Negative press has little effect on Trader Joe’s brand

Trader Joe’s has one of the most loyal customer bases in the country, but that allegiance has been put to the test in recent months.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the grocery chain faced criticism of its reportedly inconsistent policies to keep its employees safe. Months later, the brand found itself having to defend the names of some of its products, which some said were racially insensitive.

YouGov BrandIndex data shows the brand saw a slip dip in the number of Americans considering a purchase from the grocery chain, but purchase intent remained constant compared to the same time period in 2019.

A brand’s consideration score is based on results to the question: "When you are in the market next to purchase food or drink, from which of the following would you consider purchasing?” and purchase intent is based on the results to the question: “From which of these would you be most likely to purchase?”

Methodology: BrandIndex Consideration and Purchase Intent scores are based on an average daily sample size of 1,300 US adults in 2019. Consideration and Purchase Intent scores are based on an average daily sample size of 1,486 US adults in 2020. All figures are based on a four-week moving average.

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