trader Joe’s groceries delivered to your home using third-party delivery services.

Dumpling and TaskRabbit will be your best bet, although Craigslist is an option, too.

Get Trader Joe’s Delivered with Dumpling Grocery

Dumpling is a grocery delivery service that allows personal shoppers to design their own delivery business.

Each shopper sets their own delivery fee and chooses which stores they shop from.

The best part for shoppers is that it offers them the opportunity to build a customer base that will offer repeat business.

Although a portion of the fees goes to the company, Dumpling is nice because it offers a real “personal shopper” experience for its customers.

Dumpling is an excellent alternative to other gig economy services such as Instacart or DoorDash because the shoppers are their own bosses.

As a result, they’re better able to provide a personal touch to your order, and you’ll have better insight into how your money is being spent.

And, what’s best is that they’re also the key to getting your Trader Joe’s products delivered.

How to Use Dumpling Grocery to Have Trader Joe’s Delivered

Ordering Trader Joe’s through Dumpling takes just a few steps.

1. Download the Dumpling app and log in.

2. Find a personal shopper by inputting your zip code.

3. Choose one who offers shopping services at Trader Joe’s.

4. Click the Trader Joe’s logo.

5. Build your order.

As you build your order, you can make notes on certain items to tell your shopper your preferences to ensure your order is exactly as you want.

This will make it easier for the shopper to better serve you in the future if you choose to shop with them again.

There are two main downsides to Dumpling:

• It has limited availability. If you’re in a congested area, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a shopper. If you live in a more rural area, though, you may be out of luck.
• Cost: Depending on your tipping habits, it may cost you quite a bit more than other services. Whereas other apps don’t require you to tip, Dumpling shoppers can require a minimum tip or choose not to shop for you.

As of now, Dumpling is your best choice for getting Trader Joe’s delivered.

However, there are two other options you can consider.

Get Trader Joe’s Delivered with TaskRabbit

For several years, TaskRabbit has been a valuable tool for hiring people to do specific tasks, such as furniture assembly or yard work.

It wasn’t initially developed for grocery shopping.

However, as grocery delivery has increased in popularity, Taskers have seen increased requests for personal shoppers.

If Dumpling isn’t an option in your area, you could look into hiring a Tasker through TaskRabbit to do your grocery shopping for you.

As with Dumpling, you can choose which personal shopper you hire, specify your preferences, and make specific requests.

You’ll also have the opportunity to rehire your shopper in the future if you’re pleased with the job they did for you.

How to Use TaskRabbit to Have Trader Joe’s Delivered

Using TaskRabbit to order Trader Joe’s is a simple process.

1. Type “grocery shopping” into the “I need help with…” field.

2. Add your zip code and task options.

3. Choose your Tasker and get your date and time confirmed.

4. Send your Tasker your shopping list.

Taskers charge by the hour and accept tips, so there’s a bit of flexibility in terms of how much a grocery run will cost you.

If it’s a quick trip, you might pay as little as $15 plus a tip.

However, more extensive shopping trips will take more time to complete.

TaskRabbit will still run you more than if you used another third-party app, simply because you’re paying your Taskers their hourly rate instead of a flat fee.

That said, to maximize your funds, be sure to send your Tasker a detailed shopping list.

A list with clear instructions will minimize the number of times your shopper will need to contact you for clarification on your order.

Get Trader Joe’s Delivered by Hiring Somebody from Craigslist

A third option for getting Trader Joe’s groceries delivered is to hire someone from Craigslist.

Although it’s a bit unconventional, it’s a viable option if you live in an area that doesn’t have many grocery delivery options.

How to Hire Somebody from Craigslist to Deliver Trader Joe’s

To hire a shopper using Craigslist, you can post a job with your requirements to the website and wait for someone to select it.

1. Go to the Craigslist website and select “Create a Posting.”

2. Fill in all of the information about your job.

3. Wait for someone to take your job.

If you don’t want to post your job on Craigslist, you can browse available service offerings instead.

1. Go to the Craigslist “Services” section and choose “Household.”

2. Browse the available postings to see if any personal shoppers have posted requests for work.

3. Choose a shopper who’s in your area and available in your time frame.  

The biggest drawback to Craigslist is that you’re unlikely to get instant service.

For example, if you post a job, you may have to wait a few days before someone takes it.

Or, there may not be any shoppers offering services when you need them.

You might not get the same personal touch with Craigslist as you would with a platform dedicated to grocery delivery.

Still, you’ll be able to get your items delivered, which is what matters.

Alternative: Use a Delivery App

Is using another delivery app an option for getting your Trader Joe’s goods delivered?

Unfortunately, your options remain limited.

Should You Tip Trader Joe’s Delivery Drivers?

You should always tip your grocery shopper when they deliver your products.

Tipping is how your shoppers make the bulk of their income, and since they’re doing a service for you that you may not be able to do yourself, a tip is a great way to show your gratitude.

In general, you should tip 15-20% of your total bill.

Shoppers on Dumpling typically include a tip in their list of fees, but you could also add a bit extra if you feel your shopper went that extra mile to get your grocery order just right.

If your order is small, you should also consider adding a bit more to your tip to make the trip worth the cost for your shopper.

For example, if your order is only $15, instead of just giving an even 20%, or $3, think about upping that to $5.

Also, if you plan to use Dumpling or TaskRabbit, you can rehire the same shopper if you’re pleased with their service.

The best way to ensure they take your jobs in the future is to show your appreciation with a nice tip.

Other Places to Get Trader Joe’s Products

If you love Trader Joe’s but don’t have one nearby, there are still ways you can purchase their products online.

The three leading retailers that offer Trader Joe’s products are Amazon, Walmart, and eBay, each of which allows third parties to sell on their sites.

The nice thing about buying Trader Joe’s products on one of these sites is that you might get access to items that were out of stock in your local store or aren’t available in your area.

Amazon is the largest online retailer where you can purchase Trader Joe’s products.

If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, many items will ship for free.

Some of the Trader Joe’s products Amazon offers include:

• Bagel seasoning
• Almond meal
• Dark chocolate peanut butter cups
• Trail mix
• Dried orange slices

eBay also offers a lot of Trader Joe’s items.

Many sellers offer free shipping, and in some cases, you can bundle if you purchase multiple items from the same seller.

Some of Ebay’s current Trader Joe’s offerings are:

• Cookie butter
• Ginger snaps
• Bagel seasoning
• Spices

Walmart has a small selection of Trader Joe’s items, but if your local store is out of something, you can check to see if Walmart has it on their site.

A few of the items Walmart’s third-party sellers currently offer are:

• Chile lime seasoning
• Jalapeno pepper hot sauce
• Belgian milk chocolate bars
• Chicken jerky
• Fruit wraps

Wrapping Up

Although Trader Joe’s doesn’t employ its own fleet of delivery drivers and shoppers, you still have options for getting some of your favorites delivered.

The grocery delivery market is constantly changing, so keep an eye out.

Trader Joe’s delivery might find its way to one of your regular delivery service apps sooner than you think.