NEW ORLEANS – Trader Joe’s is continuing its Louisiana expansion with the opening of its fourth store in the state, a move that comes as the specialty grocer outpaces much of the grocery industry in foot traffic growth and prepares additional locations in Lafayette and Mandeville.
The approximately 9,800-square-foot grocery store opened June 12 in the former Our Lady of Lourdes School building, a property the company acquired in 2024 before beginning renovations. The opening drew a crowd of nearly 200 shoppers before the doors opened, matching the enthusiasm that accompanied the company’s Mid-City opening last year.
As a neighborhood grocery store, Trader Joe’s says it prides itself on hiring from the local community. The store hired more than 50 new Crew Members from surrounding areas and transferred in others from nearby Trader Joe’s stores.
Through the company’s longstanding Neighborhood Shares Program, the new New Orleans Trader Joe’s says it will donate 100% of products that go unsold but remain fit to enjoy to nonprofit community organizations, including Second Harvest Food Bank. The store also features custom artwork inspired by New Orleans landmarks and culture, including a stylized streetcar, French Quarter imagery and other local references, continuing the chain’s practice of incorporating local themes into its store designs.
Expansion Plans Extend Beyond New Orleans
“Since Trader Joe’s began in 1967, we have been in growth mode. Some years we grow more than others, and our goal is always to bring delicious products at great values to as many people and neighborhoods as we can,” said Nakia Rohde, public relations manager for Trader Joe’s. “The best way to do that is to open more stores. We think the location at Napoleon Avenue and Freret Street and the surrounding neighborhood are a great fit for Trader Joe’s.”
The Uptown store joins Trader Joe’s locations in Metairie and Mid-City and represents the company’s fourth store in Louisiana. The opening expands the grocer’s presence in a state where additional locations are already planned.
The Uptown opening is part of a broader expansion effort for the California-based grocer, which operates more than 630 stores nationwide and has announced additional locations across multiple states. Louisiana is among the markets targeted for continued growth.
Founded in the Los Angeles area in 1967, Trader Joe’s has grown to more than 630 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C., and employs approximately 50,000 people nationwide. The specialty grocery chain offers a mix of private-label products, grocery staples and imported foods.
“We opened our first Trader Joe’s store in Louisiana in 2013,” Rohde said. “We are grateful for each customer who chooses to shop in our stores, from those who already consider themselves Trader Joe’s customers to those who are just hearing about us for the first time.”
Outpacing Grocery Industry Growth
Trader Joe’s expansion comes as the specialty grocer continues to outperform much of the grocery industry. A 2026 Supermarket News report found the company posted more than 3% growth from the previous year, outperforming the broader grocery sector by roughly six percentage points. The report also found the retailer was attracting customers across income levels and age groups, a trend that distinguished it from many grocery competitors. Analysts cited Trader Joe’s as one of the chains gaining shoppers while much of the grocery sector experienced slower growth.
Retail analytics firm Placer.ai reported that visits to Trader Joe’s stores increased 6.2% in 2024. The chain recorded approximately 390 million visits during the year, according to other location analytics, representing an increase of more than 6% from 2023 and nearly 25% from 2019. During the first half of 2025, foot traffic rose 11.9% from the same period a year earlier, significantly outpacing the broader grocery sector.
