TJ Secrets
August 25, 2010 10:20 AM Subscribe
Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's.
A closer look at its selection of items underscores the brilliance of Coulombe's limited-selection, high-turnover model. Take peanut butter. Trader Joe's sells 10 varieties. That might sound like a lot, but most supermarkets sell about 40 SKUs. For simplicity's sake, say both a typical supermarket and a Trader Joe's sell 40 jars a week. Trader Joe's would sell an average of four of each type, while the supermarket might sell only one. With the greater turnover on a smaller number of items, Trader Joe's can buy large quantities and secure deep discounts. And it makes the whole business -- from stocking shelves to checking out customers -- much simpler.
You know, I like the food at Trader Joe's well enough. But there's something about either the customer base, the shape of the aisles, or some mix of the two. Because, every time I go to TJ's, I find myself elbowed and bruised, shoved and slammed in a way that's more befitting a mosh pit than a grocery store. I'm not a claustrophobic person, nor do I have extraordinary issues with personal space, but I won't go into a TJ's anymore in the evenings or weekends. It's just not worth it.
posted by .kobayashi. at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2010 [15 favorites]
posted by .kobayashi. at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2010 [15 favorites]
We just got some Aldis here in Fort Worth so I'm very excited that maybe, just maybe, we'll finally get a Trader Joe's here.
posted by kmz at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by kmz at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2010
Oddly enough the first time I went into a Trader Joe's I said, "Hey, this place feels a lot like Aldi." DUDE!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Employees dress in goofy trademark Hawaiian shirts, hand stickers out to your squirming kids, and cheerfully refund your money if you're unhappy with a purchase -- no questions asked. At the Chelsea store opening, workers greeted customers with high-fives and free cookies. Try getting that kind of love at the Piggly Wiggly.Except for the "goofy" shirts, this is all at my local Market Basket. Plus they ask about the kids if I leave one at home. Oh AND I can by the "yuppie" cage-free eggs (seriously, CNN?).
Not that I'm dissing Trader Joe's. I've only been in one once. And something tells me that the "biggest grocery chain in Germany" is probably 1/10th as evil as the smallest one in the US.
posted by DU at 10:28 AM on August 25, 2010
Yeah, I knew about the rebranding thing, I'm cool with that. They own Aldi too? That makes some sense.
posted by Artw at 10:30 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by Artw at 10:30 AM on August 25, 2010
If they started opening up Trader Joes' inside of Costcos, I'd be all set.
posted by Auden at 10:31 AM on August 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by Auden at 10:31 AM on August 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
"Would you believe it's an arm of the biggest grocery chain in ... Germany?"
Joe Coulombe (pronounced COO-lomb), now 80, opened the first Trader Joe's 43 years ago in Pasadena to serve a sophisticated -- but strapped -- consumer. He named the store Trader Joe's to evoke images of the South Seas. He stocked it with convenience-store items and good booze, and at one time his shop boasted the world's largest assortment of California wine. Coulombe then added health food -- a seemingly odd combination that totally worked in 1970s California. By the late 1970s he was operating more than 20 locations.posted by AceRock at 10:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
The company's success did not go unnoticed. German grocery mogul Theo Albrecht, who died in July at age 88, coveted Trader Joe's -- not as part of a major U.S. expansion but as a smart financial investment... In 1979, Coulombe sold his company to Albrecht. Coulombe tells Fortune he "can't remember" the selling price.
The Albrechts, who own Trader Joe's through a family trust, have generally stayed out of the business.
TBH I was expecting more of a Whole Foods kind of thing, where they'd turn out to be backed by the mob and political supporters of the American Nazi Party.
posted by Artw at 10:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by Artw at 10:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
Some guys from California? Seems like it started as a family business that went huge.
Well, it did start that way. :) (I went to high school walking distance from (IIRC) the very first TJs and have awesome memories of ditching 5th period to have burgers at the joint across the street, then going over to buy Monumental Blocks of Chocolate.)
posted by epersonae at 10:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Well, it did start that way. :) (I went to high school walking distance from (IIRC) the very first TJs and have awesome memories of ditching 5th period to have burgers at the joint across the street, then going over to buy Monumental Blocks of Chocolate.)
posted by epersonae at 10:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Though Aldi Süd is the one that operates the US Aldis. Which is the thing that might make my TJ dreams for naught. *sigh*
If they started opening up Trader Joes' inside of Costcos, I'd be all set.
Be still my heart! Even better would be an urban location here in Fort Worth. I have to drive out to the burby areas of Fort Worth to use my Costco membership, so it's gone almost entirely unused.
posted by kmz at 10:34 AM on August 25, 2010
If they started opening up Trader Joes' inside of Costcos, I'd be all set.
Be still my heart! Even better would be an urban location here in Fort Worth. I have to drive out to the burby areas of Fort Worth to use my Costco membership, so it's gone almost entirely unused.
posted by kmz at 10:34 AM on August 25, 2010
Indeed, .kobayashi, and the jostling and elbowing begins in the parking lot.
Here's a pretty decent newspapery a look at the guy (Joe Coulombe; the German supermarket magnate bought it in 1979) who started TJ's and how he arrived at the idea.
posted by notyou at 10:35 AM on August 25, 2010
Here's a pretty decent newspapery a look at the guy (Joe Coulombe; the German supermarket magnate bought it in 1979) who started TJ's and how he arrived at the idea.
posted by notyou at 10:35 AM on August 25, 2010
Must shop at Costco more, since they're battling Washington's stupid ass liquor laws.
(of course, if they win on that I *will* shop at Costco more)
posted by Artw at 10:37 AM on August 25, 2010
(of course, if they win on that I *will* shop at Costco more)
posted by Artw at 10:37 AM on August 25, 2010
The pull quote up there makes no sense. If that were so, why bother stocking more than one kind of peanut butter and selling 10 jars of that one, and thus ordering lots and lots of that one and thus getting even deeper discounts on that brand, not to mention making stocking shelves even easier?
It seems that what's being posited here is that Trader Joe's has found some kind of magical retail sweet spot where it has exactly the right number of brands of peanut butter and orders exactly the right number of jars to maximize profits.
Not very likely.
posted by chavenet at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2010
It seems that what's being posited here is that Trader Joe's has found some kind of magical retail sweet spot where it has exactly the right number of brands of peanut butter and orders exactly the right number of jars to maximize profits.
Not very likely.
posted by chavenet at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2010
Take peanut butter. Trader Joe's sells 10 varieties. That might sound like a lot, but most supermarkets sell about 40 SKUs.
But I bet the 40 varieties that Kroger sells actually come from just two or three companies.
posted by punkfloyd at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
But I bet the 40 varieties that Kroger sells actually come from just two or three companies.
posted by punkfloyd at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
epersonae: the one on Arroyo Parkway? I always understood that the TJ's on Mission in South Pasadena was the first.
Still, we agree that burgers (and chili cheese fries) from the Lucky Boy across the street are delicious.
posted by notyou at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2010
Still, we agree that burgers (and chili cheese fries) from the Lucky Boy across the street are delicious.
posted by notyou at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2010
something tells me that the "biggest grocery chain in Germany" is probably 1/10th as evil as the smallest one in the US.
It's refreshing to hear someone minimize Germany's capacity for evil. On the internet, it's usually the other way around.
posted by chrisamiller at 10:41 AM on August 25, 2010 [17 favorites]
It's refreshing to hear someone minimize Germany's capacity for evil. On the internet, it's usually the other way around.
posted by chrisamiller at 10:41 AM on August 25, 2010 [17 favorites]
Few customers realize the chain is owned by Germany's ultra-private Albrecht family, the people behind the Aldi Nord supermarket empire.
When I first encountered Trader Joe's in Oregon in the mid 90s, their stores felt like the kind of place you'd only find near a port - outlets for odd lots, or for salvage from broken shipping containers.
One week there would be barrels of broken Toblerone chocolate parked in an aisle, the next week the same space would be occupied by pallets of Swedish fish or slightly dodgy-looking Balkan sardines. The same stuff rarely appeared twice, and you could hardly do any conventional, planned shopping there (great for party food, though.)
It definitely seemed to be a ramshackle and independent operation.
posted by ryanshepard at 10:47 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
When I first encountered Trader Joe's in Oregon in the mid 90s, their stores felt like the kind of place you'd only find near a port - outlets for odd lots, or for salvage from broken shipping containers.
One week there would be barrels of broken Toblerone chocolate parked in an aisle, the next week the same space would be occupied by pallets of Swedish fish or slightly dodgy-looking Balkan sardines. The same stuff rarely appeared twice, and you could hardly do any conventional, planned shopping there (great for party food, though.)
It definitely seemed to be a ramshackle and independent operation.
posted by ryanshepard at 10:47 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Because, every time I go to TJ's, I find myself elbowed and bruised, shoved and slammed in a way that's more befitting a mosh pit than a grocery store. I'm not a claustrophobic person, nor do I have extraordinary issues with personal space, but I won't go into a TJ's anymore in the evenings or weekends. It's just not worth it.
I think it's mainly the combination of popularity + small physical size of the stores. I used to go to the Lincoln Ave TJs in Chicago all the time, but only on weekdays. Even then, it was often hard just to find parking.
posted by kmz at 10:49 AM on August 25, 2010
I think it's mainly the combination of popularity + small physical size of the stores. I used to go to the Lincoln Ave TJs in Chicago all the time, but only on weekdays. Even then, it was often hard just to find parking.
posted by kmz at 10:49 AM on August 25, 2010
Chavenet: Competing grocers are stocking as many as 39 different peanut butters.
TJ's may not have hit the sweetest spot with its 10 varieties (most (all?) of which are private label), but they're much closer to it than their competitors are.
Narrow choices are part of the marketing strategy, too; they don't want people to spend time in the store choosing what to buy -- they want people to buy.
posted by notyou at 10:54 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
TJ's may not have hit the sweetest spot with its 10 varieties (most (all?) of which are private label), but they're much closer to it than their competitors are.
Narrow choices are part of the marketing strategy, too; they don't want people to spend time in the store choosing what to buy -- they want people to buy.
posted by notyou at 10:54 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Narrow choices are part of the marketing strategy, too; they don't want people to spend time in the store choosing what to buy -- they want people to buy.
