Trader Joe’s Plans Roughly 20 New Stores in 2026 Nationwide

Trader Joe’s is staging another expansion push in 2026, planning roughly 20 new store openings as part of a steady growth cadence that accelerated in late 2024 and continued through 2025. The new sites span the country, with planned locations that include Miller Place, New York; Hamden, Connecticut; New Orleans on Napoleon Avenue; McKinney, Texas; Oklahoma City; Westminster, Colorado; Bellingham, Washington; Tracy, Yucaipa and Northridge, California; Hoover, Alabama; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Glenmont, New York; Boston; Staten Island, New York; Iselin, New Jersey; Exton and Berwyn, Pennsylvania; Rockville, Maryland; two locations in Washington, DC; and others.

Some openings will take place in converted retail footprints. Trader Joe’s is moving into a former Party City site in Orlando and has plans to convert a former Rite Aid location in Santa Monica. The company had just over 600 stores across 42 states at the end of 2025, and industry indicators show store foot traffic was up year-over-year in 2025, reinforcing the rationale for continued store growth.

For workers, the immediate impact will be local hiring pushes tied to each new store. Typical staffing needs at a new Trader Joe’s include crew members, mates (assistant managers) and store leadership, creating entry-level hiring opportunities and roles for experienced employees seeking promotion or transfers. New-store openings also increase demand on regional recruiting teams, training and scheduling systems as the company onboards personnel and staffs expanded operations.

The expansion can shift workplace dynamics in both new and existing markets. In cities landing a new store, local labor markets may see a temporary spike in supermarket hiring competition. For current Trader Joe’s employees, openings offer potential internal mobility into supervisory or management tracks as new leadership positions are filled. At the same time, a steady pipeline of openings requires sustained investment in training and retention to maintain store culture and service standards.

Exact opening dates and hiring timelines vary by site. Workers and job seekers interested in opportunities from these planned stores should monitor Trader Joe’s store-locator for the most current information on specific openings and local recruiting events.