Trader Joe’s is owned by a gigantic German company called Aldi, which, including Trader Joe’s, has almost 10,000 stores in 15 countries outside of Germany. In comparison, Walmart has less than 5,600 international and domestic stores.
Aldi’s ownership is notoriously secretive about its business practices, and Trader Joe’s is no exception. Trader Joe’s has been criticized for its refusal to reveal from what country and company its private label and organic products are sourced.