Every retailer wants people to buy. A store that stocks 39 varieties of peanut butter thinks its customers will be pleased to have the choice. One that stocks 10 thinks it's providing a service by doing the choosing.
Both are valid models, obviously (and often obligatory: a small shop lacking shelf space is by default going to have fewer brands available than a massive suburban box supermarket).
Question: if Trader Joe's stocks mostly private label peanut butter, how are they getting "deep discounts" on the stuff? Deep compared to what? Is private label peanut butter cheaper at Trader Joe's than the other stuff at a Costco?
(For the record I have never been in a Trader Joe's, nor a Costco.)
posted by chavenet at 11:00 AM on August 25, 2010
Every retailer wants people to buy. A store that stocks 39 varieties of peanut butter thinks its customers will be pleased to have the choice. One that stocks 10 thinks it's providing a service by doing the choosing.
Both are valid models, obviously (and often obligatory: a small shop lacking shelf space is by default going to have fewer brands available than a massive suburban box supermarket).
Question: if Trader Joe's stocks mostly private label peanut butter, how are they getting "deep discounts" on the stuff? Deep compared to what? Is private label peanut butter cheaper at Trader Joe's than the other stuff at a Costco?
(For the record I have never been in a Trader Joe's, nor a Costco.)
posted by chavenet at 11:00 AM on August 25, 2010
I was so ready to read that the secret was "TRADER JOE'S IS PEOPLE!"
posted by any major dude at 11:00 AM on August 25, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by any major dude at 11:00 AM on August 25, 2010 [6 favorites]
Narrow choices are part of the marketing strategy, too; they don't want people to spend time in the store choosing what to buy -- they want people to buy.
I appreciate it. At least for me, 90% of the stuff I buy at the supermarket is fungible. Trader Joe's is actually great for most of those items: they have one or two varieties, in one size, and the price usually good. I only shop there for a few select items, since most of the stuff there is convenience food, but I do appreciate the stock model.
The last time I tried to buy Band-Aids at a CVS or someplace, I was just stunned in the aisle for 4 or 5 minutes. People probably thought I was stoned or otherwise mentally-incapacitated. Why do we need 60-70 SKUs for fucking bandages? Just sell me something to cover up my boo-boos and let me get on with my life. I don't think TJ's stocks bandages, unfortunately.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:05 AM on August 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
I appreciate it. At least for me, 90% of the stuff I buy at the supermarket is fungible. Trader Joe's is actually great for most of those items: they have one or two varieties, in one size, and the price usually good. I only shop there for a few select items, since most of the stuff there is convenience food, but I do appreciate the stock model.
The last time I tried to buy Band-Aids at a CVS or someplace, I was just stunned in the aisle for 4 or 5 minutes. People probably thought I was stoned or otherwise mentally-incapacitated. Why do we need 60-70 SKUs for fucking bandages? Just sell me something to cover up my boo-boos and let me get on with my life. I don't think TJ's stocks bandages, unfortunately.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:05 AM on August 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
Question: if Trader Joe's stocks mostly private label peanut butter, how are they getting "deep discounts" on the stuff? Deep compared to what? Is private label peanut butter cheaper at Trader Joe's than the other stuff at a Costco?
I assume it's mainly due to this part of TFA:
I assume it's mainly due to this part of TFA:
Trader Joe's is a supplier's dream account: It pays on time and doesn't mess with extra charges for advertising, couponing, or slotting fees that traditional supermarkets charge suppliers to get their products onto the shelves. "It's all transparent -- no BS," says a former executive.Or maybe this part:
The Tasty Bite Punjab Eggplant ran $3.39 at a Whole Foods in Manhattan. The seemingly identical Punjab Eggplant that the Stamford, Conn., company makes for Trader Joe's is more than $1 cheaper.posted by Lemurrhea at 11:06 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
I was so ready to read that the secret was human trafficking.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:07 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Joe Beese at 11:07 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
human trafficking
Trader Joe's Trades in Joes.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:10 AM on August 25, 2010 [23 favorites]
Trader Joe's Trades in Joes.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:10 AM on August 25, 2010 [23 favorites]
Ah, wait, "the shopping experience" ... "becomes an adventure."
How they accomplish this is also markedly different from their most obvious competitors, Whole Foods (WF) and Bristol Farms (BF). For their customers TJ provides value not primarily through the quality of its products, as with WF and BF, but rather through their distinct shopping experience. Shopping becomes an adventure that takes them into a store whose characteristics are often in opposition to those of traditional markets: casual, low price, high service with a constantly changing and somewhat unpredictable product mix. Their culture, because it involves the customers in an ongoing sense of discovery and adventure, is both unique and difficult to copy. And because it is aligned to their specific target market rather than broad differentiation built around quality and service, it is more difficult to replicate by those companies that are serving a more expansive competitive space. Finally, at least at this time, there are no substitutes for the combination of attributes provided by the TJ culture and customer experience, because at TJ, customers become part of the culture rather than merely experiencing it. (cite)
posted by chavenet at 11:14 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
How they accomplish this is also markedly different from their most obvious competitors, Whole Foods (WF) and Bristol Farms (BF). For their customers TJ provides value not primarily through the quality of its products, as with WF and BF, but rather through their distinct shopping experience. Shopping becomes an adventure that takes them into a store whose characteristics are often in opposition to those of traditional markets: casual, low price, high service with a constantly changing and somewhat unpredictable product mix. Their culture, because it involves the customers in an ongoing sense of discovery and adventure, is both unique and difficult to copy. And because it is aligned to their specific target market rather than broad differentiation built around quality and service, it is more difficult to replicate by those companies that are serving a more expansive competitive space. Finally, at least at this time, there are no substitutes for the combination of attributes provided by the TJ culture and customer experience, because at TJ, customers become part of the culture rather than merely experiencing it. (cite)
posted by chavenet at 11:14 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Previously, on the internet, this fan commercial.
posted by mhum at 11:17 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by mhum at 11:17 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
There's a reason the NYC store is so popular, try shopping at a 'normal' Gristedes in NYC. Sure, they have stuff but only enough room for one of each. God help you if you need Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives or Raspberry Kool-Aid and someone bought the only packet of it.
posted by wcfields at 11:18 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by wcfields at 11:18 AM on August 25, 2010
I am also relieved that this isn't an "OMG don't shop at TJ's" article, because I'm down to like four places I can buy anything anymore. Bonus: I now know why they have those awesome German treats at Christmas.
posted by JoanArkham at 11:25 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by JoanArkham at 11:25 AM on August 25, 2010
The only time I can deal with Trader Joe's is five minutes after it opens. There are three where I live now and they are madhouses round the clock, except for the first half hour or so. This was also the case when I lived in California within walking distance of two stores.
Jordan Morris of Jordan Jesse Go! fame once mentioned on the podcast how annoying he found it that the cashiers were "encouraged" to comment on at least one item you're purchasing in every transaction. Now I cannot stop noticing this and it makes me absolutely crazy. They do it every time!
I do love Trader Joe's, though. Always and forever.
posted by something something at 11:25 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Jordan Morris of Jordan Jesse Go! fame once mentioned on the podcast how annoying he found it that the cashiers were "encouraged" to comment on at least one item you're purchasing in every transaction. Now I cannot stop noticing this and it makes me absolutely crazy. They do it every time!
I do love Trader Joe's, though. Always and forever.
posted by something something at 11:25 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
But they always discontinue the good stuff!
Previously.
You should edit the tradejoes tag, AceRock..
posted by infinitewindow at 11:26 AM on August 25, 2010
Previously.
You should edit the tradejoes tag, AceRock..
posted by infinitewindow at 11:26 AM on August 25, 2010
Well, the peanut butter example misses the point because it doesn’t include the important part: price. I’m no kind of expert, but when the Trader Joe’s opened up many years ago in DC I decided that they basically made their money by offering lower than average prices on semi-luxury/gourmet products. They do this by only offering those products. In the case of peanut butter, this means that they don’t stock the cheap brands like JIF, but that they also offer their “premium” natural brand for less than you would pay for it at Safeway, even if you bought the generic. I realized how this worked when I bought some maple syrup there. They only offered real maple syrup, and they offered it at a lower price than at the regular grocery store. Even assuming their margin is the same as Safeway, they likely made more money on every sale of maple syrup than Safeway does. It isn’t just the fact that they offer less choice, it’s that they offer less choice on semi-premium items that bring in more money per sale. You can certainly buy things more cheaply than at Trader Joe’s, but you are likely to sacrifice quality (not in some evanescent sense, in the real maple syrup sense) in order to do so.
posted by OmieWise at 11:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by OmieWise at 11:33 AM on August 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
I always thought that the beauty of Trader Joe's is that they're constantly bringing in new products and cycling out old ones. There is a tight core of beloved top-sellers, but be prepared for and short term favorites to disappear. I was very sad the day that my old standby, chicken salad with currants, just wasn't there. (Weep!)
So when I see something new at a TJ's I buy it immediately because I never know if I'm going to see it again. And if I do see it again and I liked it the first time I buy five because you never know.
(*Opens locked desk drawer full of buffalo jerky. Munches*)
posted by Alison at 11:35 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
So when I see something new at a TJ's I buy it immediately because I never know if I'm going to see it again. And if I do see it again and I liked it the first time I buy five because you never know.
(*Opens locked desk drawer full of buffalo jerky. Munches*)
posted by Alison at 11:35 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I far prefer the limited choice at Trader Joe's to the virtually unlimited choice at Wegman's. TJ's has better, cheaper coffee, which gets me in the door, then I can usually get what I need in just a few minutes and get back to my life. The "adventure" of finding new, fancy foodstuffs adds to the experience, for sure. Yes, I have to go elsewhere for lightbulbs and bandaids and allergy medicine, but I put a lot of value in being able to (mostly) avoid the hassle of trekking back and forth through a mega-store.
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:42 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:42 AM on August 25, 2010
I'm a fan of TJ's, although my like of them took some time. The first one I encountered was in suburban Chicago (LaGrange). My mom absolutely raved about it & I didn't get the "charm." But as they grew their selection of organics, my interest grew. Some of the appeal is when you can spot, as Lemurrhea says, their house branded national brand that sells for a dollar or two less. Some products that they sell are just plain damn good--their French Vanilla ice cream and their canned corn are two products that are better there than I find elsewhere, and especially considering price.
