Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's

There has been some discussion about Trader Joe's here in the past. Here's an interesting article about the chain that gives a glimpse into how they do business.

[Robin Garr]

There has been some discussion about Trader Joe's here in the past. Here's an interesting article about the chain that gives a glimpse into how they do business.

Verrrrrry interesting! Thanks, Steve. You know, Trader Joe's is fun, but if we ever got one here, I wonder what kind of a hurtin' it would put on lovable locals like Lotsa Pasta and Rainbow Blossom.

I found it interesting that, after the stores were purchased by the Albrect family, they didn't immediately go in and start making cuts within the stores to make them more profitable. Today's stores immediately cut costs by cutting salaries and labour hours and then expect workers to remain cheerful, keep up the increased work load caused by the cut man hours and somehow find time to offer the coveted, great customer service to everyone in the store. Management fools itself by saying it is trying to work more efficiently when, in fact, they're just doing things on the cheap. And cheap is, well, cheap and will always look that way to the discerning shopper.

I would love to see a Trader Joe's here...I miss that quite a bit from MI. I did stop by the store in Indy and was kinda disappointed, it was much smaller and the selection was not as good. Glad I still have a few boxes of Peppermint Joe-Joe's hiding in the freezer...makes for incredible desserts at the holidays!

Verrrrrry interesting! Thanks, Steve. You know, Trader Joe's is fun, but if we ever got one here, I wonder what kind of a hurtin' it would put on lovable locals like Lotsa Pasta and Rainbow Blossom.

Here's my guess: Trader Joe's wouldn't have a negative impact on Rainbow Blossom. TJ's tends to appeal to the not-so-much organic crowd looking for bargains. As for Lotsa Pasta, maybe, though Lotsa seems to cater more to the gourmet shopper who might not be so price conscious.

On the other hand, depending on where TJ's would theoretically locate they might have an impact on Doll's, maybe less so on the nearest Paul's fruit market. That said, they'd also grab some customers from Whole Foods and Fresh Market.

Oh, and don't forget the wine! We tend to (ahem) grab a bottle or two when we go to the TJ's in Indy. Pretty much everything we've bought there for <$10 has been at least okay, and in some cases very good. So yeah, the smaller wine shops around town (sad to say, I'm looking at you St. Matthews Wine Co) would feel the pinch if TJ's opened a local store.

By the way, for those who think TJ's would have a problem having a second entrance for wine sales, the store in Nashville doesn't sell wine at all. What a shame.

I've been in Trader Joes in 7 different states, only because it's a quick walkaround to see what they have of interest, and they make it fun to shop in their stores. The only store that I find more fun to wander in is Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. Now there's a grocery shopping experience.

Edited to add that Trader Joes is opening a store in Portand Maine within 1,000 feet of a Whole Foods. The space they're moving into was originally a Wild Oats store that closed when Whole Foods moved into the market. You might recall that Whole Foods bought out Wild Oats.

I dunno, maybe it's just me...usually is...but I've never really "got" this whole Trader Joe's thing. We had one in Minneapolis and visited it two or three times and both of us came away with this "meh" kinda feeling toward the place. The wine was cheap and (for the most part) "sat" but otherwise it didn't do anything for us.

Jungle Jim's...Now THERE is a foodie destination.

I dunno, maybe it's just me...usually is...but I've never really "got" this whole Trader Joe's thing. We had one in Minneapolis and visited it two or three times and both of us came away with this "meh" kinda feeling toward the place. The wine was cheap and (for the most part) "sat" but otherwise it didn't do anything for us.

Jungle Jim's...Now THERE is a foodie destination.

TJ's began with a focus on bread, wine and cheese. It sort of shot off in many directions from there. But I still feel the underlying essence of that initial focus in their stores. I'd go to TJ's in S. Cal in the early nineties pretty often, and throughout the time since have been to a bunch of their stores in many states. Their places in Tucson and throughout AZ were big supporters of local products (including my beer). Most people I know have certain specialty products that they go there for. My grandmother always liked a few of their special chocolate desert items. And their nuts. I'd often get some of their indian foods, plus some super cheap pretty high quality frozen mexican foods. Some people go for their fruit juices. Or their vitamins (Trader Darwin brand). Etc, etc...Always a decent beer selection, good wine selection, good breads, and plenty of "gourmet" munchies. I'd always get baby artichokes in AZ. Etc, etc. It is sort of like a "gourmet" food place without the frills, but at half the price. Maybe not gourmet in the geekiest sense, but quality tasty food, at a price to fit a college student's budget.

Ahhh...if only such a place existed here!