Trader Joe's Just Updated Its Egg-Buying Policy—Here's What to Know

If you've been to any grocery store lately, you know how scarce and expensive eggs are. While many retailers can't seem to keep eggs on shelves, Trader Joe's has implemented a new policy to ensure stores across the country are stocked. The grocery store chain is limiting how many cartons of eggs customers can buy daily.

"Due to ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we are currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe’s stores across the country," Trader Joe's said in a statement to decorvow.com.

This decision comes as the demand and price of eggs has increased significantly due to the loss of many egg-laying chickens infected with avian influenza, also known as bird flu. The bird flu is causing outbreaks in wild birds, poultry, and even humans. The newest strain, H5N1, was discovered in 2022 and has dramatically affected the country's supply of chickens and eggs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 159 million wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and backyard or hobbyist flocks have been affected by bird flu since 2022. This has led to supply issues throughout the U.S., causing an increase in egg prices.

The latest decision by Trader Joe's to limit the number of egg purchases per customer may help prevent shoppers from stock-piling eggs, giving everyone a fair chance of buying eggs. "We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe’s," the company said.