One caveat I have is about their organic produce. In our area, they stock a brand of organic produce which is known to the organic farmers & certifiers in the midwest to buy expiring products or seconds. If you watch what you are buying & plan to use it within the next 24 to 48, you're good to go, but waiting is often at your peril. Last winter they had a seeming truckload of organic onions that had gotten frozen and then thawed before they reached TJs shelves. I recognized it immediately and kept looking at all the bags on the shelf at that time. The external firmness with a center of mush was tell-tale.
To TJ's credit in all of this--they took the onions off the shelf based on my consumer complaint while I was still in the store, and for about a week they had no organic onions to sell, and any time I have complained--mentioned is all it takes really, complaining is too strong a word--they offer a full refund with no qualms. They may ask some specifics, but hardly in the skeptical mode.
posted by beelzbubba at 11:45 AM on August 25, 2010
One caveat I have is about their organic produce. In our area, they stock a brand of organic produce which is known to the organic farmers & certifiers in the midwest to buy expiring products or seconds. If you watch what you are buying & plan to use it within the next 24 to 48, you're good to go, but waiting is often at your peril. Last winter they had a seeming truckload of organic onions that had gotten frozen and then thawed before they reached TJs shelves. I recognized it immediately and kept looking at all the bags on the shelf at that time. The external firmness with a center of mush was tell-tale.
To TJ's credit in all of this--they took the onions off the shelf based on my consumer complaint while I was still in the store, and for about a week they had no organic onions to sell, and any time I have complained--mentioned is all it takes really, complaining is too strong a word--they offer a full refund with no qualms. They may ask some specifics, but hardly in the skeptical mode.
posted by beelzbubba at 11:45 AM on August 25, 2010
The problem with Trader Joes for me is that between me and the nearest one is a Metro Mart (Pick-N-Save/ Roundys), then a Sendiks, then a Brennans and finally a crazy awesome little local grocery that is so tightly packed it's almost impossible to walk through.
And I'd be hard pressed to find something a TJs that I couldn't get at the other places more conveniently.
Moral of the story? Trader Joes should build a location closer to me.
posted by quin at 11:46 AM on August 25, 2010
And I'd be hard pressed to find something a TJs that I couldn't get at the other places more conveniently.
Moral of the story? Trader Joes should build a location closer to me.
posted by quin at 11:46 AM on August 25, 2010
how annoying he found it that the cashiers were "encouraged" to comment on at least one item you're purchasing in every transaction. Now I cannot stop noticing this and it makes me absolutely crazy.
Now that I think about it, this sounds right. I rather wish you hadn't shared this information, because I'm pretty sure it's going to drive me crazy too.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:48 AM on August 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
Now that I think about it, this sounds right. I rather wish you hadn't shared this information, because I'm pretty sure it's going to drive me crazy too.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:48 AM on August 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
"So, who do you think owns Trader Joe's? How do you think it got started?"
"I dunno. Some guys from California? Seems like it started as a family business that went huge."
"Would you believe it's an arm of the biggest grocery chain in ... Germany?"
"No way!"
"Way, dude. Way."
Well, one question is who owns them now, and another is how they came to be, which are distinct issues. Here is what a quick Wiki peek shows:
"I dunno. Some guys from California? Seems like it started as a family business that went huge."
"Would you believe it's an arm of the biggest grocery chain in ... Germany?"
"No way!"
"Way, dude. Way."
Well, one question is who owns them now, and another is how they came to be, which are distinct issues. Here is what a quick Wiki peek shows:
Trader Joe's is named after its founder, Joe Coulombe. The chain began in 1958 as a Greater Los Angeles area chain of "Pronto Market" convenience stores. The original Pronto Markets were similar to 7-Eleven stores, so similar Coulombe felt the competition with 7-Eleven would be ruinous.[5] He is said to have developed the idea of the Trader Joe South Seas motif while on vacation in the Caribbean.[6] He had noticed that Americans were traveling more and returning home with tastes for food and wine they had trouble satisfying in supermarkets of the time.[7] The first store named "Trader Joe's" opened its doors in 1967. This store, on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, California, remains in operation. In response to competition from 7-Eleven, the chain differentiated its stores' offerings and doubled the floor space in 1967. In the first few decades of operation, some of the stores offered fresh meats provided by butchers who leased space in the stores. Trader Joe's at one time had sandwich shops, freshly cut cheese, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Theo Albrecht bought the company in 1979.[8] Coulombe was succeeded by John Shields in 1987; under his leadership the company expanded beyond California, moving into Arizona in 1993 and the Pacific Northwest two years later.[1] In 1996, the company opened its first stores on the East Coast, in Brookline and Cambridge, both outside Boston.[1] Shields retired in 2001, turning the reins over to Dan Bane. Shields still does consulting for the company.posted by Mental Wimp at 11:52 AM on August 25, 2010
A Business Week article about the store noted that, between 1990 and 2001, the chain quintupled the store number and increased its profits by ten times.[4] Supermarket News estimates that Trader Joe's total sales for 2009 were $8 billion, which gave it a ranking of No. 21 on the list of "SN's Top 75 Retailers for 2010."[2] As of 2010, Trader Joe's sells what Fortune magazine estimated to be $1,750 in merchandise per square foot, more than double the sales generated by Whole Foods.[1]
*ambles down the hall to Alison's office*
Because, every time I go to TJ's, I find myself elbowed and bruised, shoved and slammed in a way that's more befitting a mosh pit than a grocery store.
Me too. Part of the problem on my part is I'm always a little disoriented when I'm in Trader Joe's. You can drop me down in a conventional grocery store almost anywhere in the US and I can kind of glance down an aisle, and say "Oh yeah, ketchup. There's the soup aisle." But the brands/labels at TJs aren't as recognizable to me, and I have to look at stuff more closely to see what in the hell it is. So people run over and around me as I puzzle over some odd can of whosit. I like to think I'm not the only doing that, but I wouldn't be the first time I was the only person in the building without a clue.
posted by marxchivist at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Because, every time I go to TJ's, I find myself elbowed and bruised, shoved and slammed in a way that's more befitting a mosh pit than a grocery store.
Me too. Part of the problem on my part is I'm always a little disoriented when I'm in Trader Joe's. You can drop me down in a conventional grocery store almost anywhere in the US and I can kind of glance down an aisle, and say "Oh yeah, ketchup. There's the soup aisle." But the brands/labels at TJs aren't as recognizable to me, and I have to look at stuff more closely to see what in the hell it is. So people run over and around me as I puzzle over some odd can of whosit. I like to think I'm not the only doing that, but I wouldn't be the first time I was the only person in the building without a clue.
posted by marxchivist at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh, and by the way, it isn't an arm of Aldi's but they are both owned by the same guy.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2010
By all accounts, they pay and treat their employees well, and have a pretty good benefit package. This goes a long way towards making me feel OK to shop there.
I have encountered checkers who have relocated to my town, after having worked in TJs in other states.
posted by Danf at 11:56 AM on August 25, 2010
I have encountered checkers who have relocated to my town, after having worked in TJs in other states.
posted by Danf at 11:56 AM on August 25, 2010
We mainly go there for a mixture of price and variety; the fact that large supermarkets have just too much stuff for me to sort through to get what I want; if you can't find something there is usually someone pleasant within sight who will take you there in seconds; the free samples and coffee are nice; the kid gets a balloon when he goes, etc. It works out a bit more than Safeway or whatever, and less than Whole Foods. I really don't care about the 90% of name brand stuff they don't have, because I would not buy it anyway.
posted by carter at 11:56 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by carter at 11:56 AM on August 25, 2010
I love Trader Joe's because I hate shopping.
Grocery shopping sucks^3. If you pick whatever is at eye level, you will be buying from whomever paid the store to place their products there. If you try to make an informed decision you will waste 15 minutes picking the best peanut butter.
I tried truly random selection, carrying my D&D dice*, mentally numbering every product and forcing myself to buy whatever I roll. In places like Safeway you can get some awful crap, like toilet paper that disintegrates if you look at it too hard or peanut butter that tastes like extra salty margarine. In Whole Foods or Bristol Farms, random picking can land you with a little piece of $30 cheddar cheese that tastes no better than the $5 option.
In Trader Joe's I only need to carry a D4 and a D6, the price is always right and the products are always good.
* I've told this to many people and most don't believe me. I do actually shop with dice in hand. For stuff like jeans, shoes, socks, writing pens, notebooks, underwear, etc... I find a model that I like (thanks askme and ask reddit), order a bunch of identical items and just repeat my order when I start to run out. I have 10 pairs of identical socks that have lasted 2 years and 4 pairs of the same sneakers, in red, green, yellow and grey. I got an email from the socks peope (Thorlos) asking me if I'd like to reorder the exact same order, I love them now too
posted by dirty lies at 11:57 AM on August 25, 2010 [8 favorites]
Grocery shopping sucks^3. If you pick whatever is at eye level, you will be buying from whomever paid the store to place their products there. If you try to make an informed decision you will waste 15 minutes picking the best peanut butter.
I tried truly random selection, carrying my D&D dice*, mentally numbering every product and forcing myself to buy whatever I roll. In places like Safeway you can get some awful crap, like toilet paper that disintegrates if you look at it too hard or peanut butter that tastes like extra salty margarine. In Whole Foods or Bristol Farms, random picking can land you with a little piece of $30 cheddar cheese that tastes no better than the $5 option.
In Trader Joe's I only need to carry a D4 and a D6, the price is always right and the products are always good.
