Trader Joe's Raises the Price of Bananas for the First Time in Over 20 Years

Find out how much they cost now.

Rising food prices have officially hit Trader Joe’s. The grocery store chain, which is beloved for its array of reasonably priced, inventive items has officially confirmed that fresh bananas will no longer cost just 19 cents a piece. Starting now, each banana will cost 23 cents a pop—marking a price increase of roughly 21 percent. The change in price is already reflected on the Trader Joe’s website.

As loyal Trader Joe’s shoppers know, the chain first began selling bananas individually in 2001, and they have cost just 19 cents a piece since then. So, why the price hike now? “We only change our prices when our costs change, and after holding our price for bananas at 19 cents each for more than two decades, we’ve now reached a point where this change is necessary,” a representative for the brand told CNBC Make It. 

Per the rep, the new price “still represents a tremendous everyday value for bananas.” If you want an organic banana, you’ll have to shell out 29 cents.

Related: 10 Underrated Trader Joe's Items to Add to Your Grocery List ASAP

Additionally, the spokesperson pointed out that while bananas are now more expensive than they have been for the previous 23 years, other TJ’s produce items now cost less than they once did. More specifically, the prices of raw almonds, bell peppers, romaine hearts, and green onions have all gone down.

Still, the lore of the 19-cent Trader Joe’s banana is powerful. The story was recounted on the first-ever episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, and is still available on the website in the product description for bananas. According to former TJ’s CEO Dan Bane, individually priced bananas became a TJ’s mainstay after he encountered an older customer who opted not to buy a bag of bananas after looking through them. When he asked her why she said: “‘Sonny… I may not live to that fourth banana.’” Bane recalled on the podcast. “And so we decided the next day we were going to sell individual bananas. And they’ve been 19 cents ever since.”

Related: 10 Lazy Trader Joe's Meals You Can Make in 15 Minutes or Less

While this price change marks a big shift for Trader Joe’s it’s not exactly unexpected. Per CBS News, at the World Banana Forum in Rome earlier this year, industry leaders said higher temperatures brought on by climate change may increase the chances of lower banana yields, thus meaning the price per banana will rise. According to data from the Consumer Price Index, other food items that have seen price increases recently include beef and veal, food seasonings and condiments, and cereals.

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