Trader Joe’s Shoppers Are Reporting a Major Egg Shortage

If there's one grocery staple that has left shoppers scrambling, it's eggs. The fourth-most-purchased U.S. grocery item has been hard-hit by inflation, with the average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs climbing to $4.25 last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While a recent survey by the US Sun found that certain Trader Joe's locations carry some of the cheapest eggs—at $2.99 a dozen—the beloved grocery chain isn't immune to product shortages. The deadly avian flu outbreak, along with the rising cost of feed, energy, and labor, has tightened the egg supply—and shoppers have been sharing their findings on social media.

In a recent Reddit thread, one user posted a photo of empty egg shelves at a Trader Joe's location, writing, "I think my TJs has given up on eggs." Several other Redditors reported similar situations, with some also uploading photos of barren shelves at their local Trader Joe's.

Other users noted that their stores have implemented purchase limits. One person shared a photo of signs that read, "Eggs are limited to two cartons per household. Thank you for understanding." A couple of other users pointed out the same restriction, with one reporting that their location was "pretty well stocked," while another one said their store was still sold out of eggs.

However, a consistent finding among multiple Reddit users is that shopping at Trader Joe's early could yield positive results.

One user, who appears to be a TJ's employee, commented, "If yall want eggs show up at 8 when we open. We always have them at 8." A customer added, "I'm an old fart so I get there at 8 am when they open – have not had any problems getting eggs yet." This Reddit user also revealed that a Trader Joe's crew member advised that because the grocery chain won't be raising egg prices, the store will have to order less.