* I've told this to many people and most don't believe me. I do actually shop with dice in hand. For stuff like jeans, shoes, socks, writing pens, notebooks, underwear, etc... I find a model that I like (thanks askme and ask reddit), order a bunch of identical items and just repeat my order when I start to run out. I have 10 pairs of identical socks that have lasted 2 years and 4 pairs of the same sneakers, in red, green, yellow and grey. I got an email from the socks peope (Thorlos) asking me if I'd like to reorder the exact same order, I love them now too
posted by dirty lies at 11:57 AM on August 25, 2010 [8 favorites]
I tried truly random selection, carrying my D&D dice
There's an app for that.
posted by Artw at 12:00 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
There's an app for that.
posted by Artw at 12:00 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do I have to shop for the app? Do I have to go through some kind of "store" that sells "apps"? Fuck that :)
Also, I'll have a smart phone when my jobs forces one on me. And by forces I mean graciously buys one for me and lets me expense the data plan, which I will love and become addicted to in 3.5 seconds.
posted by dirty lies at 12:02 PM on August 25, 2010
Also, I'll have a smart phone when my jobs forces one on me. And by forces I mean graciously buys one for me and lets me expense the data plan, which I will love and become addicted to in 3.5 seconds.
posted by dirty lies at 12:02 PM on August 25, 2010
SO TJ's is German owned? Now I understand why the "jokes" in their flyer are not funny.
posted by Cranberry at 12:07 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by Cranberry at 12:07 PM on August 25, 2010
Oh, and by the way, it isn't an arm of Aldi's but they are both owned by the same guy.
The Aldi in Germany has nothing to do with the Aldi in America, and hasn't for 50 years. The Aldi in America is not owned by the same guy who owns Trader Joe's.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 12:07 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
The Aldi in Germany has nothing to do with the Aldi in America, and hasn't for 50 years. The Aldi in America is not owned by the same guy who owns Trader Joe's.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 12:07 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best juice hack: buy TJ's organic juice then dilute to 50% with water, since they're too strong anyway. Result is a buttload of organic juice for like $3.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that they never have sales.
But they do always have coffee samples for a quick pick-me-up.
And buckets of chocolate-covered EVERYTHING. Dangerous.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:08 PM on August 25, 2010
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that they never have sales.
But they do always have coffee samples for a quick pick-me-up.
And buckets of chocolate-covered EVERYTHING. Dangerous.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:08 PM on August 25, 2010
I wish we had one in town. A good source for when I need to quiet the ginger monkey on my back.
posted by Samizdata at 12:10 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by Samizdata at 12:10 PM on August 25, 2010
"People are worried they'll regret the choice they made,"
While I don't want to marginalize people with issues... Who shops this way? I buy stuff that I like. I never have buyers remorse about the brand of peanut butter that I purchase. Are there people in stores, frozen in fear because they might choose the wrong food?
posted by Splunge at 12:11 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
While I don't want to marginalize people with issues... Who shops this way? I buy stuff that I like. I never have buyers remorse about the brand of peanut butter that I purchase. Are there people in stores, frozen in fear because they might choose the wrong food?
posted by Splunge at 12:11 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
TJ's makes money because their business model is unbeatable: they sell stuff that's cheap-but-good, and not much else. You just can't beat getting good whole-bean coffee for $2.99 a pound, or organic half-and-half for $1.50, or a huge bar of great dark chocolate for $2, or decent wine for $3... and because everything else is so cheap, you just might stop by the spirits section (conveniently placed near the registers, of course) and pick up a nice bottle of something expensive.
Question: if Trader Joe's stocks mostly private label peanut butter, how are they getting "deep discounts" on the stuff? Deep compared to what? Is private label peanut butter cheaper at Trader Joe's than the other stuff at a Costco?
I'd say it's about the same -- a double-sized jar of almond butter (can't speak for the peanut) is $8 at Costco, and a normal-sized jar is about $4 at Trader Joe's (or $5-$6 anywhere else). But again, TJ's isn't even trying to compete with the cheap-o stuff. You can probably get a quadruple-or-quintuple-sized jar of Jiffy peanut butter at Costco for $8... which is why TJ's doesn't carry Jiffy, or anything which could possibly be confused for Jiffy.
As for how they're getting deep discounts on the stuff, it's obvious: they stock someone else's brand, and if it becomes a TJ's staple, they contact the owners and arrange to sell it for less under the TJ's brand. They did this with beer: for a while they were selling a ton of Gordon Biersch microbrews, and now they're selling what looks suspiciously like the exact same thing in a TJ's-branded bottle, for $2 or $3 less per six-pack.
posted by vorfeed at 12:12 PM on August 25, 2010
Question: if Trader Joe's stocks mostly private label peanut butter, how are they getting "deep discounts" on the stuff? Deep compared to what? Is private label peanut butter cheaper at Trader Joe's than the other stuff at a Costco?
I'd say it's about the same -- a double-sized jar of almond butter (can't speak for the peanut) is $8 at Costco, and a normal-sized jar is about $4 at Trader Joe's (or $5-$6 anywhere else). But again, TJ's isn't even trying to compete with the cheap-o stuff. You can probably get a quadruple-or-quintuple-sized jar of Jiffy peanut butter at Costco for $8... which is why TJ's doesn't carry Jiffy, or anything which could possibly be confused for Jiffy.
As for how they're getting deep discounts on the stuff, it's obvious: they stock someone else's brand, and if it becomes a TJ's staple, they contact the owners and arrange to sell it for less under the TJ's brand. They did this with beer: for a while they were selling a ton of Gordon Biersch microbrews, and now they're selling what looks suspiciously like the exact same thing in a TJ's-branded bottle, for $2 or $3 less per six-pack.
posted by vorfeed at 12:12 PM on August 25, 2010
One day, I will go on a tour of all the Trader Joe's in America.
On this tour, I will find the mysterious Trader Joe's that has these mysterious low prices, aisles you can walk through and happy, friendly cashiers.
Because it sure as heck isn't the store by me.
I do like their flyer though, it's fun.
posted by madajb at 12:16 PM on August 25, 2010
On this tour, I will find the mysterious Trader Joe's that has these mysterious low prices, aisles you can walk through and happy, friendly cashiers.
Because it sure as heck isn't the store by me.
I do like their flyer though, it's fun.
posted by madajb at 12:16 PM on August 25, 2010
They have the best set of choices of pre-made gluten free stuff around - great for convenience and not budget breaking in our wheat-free household. I can't do all my shopping there but once or twice a month is about perfect.
posted by leslies at 12:18 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by leslies at 12:18 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I could always count on going in there and getting a big bag of macadamia nuts for what seemed to be pennies on the dollar. I love TJs ....
... just as much as I hate the usual grocery stores, which do fuckass things like have a huge advertised sale on the 1.5L catsup at $1.89... while the regular price 1L catsup is $1.19. Guess which shelf slot was empty. Yes, customers are stupid, but taking advantage of that stupidity is just more of that fucking sick corporate bullshit.
Never saw that kind of douchebaggery at TJs.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:23 PM on August 25, 2010
... just as much as I hate the usual grocery stores, which do fuckass things like have a huge advertised sale on the 1.5L catsup at $1.89... while the regular price 1L catsup is $1.19. Guess which shelf slot was empty. Yes, customers are stupid, but taking advantage of that stupidity is just more of that fucking sick corporate bullshit.
Never saw that kind of douchebaggery at TJs.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:23 PM on August 25, 2010
So....when the hell are they going to open a store up here in Canadia? I feel cheated every time someone mentions this mecca of markets and their vast selection of ambrosial goods.
posted by Go Banana at 12:24 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by Go Banana at 12:24 PM on August 25, 2010
Much like kobayashi, this has also been my experience at Trader Joe's. I seem to get jostled and bumped into more, and a larger percentage of folks seem to leave their unattended carts blocking either aisles or displays while they wander around elsewhere. However, I must give serious props to Aldi's, however. There are no chain grocery stores within the Detroit city limits, but Aldi's has maintained stores in somewhat dodgy locations just north of the Eight Mile Road border for some 15 years or more - areas where no other retailer dares. And unlike the independent, smaller grocery stores found in many higher crime areas, Aldi's always had fresh produce and a wide selection of each item (more than the traditional one brand of soup in three varieties, for example). When I was without a vehicle for a time while I lived in Detroit, Aldi's was the only reason I was still able to do some traditional weekly grocery shopping and get the all stuff I was used to buying at Kroger's in St. Clair Shores when I still had a car. Whether by design or accident, the two Eight Mile Aldi's were both very near corners with bus stops, making them far more accessible to us public transit shoppers.
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:32 PM on August 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:32 PM on August 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
Must shop at Costco more, since they're battling Washington's stupid ass liquor laws.
God, I hope Pennsylvania is next.
posted by palliser at 12:33 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
God, I hope Pennsylvania is next.
posted by palliser at 12:33 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Sounds like a nice place to shop. Too bad we don't have them in Germany.
posted by _Lasar at 12:33 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by _Lasar at 12:33 PM on August 25, 2010
I encountered my first Blue Book Law experience at Trader Joe's in New Jersey. As a California transplant, I picked up my TJ Pinot Noir one Sunday morning, only to have the checker make my put it back. I was so stunned. I kept looking around, saying "I'm NOT GOING TO CHURCH !" To everyone. They all kept laughing.
During the grocery strike here in Los Angeles, a lot of strangers who shop at larger chains were pleasantly surprised by the Trader Joe's price differential.
Large chain stores have become a really unpleasant bully market experience.
posted by effluvia at 12:36 PM on August 25, 2010
During the grocery strike here in Los Angeles, a lot of strangers who shop at larger chains were pleasantly surprised by the Trader Joe's price differential.
Large chain stores have become a really unpleasant bully market experience.
posted by effluvia at 12:36 PM on August 25, 2010
I enjoy Kyle Kinane's take on the real secret of Trader Joe's (maybe NSFW).
posted by Bookhouse at 12:38 PM on August 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by Bookhouse at 12:38 PM on August 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
We're getting a Trader Joe's. For some reason my girlfriend is excited by this. So I did my usual and wrote them a letter to see if I could get us in early or get the VIP treatment of something.
I was basically told to wait in line like everyone else, but they did send me these pins.
Why we want to go there: If I Made a Commercial for Trader Joe's.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:42 PM on August 25, 2010
I was basically told to wait in line like everyone else, but they did send me these pins.
Why we want to go there: If I Made a Commercial for Trader Joe's.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:42 PM on August 25, 2010
The Aldi in Germany has nothing to do with the Aldi in America, and hasn't for 50 years.
uh no that's wrong. The Albrecht brothers split the business into Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud within Germany. One Albrecht owns Aldi in the US the other Albrecht owns TJ's. So while Aldi and TJ's are exactly related they're cousins, and both their parents have stores in Germany.
