The True Reason Your Favorite Trader Joe’s Product Got Discontinued, According to an Insider

Any dedicated Trader Joe’s fan has their go-to list of must-have items, from Mandarin Orange Chicken and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to Greek Chickpeas with Parsley & Cumin and Shawarma Chicken Thighs.

One common frustration for TJ’s enthusiasts? When a beloved product unexpectedly vanishes from the shelves. A recent episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast explains why these changes happen—and reveals it’s not always for the worse.

In this episode, co-hosts Matt Sloan, VP of marketing, and Tara Miller, marketing director, meet with members of a high school Trader Joe’s Club (yes, they exist!) to share insights into how Trader Joe’s develops and releases new products—and how they decide which ones stay and which sadly get discontinued.

To kick things off, there’s an endless stream of new product ideas being considered at Trader Joe’s HQ. From a new Chocolate Ice Cream and Raspberry Sorbet dessert to surprises you didn’t even know you needed, like Hot Cocoa and Cream Cheese Spread, there’s always something exciting on the horizon.

"One thing I love about Trader Joe’s is that there’s always something new every time I visit," shared one of the students. "How do you guys manage to do this so fast?"

"Introducing new products is no small feat, but it’s a lot of fun," says Sloan. "We roll out over 365 new items each year on average." After launching, each product’s performance is monitored and assessed. "We evaluate which ones didn’t perform well, which did, and then decide what to keep and what to try again," he explains.

Why Are Some Products Not Available All Year Round?

One reason your favorite chips or frozen treat might suddenly be out of stock is simple: Trader Joe’s believes that if every product is available all the time, it loses its specialness.

Trader Joe’s is known for its strong seasonal offerings, which means many products return next year when the ingredients are available again, and when there’s renewed seasonal demand for them.

Non-seasonal items might be temporarily pulled from shelves for adjustments based on customer feedback, with plans to roll out an improved version later. The takeaway? Just because you can’t find a favorite product on one shopping trip doesn’t mean it’s gone for good.

Releasing a New Product Is Like Placing a Bet

Trader Joe’s strategy is unique in that they are always brainstorming new product ideas. But how does the company determine if a new product will succeed or fail?

"It’s all about taking a risk," says Sloan. Launching a new product isn’t just a gamble on customer response, but also on the product’s quality from the supplier.

Sloan shares the story of how Hold The Cone! Ice Cream Cones were initially sourced from an overseas vendor, but the product’s quality eventually started to dip.

"It was really tough to stay ahead of the game, and it caught us off guard," he says. "Then we found a supplier who could make them locally. The new product was better, with different ingredients—the ice cream now has egg in it, which is a classic ingredient in ice cream. It gives them a richer texture and flavor, and the response has been phenomenal."

Then there's the tricky balance of supply and demand, Sloan explains. When a new product hits the shelves, the company makes an educated guess about how much demand there will be and tries to match it with the right amount of product. If the demand is higher than expected and the product becomes popular, it sells out fast!

What Happens When a Product Doesn’t Gain Popularity?

Predicting the appeal of a new product is never a sure thing, and sometimes it just doesn’t resonate with customers.

To gauge a product’s potential for success, Trader Joe’s places each item into a category and ranks it based on sales performance. When a product falls short of expectations and lands at the bottom of its category, it gets pulled from the shelves.

Sometimes a product, like Pita Chips with Cinnamon & Sugar or a new dessert hummus, is delicious but ends up in a tricky category—like snacks—and struggles to gain traction in sales, Sloan and Miller explain.

"You have a snack category, and it's mostly filled with savory, salty options," Sloan says. "That was one of the few sweet snacks, and within the snack world, sweet items don't sell as well as tortilla chips, or certainly the Chili Lime Rolled Tortilla Chips."

If you’re mourning the loss of a favorite Trader Joe’s item, take comfort in knowing it might return—either as a seasonal treat or in a revamped version. Plus, with Trader Joe’s continuous innovation, you may just discover a brand-new favorite on your next grocery trip.