Nord owns TJ's
Sud owns Aldi US
posted by JPD at 12:50 PM on August 25, 2010
uh no that's wrong. The Albrecht brothers split the business into Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud within Germany. One Albrecht owns Aldi in the US the other Albrecht owns TJ's. So while Aldi and TJ's are exactly related they're cousins, and both their parents have stores in Germany.
Nord owns TJ's
Sud owns Aldi US
posted by JPD at 12:50 PM on August 25, 2010
"Shopping becomes an adventure that takes them into a store whose characteristics are often in opposition to those of traditional markets"
They should partner up with Disney and make grocery stores into theme parks with amazing grocery-oriented thrill rides. Get in the Giant Salad Spinner and be flung around at 400 rpm in a cloud of romaine, spinach and green peppers. Bring your shopping bag and catch what you can in mid-flight.
posted by storybored at 12:55 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
They should partner up with Disney and make grocery stores into theme parks with amazing grocery-oriented thrill rides. Get in the Giant Salad Spinner and be flung around at 400 rpm in a cloud of romaine, spinach and green peppers. Bring your shopping bag and catch what you can in mid-flight.
posted by storybored at 12:55 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Question: if Trader Joe's stocks mostly private label peanut butter, how are they getting "deep discounts" on the stuff? Deep compared to what? Is private label peanut butter cheaper at Trader Joe's than the other stuff at a Costco?
In my experience, the prices for things at Costco are slightly lower than at Trader Joe's, which are slightly lower than at Whole Foods -- around here, a bottle of Moet & Chandon White Star is $45 at Whole Foods, $40 at Trader Joe's, and $35 at Costco.
posted by Comrade_robot at 12:56 PM on August 25, 2010
In my experience, the prices for things at Costco are slightly lower than at Trader Joe's, which are slightly lower than at Whole Foods -- around here, a bottle of Moet & Chandon White Star is $45 at Whole Foods, $40 at Trader Joe's, and $35 at Costco.
posted by Comrade_robot at 12:56 PM on August 25, 2010
One of my most vivid childhood memories was my 13th birthday when my dad took me to Santa Barbara. For lunch we went over to TJ's and my dad gave me a fiver and said I could get whatever I wanted. So what did I buy?
A big-ass block of chocolate. Best. Lunch. EVER.
posted by jnrussell at 12:59 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
A big-ass block of chocolate. Best. Lunch. EVER.
posted by jnrussell at 12:59 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I always thought that the beauty of Trader Joe's is that they're constantly bringing in new products and cycling out old ones. There is a tight core of beloved top-sellers, but be prepared for and short term favorites to disappear. I was very sad the day that my old standby, chicken salad with currants, just wasn't there.
♫ It's the bottled water, that they keep by the door
It's your favorite stuff, they don't have any more. ♫
posted by Mayor West at 1:19 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
♫ It's the bottled water, that they keep by the door
It's your favorite stuff, they don't have any more. ♫
posted by Mayor West at 1:19 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
The only thing I don't like about TJ is having to have a conversation with the check-out person. Other than that, it's fine.
posted by ob at 1:21 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by ob at 1:21 PM on August 25, 2010
Trader Joe's: Alcohol and Little Things to Eat While Drinking.
Smart, I guess. Beer, wine, and booze have a high markup, long shelf life, and are perennially popular.
posted by squalor at 1:23 PM on August 25, 2010
Smart, I guess. Beer, wine, and booze have a high markup, long shelf life, and are perennially popular.
posted by squalor at 1:23 PM on August 25, 2010
uh no that's wrong. The Albrecht brothers split the business into Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud within Germany. One Albrecht owns Aldi in the US the other Albrecht owns TJ's. So while Aldi and TJ's are exactly related they're cousins, and both their parents have stores in Germany.
Sorry, I meant to say that the Aldi in America has nothing to do with Trader Joe's. The companies split a half century ago. One of the brothers is dead; the other said to be, um, not all there and very near death. In fifty years, the companies haven't shared management, operations or anything, so with one brother gone and the other fundamentally gone, it's a pretty thin thread that would tie Aldi America to Trader Joe's in any way.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 1:24 PM on August 25, 2010
Sorry, I meant to say that the Aldi in America has nothing to do with Trader Joe's. The companies split a half century ago. One of the brothers is dead; the other said to be, um, not all there and very near death. In fifty years, the companies haven't shared management, operations or anything, so with one brother gone and the other fundamentally gone, it's a pretty thin thread that would tie Aldi America to Trader Joe's in any way.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 1:24 PM on August 25, 2010
I don't understand why none of the normal snack companies have made pretzel chips. I drive 30 miles each way to TJ's to get those.
posted by smackfu at 1:27 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by smackfu at 1:27 PM on August 25, 2010
I always thought that the beauty of Trader Joe's is that they're constantly bringing in new products and cycling out old ones. There is a tight core of beloved top-sellers, but be prepared for and short term favorites to disappear.
It may be my imagination, but I think the introduction of new items is not as frequent as it used to be.
I started shopping there when they opened their first store in Long Beach-- early 80's? It was in a tiny space. TINY!!!! So tiny that they left no room for lines at the checkout and so if you were standing in line waiting to checkout, the line stretched into one of the food aisles. The aisles were barely big enough for a single cart and it was utter madness on Saturday afternoons. They moved into a bigger space, and then into another even bigger space which is still there in Marina Pacifica.
Actually my mom lives in a sweet spot because they opened up a second store close by so she now has 2 TJ's five minutes away from her house.
And after living here in NC for years with no TJ, I was v. happy when they opened up one 20 mi. away in Cary, and now they have opened another 15 mi. away in Raleigh. Of course they can't sell hard liquor :(
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 1:32 PM on August 25, 2010
It may be my imagination, but I think the introduction of new items is not as frequent as it used to be.
I started shopping there when they opened their first store in Long Beach-- early 80's? It was in a tiny space. TINY!!!! So tiny that they left no room for lines at the checkout and so if you were standing in line waiting to checkout, the line stretched into one of the food aisles. The aisles were barely big enough for a single cart and it was utter madness on Saturday afternoons. They moved into a bigger space, and then into another even bigger space which is still there in Marina Pacifica.
Actually my mom lives in a sweet spot because they opened up a second store close by so she now has 2 TJ's five minutes away from her house.
And after living here in NC for years with no TJ, I was v. happy when they opened up one 20 mi. away in Cary, and now they have opened another 15 mi. away in Raleigh. Of course they can't sell hard liquor :(
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 1:32 PM on August 25, 2010
As for how they're getting deep discounts on the stuff, it's obvious: they stock someone else's brand, and if it becomes a TJ's staple, they contact the owners and arrange to sell it for less under the TJ's brand.
Oh yeah. Every year they have "Trader Joe's Vintage Ale," which is an Ale-on-Lees made for them by Unibroue. Same great quality, but about $2 cheaper per bottle.
It's kind of funny to me that the business world's so fucked up that they can get a discount from companies just by "hey guys, can we get a discount? We actually pay on time!"
posted by explosion at 1:34 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah. Every year they have "Trader Joe's Vintage Ale," which is an Ale-on-Lees made for them by Unibroue. Same great quality, but about $2 cheaper per bottle.
It's kind of funny to me that the business world's so fucked up that they can get a discount from companies just by "hey guys, can we get a discount? We actually pay on time!"
posted by explosion at 1:34 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
it's a pretty thin thread that would tie Aldi America to Trader Joe's in any way.
indeed, but that's not what you said. You said TJ's and Aldi in Germany had no relationship, and well that's wrong.
posted by JPD at 1:36 PM on August 25, 2010
indeed, but that's not what you said. You said TJ's and Aldi in Germany had no relationship, and well that's wrong.
posted by JPD at 1:36 PM on August 25, 2010
or decent wine for $3
I'm sorry, but no.
I'm sorry, but yes. It's probably the best three dollar wine you'd be able to find. If you're not in the market for 3-dollar wines, they've got bottles for $6, $10, or more.
They've also got (or had) a beer that came $3 per six-pack. Called Red Oval (and nicknamed by my friends and I "Red Awful"), it was hardly good, but all the same better than it had any right to be at $0.50/can.
posted by explosion at 1:38 PM on August 25, 2010
I'm sorry, but no.
I'm sorry, but yes. It's probably the best three dollar wine you'd be able to find. If you're not in the market for 3-dollar wines, they've got bottles for $6, $10, or more.
They've also got (or had) a beer that came $3 per six-pack. Called Red Oval (and nicknamed by my friends and I "Red Awful"), it was hardly good, but all the same better than it had any right to be at $0.50/can.
posted by explosion at 1:38 PM on August 25, 2010
I've shopped at TJ's since my college days, 35+ years ago. It was never a place to buy everything on your list, but what it has is reliably good and always the best price or close to it. But every TJ's I have ever shopped at was TOO POPULAR. Never adequate parking (the cars wandering the lot searching for spaces must have a horrendous carbon footprint), crowded aisles (but here in California, the demeanor of the crowds have always been closer to the laid-back California stereotype than most places), long lines at the checkouts BUT those lines moved fast and every one was OPEN (and the cashiers were noticeably friendlier than anyplace else), so the experience evened out. And the mix of good quality and low price was always worth the trouble.
Thinking of my prime list of things that were better, cheaper or both at TJ's than anywhere else: Cheese (what first won me over), frozen munchies (taquitos, egg rolls, etc), salsa and guacamole (ole!), non-everyday sauces and condiments, BANANAS (sold for 19 cents each for seemingly decades), shrimp (one of their few shortfalls in the social responsibility department is selling non-sustainable seafood, they're finally working on it now, but who else had 60 count shrimp under $6 a pound!), breads (better-than-most sourdough under $2 a loaf), tortillas, onions, VITAMINS! Never got into either their "organics" or wines, which are supposed to both be major features, but I never needed to.
In my 20's, I found a good time to minimize the crowds was early Saturday evening (everybody who was doing entertaining already had gotten what they needed), so I ended up associating the store with Prairie Home Companion on the car radio. Which is not so far-fetched. I can see a TJ's store opening in Lake Wobegon and doing well, although the Young Minnesotans would always seem awkward in hawaiian shirts.
And when I was working in radio in the late 70s, Original Trader Joe was still doing their radio commercials; no jingles, no effects, just a rather bland voice enthusiastically explaining about the latest wine or produce discovery. And their flyers used to be funnier, with more Victorian clip art often unrelated to the stuff being sold; I was AMAZED when the creator of Wondermark said he had NEVER seen the TJs ads before starting the comic, because the old flyers were almost as funny! (They really should hire him to bring back the funny)
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:44 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Thinking of my prime list of things that were better, cheaper or both at TJ's than anywhere else: Cheese (what first won me over), frozen munchies (taquitos, egg rolls, etc), salsa and guacamole (ole!), non-everyday sauces and condiments, BANANAS (sold for 19 cents each for seemingly decades), shrimp (one of their few shortfalls in the social responsibility department is selling non-sustainable seafood, they're finally working on it now, but who else had 60 count shrimp under $6 a pound!), breads (better-than-most sourdough under $2 a loaf), tortillas, onions, VITAMINS! Never got into either their "organics" or wines, which are supposed to both be major features, but I never needed to.
In my 20's, I found a good time to minimize the crowds was early Saturday evening (everybody who was doing entertaining already had gotten what they needed), so I ended up associating the store with Prairie Home Companion on the car radio. Which is not so far-fetched. I can see a TJ's store opening in Lake Wobegon and doing well, although the Young Minnesotans would always seem awkward in hawaiian shirts.
And when I was working in radio in the late 70s, Original Trader Joe was still doing their radio commercials; no jingles, no effects, just a rather bland voice enthusiastically explaining about the latest wine or produce discovery. And their flyers used to be funnier, with more Victorian clip art often unrelated to the stuff being sold; I was AMAZED when the creator of Wondermark said he had NEVER seen the TJs ads before starting the comic, because the old flyers were almost as funny! (They really should hire him to bring back the funny)
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:44 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
I love their chocolate croissants. You pull them out of the freezer and through them on a cookie tray in the oven the night before. You set the oven timer for just before you wake up in the morning. Overnight, the croissants thaw and the dough rises. When you crawl out of bed, stumbling and bleary, there is amazing flaky chocolaty goodness waiting for you in the oven ready for you.
Fortunately, TJ's is pretty far away from here- some issue with New Hampshire's liquor laws means the closest one is 40 minutes down the road, so we can't buy them too often (or I'd be chased by captain ahab when I swim).
posted by jenkinsEar at 1:45 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Fortunately, TJ's is pretty far away from here- some issue with New Hampshire's liquor laws means the closest one is 40 minutes down the road, so we can't buy them too often (or I'd be chased by captain ahab when I swim).
posted by jenkinsEar at 1:45 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
or decent wine for $3
Not in my state. TJ's is sadly wine free here.
posted by octothorpe at 1:45 PM on August 25, 2010
Not in my state. TJ's is sadly wine free here.
posted by octothorpe at 1:45 PM on August 25, 2010
This would explain why I walked into an Aldi here in Berlin and saw Trader Joe's dipping sauces. The cultural disorientation nearly knocked me off my feet.
posted by LMGM at 1:48 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by LMGM at 1:48 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
That's the secret behind 10 choices instead of 39, chavenet. They know who their market is and what their market is likely to ... like ... and they sell it to them. They don't need to bring in Skippy PB and Jiff PB Laura Scudder's PB buyers, too, if doing so screws up their supply strategy and their real estate strategy and so on.
posted by notyou at 1:53 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by notyou at 1:53 PM on August 25, 2010
They've also got (or had) a beer that came $3 per six-pack. Called Red Oval (and nicknamed by my friends and I "Red Awful"), it was hardly good, but all the same better than it had any right to be at $0.50/can.
Our local TJ's just started carrying beer in the last month or two, and I tried the Simpler Times Pilsner (all-malt! How bad can it be?). It's fucking awful, even at the price ($4 a sixer, here). I really can't believe that the Red Oval, which I noticed was shelved next to the Red Stripe that it's trying to emulate, could possibly be any better.
They do have a nice selection for a small place, though, and will sell singles, which is a huge plus.
posted by uncleozzy at 2:01 PM on August 25, 2010
Our local TJ's just started carrying beer in the last month or two, and I tried the Simpler Times Pilsner (all-malt! How bad can it be?). It's fucking awful, even at the price ($4 a sixer, here). I really can't believe that the Red Oval, which I noticed was shelved next to the Red Stripe that it's trying to emulate, could possibly be any better.
They do have a nice selection for a small place, though, and will sell singles, which is a huge plus.
posted by uncleozzy at 2:01 PM on August 25, 2010
The staff is very cool here in Portland, and just as importantly they really HUSTLE to keep the lines short and get you out quickly. Not pissed off, "damn it I don't want to get fired", but they make it their mission.
Reading here that the staff gets $40-60K as checkers makes that understandable, and makes me love the store even more. No forced chit chat either.
posted by msalt at 2:12 PM on August 25, 2010
Reading here that the staff gets $40-60K as checkers makes that understandable, and makes me love the store even more. No forced chit chat either.
posted by msalt at 2:12 PM on August 25, 2010
cheap wine
Forget the two buck Chuck. It's roulette -- they bottled overages from big wineries. I don't have high standards but it's often below them anyway.
That said, they have amazingly good wines for under $4, under $6 and under $10. I'd recommend Vin~as Chilenas for the first category, Black Mountain for the second, and Virtjs for the third.
posted by msalt at 2:13 PM on August 25, 2010
Forget the two buck Chuck. It's roulette -- they bottled overages from big wineries. I don't have high standards but it's often below them anyway.
That said, they have amazingly good wines for under $4, under $6 and under $10. I'd recommend Vin~as Chilenas for the first category, Black Mountain for the second, and Virtjs for the third.
posted by msalt at 2:13 PM on August 25, 2010
Not that I'm dissing Trader Joe's. I've only been in one once. And something tells me that the "biggest grocery chain in Germany" is probably 1/10th as evil as the smallest one in the US.
do you have some interesting dirt on Krogers? At least Bernard Kroger didn't fight for the Nazis like Karl Albrecht (founder of Aldi's). And Albertsons (second largest US supermarket) helped sell war bonds and sponsored scrap drives.
This site seems to list the largest supermarket chains. Although I suppose you'd need to list target and wallmart now. I'm not sure where they'd rank.
posted by delmoi at 2:30 PM on August 25, 2010
do you have some interesting dirt on Krogers? At least Bernard Kroger didn't fight for the Nazis like Karl Albrecht (founder of Aldi's). And Albertsons (second largest US supermarket) helped sell war bonds and sponsored scrap drives.
This site seems to list the largest supermarket chains. Although I suppose you'd need to list target and wallmart now. I'm not sure where they'd rank.
posted by delmoi at 2:30 PM on August 25, 2010
Splunge: Are there people in stores, frozen in fear because they might choose the wrong food?
Yes.
posted by headnsouth at 2:55 PM on August 25, 2010
Yes.
posted by headnsouth at 2:55 PM on August 25, 2010
... Germany's ultra-private Albrecht family...
Incidentally, the reason for their secrecy is that one of the Albrecht brothers was kidnapped about 30 years ago and held for several weeks in a closet for a multimillion ransom.
Here's another fun fact: the surviving Albrecht brother is among the 10 richest people in the entire world and their combined wealth would have put them at number 4 or 5. They started by taking over their mother's mom-and-pop store in the 50's.
posted by sour cream at 3:49 PM on August 25, 2010
Incidentally, the reason for their secrecy is that one of the Albrecht brothers was kidnapped about 30 years ago and held for several weeks in a closet for a multimillion ransom.
Here's another fun fact: the surviving Albrecht brother is among the 10 richest people in the entire world and their combined wealth would have put them at number 4 or 5. They started by taking over their mother's mom-and-pop store in the 50's.
posted by sour cream at 3:49 PM on August 25, 2010
I'm glad to know that it's not just that I'm getting old and cranky, or that I can't seem to pick the time that my local TJ's isn't full of young grad-studenty couples and their crying children. Seriously, I hear one full-on tantrum every time I'm there. Otherwise, I love it.
I'm particularly impressed that they have a high-quality dog food. If you've ever been particular about off-the-shelf dog food, you know it's almost impossible to find a good one at a grocery store. But their Premium Lamb & Rice kibble does the trick, and my dog actually likes it.
(Q. Does anybody happen to know why TJ's chocolate is so bitter? I like dark chocolate, but their chocolates have a note that I just can't deal with.)
posted by Countess Elena at 3:51 PM on August 25, 2010
I'm particularly impressed that they have a high-quality dog food. If you've ever been particular about off-the-shelf dog food, you know it's almost impossible to find a good one at a grocery store. But their Premium Lamb & Rice kibble does the trick, and my dog actually likes it.
(Q. Does anybody happen to know why TJ's chocolate is so bitter? I like dark chocolate, but their chocolates have a note that I just can't deal with.)
posted by Countess Elena at 3:51 PM on August 25, 2010
the one on Arroyo Parkway? I always understood that the TJ's on Mission in South Pasadena was the first.
I've been trying to remember for years now. My private viola teacher used to shop at the South Pas store and buy raw ingredients to make food for her beloved cats.
I've lived in WA for almost 18 yrs now, and finally a TJ opened in my town last year...on the other side of town, where I almost never go. :(
Also: Lucky Boy! Another thing I've been trying to remember for ages. Thanks!
posted by epersonae at 4:05 PM on August 25, 2010
I've been trying to remember for years now. My private viola teacher used to shop at the South Pas store and buy raw ingredients to make food for her beloved cats.
I've lived in WA for almost 18 yrs now, and finally a TJ opened in my town last year...on the other side of town, where I almost never go. :(
Also: Lucky Boy! Another thing I've been trying to remember for ages. Thanks!
posted by epersonae at 4:05 PM on August 25, 2010
TJs blue Mission Street Pale Ale FTW (even Simpler Times isn't bad.)
posted by k8t at 4:17 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by k8t at 4:17 PM on August 25, 2010
Interesting, I've never seen TJ brand beer at my local store. Just micro-brews and a few Belgian choices. (I haven't looked recently though because their prices weren't especially good and it was a long way to go for beer.)
We don't have wine at all, because you can only sell beer in CT supermarkets.
posted by smackfu at 4:46 PM on August 25, 2010
We don't have wine at all, because you can only sell beer in CT supermarkets.
posted by smackfu at 4:46 PM on August 25, 2010
TJs blue Mission Street Pale Ale FTW
I actually just drank one with dinner. Pretty damn good, although it got a bit too floral for me as it warmed up. But overall, yeah, that one's a winner. I'd buy a whole sixer of it.
posted by uncleozzy at 4:52 PM on August 25, 2010
I actually just drank one with dinner. Pretty damn good, although it got a bit too floral for me as it warmed up. But overall, yeah, that one's a winner. I'd buy a whole sixer of it.
posted by uncleozzy at 4:52 PM on August 25, 2010
There's a dive bar about a block away from where I work, where I go for an after work belt. Almost every time I go there, sitting at the bar drinking a lunch of Jameson & a beer chaser is a supervisor from a nearby TJ's. She never wants to talk about her job. Many of her co-workers are regulars, too. Call it what you want to.
posted by jonmc at 5:02 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by jonmc at 5:02 PM on August 25, 2010
epersonae, you must have went to Blair, it's about a stone's throw from where I live. And damn...Lucky Boy! Hmmm...maybe it's about time for a Pasadena meetup...
posted by malocchio at 5:41 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by malocchio at 5:41 PM on August 25, 2010
Jordan Morris of Jordan Jesse Go! fame once mentioned on the podcast how annoying he found it that the cashiers were "encouraged" to comment on at least one item you're purchasing in every transaction. Now I cannot stop noticing this and it makes me absolutely crazy. They do it every time!
This kind of makes me want to go buy just one item that's awkward to chitchat about and see how they handle it. I wonder if they sell tampons...
posted by polymath at 6:15 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
This kind of makes me want to go buy just one item that's awkward to chitchat about and see how they handle it. I wonder if they sell tampons...
posted by polymath at 6:15 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
One of the many things I love about TJs is that it is small - I can get in and out of there with a cart full of groceries in 30 minutes or so. Maybe a bit longer if they've just rearranged things and my list isn't in the right order any more, or it's the holidays and they have new yummies that I have to check out.
It is one of my regular shopping stops; there are definitely things that I *only* buy at TJs, and we'll go without if they don't have it in stock right then. Like the Roasted Garlic Hummus - it's the only kind my kids will eat, so I don't bother buying hummus anywhere else. But when I do get it, it is devoured. I also like that they stock a lot of HFCS-free items, and that the labels are clear about gluten, nuts, and other common allergens.
Of course, I'm also one of those grad-student-looking folks (though not an actual grad student) who usually has a kid or two in tow. I do agree with the suggestions to shop there early in the day, preferably on a weekday, as evenings and weekends are insane, at least at the TJs I frequent.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 6:28 PM on August 25, 2010
It is one of my regular shopping stops; there are definitely things that I *only* buy at TJs, and we'll go without if they don't have it in stock right then. Like the Roasted Garlic Hummus - it's the only kind my kids will eat, so I don't bother buying hummus anywhere else. But when I do get it, it is devoured. I also like that they stock a lot of HFCS-free items, and that the labels are clear about gluten, nuts, and other common allergens.
Of course, I'm also one of those grad-student-looking folks (though not an actual grad student) who usually has a kid or two in tow. I do agree with the suggestions to shop there early in the day, preferably on a weekday, as evenings and weekends are insane, at least at the TJs I frequent.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 6:28 PM on August 25, 2010
The only negative to Trader Joe's that I've seen is that there isn't one in every town! (And the crowds.. but maybe if there were more TJ's, or if other stores adopted TJ's model, they would be less congested)
posted by Mael Oui at 7:19 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by Mael Oui at 7:19 PM on August 25, 2010
msalt, where did you read that checkers earn $40-60k per year? That number seems very very strange. I've known a lot of people (a dozen plus) who work or have worked for TJs and they do pay better than most regular grocery stores and they generally have better raises too, but in my experience, the majority of crewmembers don't make anywhere close to the bottom of that range.
Surely it's possible that a crewmember could earn up to $60k, but they will (a) have worked there for a long long time, (b) have a wide range of extra responsibilities besides the normal stocking and cashiering and (c) be in a store that is in a large metropolitan area -- a very exceptional person. I mean seriously, $40k is ~$20/hr. and $60k is ~$30/hr, do you really think that everybody who's checking you out at TJs is earning $20 or more per hour? For what it's worth, the person I knew who once worked at the Union Square TJs in NYC (which I'd assume is among their highest paid areas) only earned about $35k/year, I think.
posted by Michael M. Tripp at 7:34 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Surely it's possible that a crewmember could earn up to $60k, but they will (a) have worked there for a long long time, (b) have a wide range of extra responsibilities besides the normal stocking and cashiering and (c) be in a store that is in a large metropolitan area -- a very exceptional person. I mean seriously, $40k is ~$20/hr. and $60k is ~$30/hr, do you really think that everybody who's checking you out at TJs is earning $20 or more per hour? For what it's worth, the person I knew who once worked at the Union Square TJs in NYC (which I'd assume is among their highest paid areas) only earned about $35k/year, I think.
posted by Michael M. Tripp at 7:34 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
when anyone in a crowd mentions Trader Joes, my wife quickly blurts out loud "two buck chuck" in an effort to see who is a real shopper or a Trader
Joes wannabe shopper. if one looks confused by the term "two buck chuck" everyone knows they don't shop at Traders Joes.
posted by tustinrick at 8:00 PM on August 25, 2010
Joes wannabe shopper. if one looks confused by the term "two buck chuck" everyone knows they don't shop at Traders Joes.
posted by tustinrick at 8:00 PM on August 25, 2010
wannabe Trader Joe's shopper? Really?
posted by jonmc at 8:11 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by jonmc at 8:11 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
how annoying he found it that the cashiers were "encouraged" to comment on at least one item you're purchasing in every transaction. Now I cannot stop noticing this and it makes me absolutely crazy.
AAAAHHHGGGGHHH! IT'S TOTALLY TRUE! Last visit, it was the mustard.
Cashier: "Oh, I love this mustard."
Me: "Yeah, it's really great."
Plain. Yellow. Mustard.
You go straight to hell, something something. You've ruined Trader Joe's for me.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:24 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
AAAAHHHGGGGHHH! IT'S TOTALLY TRUE! Last visit, it was the mustard.
Cashier: "Oh, I love this mustard."
Me: "Yeah, it's really great."
Plain. Yellow. Mustard.
You go straight to hell, something something. You've ruined Trader Joe's for me.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:24 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Dear Trader Joe's,
You are an iconoclastic, savvy, trendy business with eclectic tastes in offerings, therefore Austin, TX wants one. Please oblige.
Sincerely,
spamguy
posted by spamguy at 8:47 PM on August 25, 2010
You are an iconoclastic, savvy, trendy business with eclectic tastes in offerings, therefore Austin, TX wants one. Please oblige.
Sincerely,
spamguy
posted by spamguy at 8:47 PM on August 25, 2010
malocchio, yep, Blair class of '92, grew up in Altadena. :) Haven't lived there since then, tho. I didn't realize Lucky Boy was still around. Good to hear.
posted by epersonae at 8:53 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by epersonae at 8:53 PM on August 25, 2010
A company I worked for was approached by TJ's to make a private label good. We demurred because we didn't want it getting out that our product (Which was a smidge on the pricey side) could be had for less at TJ's.
TJ's can nab a deep discount because in a lot of the grocery business what happens is this:
You cough $100 to make 100 units of product x.
Now you wait. Maybe Krogers calls and they'll take 10 units. Whole Foods will take another 20. You've still got $70/70 unites sitting around waiting to be bought- Does that make sense? You're out of cash until they sell.
But TJ's can ring you up and say "Make 500 of unit x, here's a check for all 500". So you cut them a discount both for buying in bulk and for saving you the cash flow headaches.
posted by GilloD at 8:59 PM on August 25, 2010
TJ's can nab a deep discount because in a lot of the grocery business what happens is this:
You cough $100 to make 100 units of product x.
Now you wait. Maybe Krogers calls and they'll take 10 units. Whole Foods will take another 20. You've still got $70/70 unites sitting around waiting to be bought- Does that make sense? You're out of cash until they sell.
But TJ's can ring you up and say "Make 500 of unit x, here's a check for all 500". So you cut them a discount both for buying in bulk and for saving you the cash flow headaches.
posted by GilloD at 8:59 PM on August 25, 2010
Also, it's standard procedure at the doll-house-sized TJ's in Union Square to go as a pair. One person gets on line immediately, the other goes shopping. It is never not a madhouse. And I went every week.
posted by GilloD at 9:02 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by GilloD at 9:02 PM on August 25, 2010
Can Trader Joe's maintain that kind of charm as it expands? Former employees worry that the company is losing its entrepreneurial zeal and that CEO Dan Bane has made the place more corporate, adding more senior vice presidents, and creating new titles such as product developer. At headquarters Bane encourages employees to wear Hawaiian shirts and name tags. But putting systems in place isn't necessarily a bad thing. "You have to grow up at some point," says a former employee.Statements like that always irk me. How is being less corporate somehow not "grown up"? That kind of attitude is awfully demeaning to companies with cultures that are tolerable to human beings.
posted by XerxesQados at 9:51 PM on August 25, 2010
I so wish I could link to the Trader Joe's employee training video parody that was so endearing and horrifying at the same time, but it was pulled from Youtube.
posted by zippy at 10:39 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by zippy at 10:39 PM on August 25, 2010
if one looks confused by the term "two buck chuck" everyone knows they don't shop at Traders Joes.
Or haven't read a newspaper in the past 3 years.
I mean, seriously, we didn't have a Trader Joe's within a 1000 miles of us and we still got news stories about that stuff.
posted by madajb at 3:20 AM on August 26, 2010
Or haven't read a newspaper in the past 3 years.
I mean, seriously, we didn't have a Trader Joe's within a 1000 miles of us and we still got news stories about that stuff.
posted by madajb at 3:20 AM on August 26, 2010
I've never been to Trader Joe's, but based on the article, it isn't very much at all like Aldi. Aldi and Lidl are weird places - some things are really, really good (chorizo, chocolate) some not so much (their houmous was the only pot I have ever failed to finish, and their garlic bread isn't nice). And they don't quite carry enough for someone to do a whole weekly shop. Oh, and it's hte least hipstery place in the world.
posted by mippy at 8:52 AM on August 26, 2010
posted by mippy at 8:52 AM on August 26, 2010
Now that I know they purposely make chit-chat with you at the register, I'm going to be walking around the store trying to come up with zippy comments about every item I purchase. It's going to take me ten times as long to shop, dammit.
posted by orme at 8:55 AM on August 26, 2010
posted by orme at 8:55 AM on August 26, 2010
TJ's secret to Red Oval beer--and formerly Mountain Crest was it? It looked like a Molson knockoff, replete with red maple leaf--is Minhas Craft Brewery of Monroe, Wisconsin, formerly the (well beloved by many midwesterners) Joseph Huber Brewing Co. Rhinelander, Huber, Berghoff's are a few of their brands. Apparently, Ravinder Minhas, founder of Mountain Crest in Calgary bought the Huber Brewery in Monroe.
No, they aren't top shelf beer, but a cold Hubie lager quenches the thirst at a pocket friendly price. Now the Red Oval cans at TJ's, it is too metallic for me in the can, but pured into a Pilsner glass, mmm-mm good.
posted by beelzbubba at 9:44 AM on August 26, 2010
No, they aren't top shelf beer, but a cold Hubie lager quenches the thirst at a pocket friendly price. Now the Red Oval cans at TJ's, it is too metallic for me in the can, but pured into a Pilsner glass, mmm-mm good.
posted by beelzbubba at 9:44 AM on August 26, 2010
Now that I know they are required to comment on my purchases, I won't be shopping there. I hate when clerks (and librarians) do that.
posted by DU at 9:49 AM on August 26, 2010
posted by DU at 9:49 AM on August 26, 2010
Mrs ozzy used to work at TJ's, and never mentioned anything about commenting on purchases. She seems annoyed, in fact, that every time we buy a ton of cat food (which is every time we're there) they ask how many cats we have. Maybe it's a new thing, or location-specific.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:59 AM on August 26, 2010
posted by uncleozzy at 9:59 AM on August 26, 2010
Doesn't beer seem like something with a huge mark-up, that you could pretty easily undercut by selling a store-brand version? I don't see why it even needs to be poor-quality.
posted by smackfu at 10:09 AM on August 26, 2010
posted by smackfu at 10:09 AM on August 26, 2010
My TJ's experiences used to be like .kobayashi.'s, with the crowds and the bumping and whatnot, but in recent years TJ's has gone on a real expansion streak, opening lots more stores and spreading the crowds out. I love my local TJ's, the staff seem happy to be there, not the forced cheerfulness-covering-up-the-grump that I see at my local Safeway.
Sometimes checkers comment on an item, but not always, and I've never had the banal "ooh mustard" type of comment. More like, when buying a Junior Monster Bone for the dog, it's "what kind of dog do you have?" which always seemed like a reasonable question, considering the Junior Monster Bone looks like it's from the femur of a bull or something.
I understand why they quit giving kids balloons, but man did that bum my son out for a while.
posted by ambrosia at 12:00 PM on August 26, 2010
Sometimes checkers comment on an item, but not always, and I've never had the banal "ooh mustard" type of comment. More like, when buying a Junior Monster Bone for the dog, it's "what kind of dog do you have?" which always seemed like a reasonable question, considering the Junior Monster Bone looks like it's from the femur of a bull or something.
I understand why they quit giving kids balloons, but man did that bum my son out for a while.
posted by ambrosia at 12:00 PM on August 26, 2010
The TJs comment I get most often is, "Boy, you sure must like spinach," because I will buy 10-20 bags at a time. My answer is, sure, I do, but it's not for me. Which usually gives them pause to regroup. And then we start on the whole conversation--I buy the spinach to make food for my dog: boneless, skinless chicken breast, kale, and spinach. So that gets into the "what kind of dog do you have" or "that sounds better than what I eat" or whatever. My dog's got exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and she doesn't care about TJ's policies, she probably doesn't even care whether they've got the best price.
posted by beelzbubba at 1:45 PM on August 26, 2010
posted by beelzbubba at 1:45 PM on August 26, 2010
DU, I went yesterday and got no questions at all about my grocery haul, so don't let that stop you.
posted by infinitewindow at 2:50 PM on August 26, 2010
posted by infinitewindow at 2:50 PM on August 26, 2010
They have the best set of choices of pre-made gluten free stuff around
Not where we live. The TJ in Seattle has everything processed in a facility that handles wheat. Must be a regional thing.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:23 PM on August 26, 2010
Not where we live. The TJ in Seattle has everything processed in a facility that handles wheat. Must be a regional thing.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:23 PM on August 26, 2010
We used to get GF buns from Trader Joes that toasted really well, perfect for grilled cheese and soup. I might write them a letter, definitely.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:49 PM on August 26, 2010
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:49 PM on August 26, 2010
msalt, where did you read that checkers earn $40-60k per year?
In the Fortune article posted here:
You can't buy engagement from employees, but the pay at Trader Joe's helps. Store managers, "captains" in Trader Joe's parlance can make in the low six figures, and full-time crew members can start in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. But on top of the pay, Trader Joe's annually contributes 15.4% of employees' gross income to tax-deferred retirement accounts.
posted by msalt at 11:12 AM on August 27, 2010
In the Fortune article posted here:
You can't buy engagement from employees, but the pay at Trader Joe's helps. Store managers, "captains" in Trader Joe's parlance can make in the low six figures, and full-time crew members can start in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. But on top of the pay, Trader Joe's annually contributes 15.4% of employees' gross income to tax-deferred retirement accounts.
posted by msalt at 11:12 AM on August 27, 2010
Trader Joes better start looking over their shoulder, as Whole Foods
markets are a high end type of Trader Joes. more room, better selection and much higher quality. they are expanding and taking a lot of business
from the smaller Trader Joes markets nearby.
posted by tustinrick at 5:23 PM on September 6, 2010
markets are a high end type of Trader Joes. more room, better selection and much higher quality. they are expanding and taking a lot of business
from the smaller Trader Joes markets nearby.
posted by tustinrick at 5:23 PM on September 6, 2010
We had an interesting chain of events in our town regarding Whole Foods, TJ's, and other local grocery merchants. Some of these things I assume are happening all over, but here, they all seem to be playing "can't we all just get along?" at least on the surface. Maybe if you work for one of these stores here in A2 you have a different perspective--but from the consumer POV, I think we all benefited.
Oh, there was one noted local casualty, at least for the North Side of Ann Arbor. The Southfield-based Jonna family came into town and opened a branch of their signature Merchant of Vino in Plymouth Road Mall. At least half of the store was concentrated on wine, and they had very good commercial produce. WF continued their pattern of expansion, and bought the Merchant of Vino chain. The Jonna's concentrated more on their real estate empire.
So, a north and south Whole Foods operated, with few changes to either location. Then they built the Mothership store on the south side. I think it was the largest in the chain when it was built. That effectively closed the northside Merchant store, and Trader Joes moved into the southside location that had been WF when they opened the Gigantor store.
The successor to Merchant opened and closed in the last five years, and it has left behind a vacant storefront. Meanwhile, the Jonna family opened a new, up-up-upper scale market with even more prepared-for-your-table food and their keen eye for wine on the west side, the Plum Market--essentially a Whole Foods where you can spend even more money than at WF.
At the height of real-estate speculation mania, WF expanded to the SW side of Ann Arbor--and I wonder how long that store will remain viable. I guess that since it is surrounded by the highest concentration of condo & up-market multifamily developments, it will remain at least a contender.
A big benefit to the Ann Arbor residents from most of this is that our local chain groceries (Kroger, Busch's) have expanded their organic and local produce offerings; People's Food Coop has concentrated on their core business and has remained competitive with WF (PFC gets more of our food dollar now than five or six years ago); WF seems to be chugging along real well as does TJ's. Arbor Farms, another small, niche natural foods independent grocer went from a small, small store to take over a closed national chain's location. Other than Bella Vino, the only other closings were the Farmer Jack chain--which was burdened by problems from go-go expansions & mergers dating back to the 80s.
I think WF and TJs know their markets very well. They (wisely) avoid going head to head across the whole range of products.
posted by beelzbubba at 10:05 AM on September 7, 2010
Oh, there was one noted local casualty, at least for the North Side of Ann Arbor. The Southfield-based Jonna family came into town and opened a branch of their signature Merchant of Vino in Plymouth Road Mall. At least half of the store was concentrated on wine, and they had very good commercial produce. WF continued their pattern of expansion, and bought the Merchant of Vino chain. The Jonna's concentrated more on their real estate empire.
So, a north and south Whole Foods operated, with few changes to either location. Then they built the Mothership store on the south side. I think it was the largest in the chain when it was built. That effectively closed the northside Merchant store, and Trader Joes moved into the southside location that had been WF when they opened the Gigantor store.
The successor to Merchant opened and closed in the last five years, and it has left behind a vacant storefront. Meanwhile, the Jonna family opened a new, up-up-upper scale market with even more prepared-for-your-table food and their keen eye for wine on the west side, the Plum Market--essentially a Whole Foods where you can spend even more money than at WF.
At the height of real-estate speculation mania, WF expanded to the SW side of Ann Arbor--and I wonder how long that store will remain viable. I guess that since it is surrounded by the highest concentration of condo & up-market multifamily developments, it will remain at least a contender.
A big benefit to the Ann Arbor residents from most of this is that our local chain groceries (Kroger, Busch's) have expanded their organic and local produce offerings; People's Food Coop has concentrated on their core business and has remained competitive with WF (PFC gets more of our food dollar now than five or six years ago); WF seems to be chugging along real well as does TJ's. Arbor Farms, another small, niche natural foods independent grocer went from a small, small store to take over a closed national chain's location. Other than Bella Vino, the only other closings were the Farmer Jack chain--which was burdened by problems from go-go expansions & mergers dating back to the 80s.
I think WF and TJs know their markets very well. They (wisely) avoid going head to head across the whole range of products.
posted by beelzbubba at 10:05 AM on September 7, 2010
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"So, who do you think owns Trader Joe's? How do you think it got started?"
"I dunno. Some guys from California? Seems like it started as a family business that went huge."
"Would you believe it's an arm of the biggest grocery chain in ... Germany?"
"No way!"
"Way, dude. Way."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:23 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]