A Taste of Trader Joe’s

A beginner’s look into the mythical grocery haven

I have a confession: I’ve never been a Trader Joe’s fan.

It’s not that I’m against the store chain beloved by so many; I just never got in the habit of going. My mom usually opted for Costco or BJ’s bulk runs, plus the local Safeway to fill in the gaps. It was a great system. So when I started grocery shopping for myself and my own family, I fell into the same pattern. Once a month, I do a BJ’s stock-up (having a second fridge makes the bulk purchases of meat, butter, and eggs a fantastic bargain), plus a weekly run to a local grocery store (which, in my town, tends to be a variety of semi-distant places, from ACME to Aldi to ShopRite). 

But every so often, I’ve encountered a die-hard TJ’s fan. Their enthusiasm and loyalty leaves me in awe. Some of them drive half an hour or more to shop there, and they happily put up with the crowded aisles to stock up on their favorite products. Every once in a blue moon, these friends have graciously bestowed upon me a Trader Joe’s treat as a gift. I have to say that the TJ’s pumpkin spice rooibos tea is now one of my favorites. And those dark chocolate peanut butter cups…are just dangerous.

So why haven’t I followed suit? Why mooch off other TJ’s fans instead of hopping on the bandwagon myself? As they say, old habits die hard, but beyond that, Joe and I have a past.

Lesson 1: Prepare for a crowd.

As you can imagine, the experience was anything but calm. Hoards of people scrambled for shopping carts, while security guards herded us toward an oversized elevator, which would transport a few of us at a time (red shopping carts and all) into the bowels of the store underground. In an instant, I was overwhelmed by everything — people, produce aisles, chalkboards marketing a million unique TJ’s specialties. I didn’t know where to turn. Dazed, I roamed about aimlessly, searching for the items on my little grocery list. If there were any famously friendly Trader Joe’s employees roaming around, they were mixed in with the crowd of devoted customers, and my introverted self couldn’t muster the courage to hunt them down. I was periodically distracted by near-collisions with other shopping carts, or close calls by a pile of Trader Joe’s Baked Cheese Crunchies, and for goodness sake where was the sugar?

When I finally managed to scarf up a few things, I then had to face the check-out line, which reminded me of the entry tunnel to the student section at a Notre Dame football game. The crowd moved slowly, but there was excitement in the air as we came closer to claiming jars of Cookie Butter or bags of cauliflower rice as our own. When I emerged out of the elevator and back onto the New York sidewalk, I was sweating. So that was Trader Joe’s…?

Lesson 2: Don’t expect Whole Foods.

As a mom, I started to listen to the ravings a bit more when a friend told me of the in-store games for kids (find the hidden stuffed animal and get rewarded with an organic, naturally dyed lollipop!) and the simplicity of product options (there is only the TJ’s tomato sauce, rather than a plethora of brands and varieties).

Finally, I decided to give Joe a second chance.

Still, with a good grocery system already in place, I wasn’t ready to do all my shopping at a place I had never been to before, even if it was a Trader Joe’s. Knowing that (thankfully) not all TJ’s are created equal, I didn’t know exactly what kind of selection and pricing I would be walking into at the Denville location. What if I didn’t find everything I needed there?

Plus, not all reviews of Trader Joe’s are favorable. As with many beloved brands, there are lovers…and haters. One critique I came across online was that at TJ’s, bargain price doesn’t always mean bargain quality. In other words, as one article put it, “It’s cheap…because it’s cheap.” Of course, there are other business strategies behind bringing prices down (buying directly from suppliers, simplifying packaging), but some find that a pretty Trader Joe’s label sometimes masks a subpar, knockoff product. Another critique was that the frequent rotation (and sometimes discontinuation) of products makes maintaining a consistent grocery list (and bill) difficult.

So I had my expectations adjusted. It might not be grocery heaven…but it still might be great. I didn’t want the uncertainties to deter me from my quest, so I decided that in this first venture, I would buy just three items from Trader Joe’s — three festive fall items, because where else could one find such things? If I was going to try Trader Joe’s, I wanted to first try Trader Joe’s specialties.

I went to the source itself, Trader Joe’s website, and looked up what autumn treats they had to offer. I noted which ones I liked best and resolved to inspect them more closely upon my arrival at the store.

Lesson 3: Frozen foods or festive treats?

Soon after I walked in, an employee kindly asked if I needed help finding anything — living up to the store’s reputation of friendly and helpful staff. I thanked him and replied that I was just looking around.

I might not have been looking hard enough, but I couldn’t find anything pointing me toward the kids in-store games my friend had been telling me about. Thankfully, it didn’t matter much, since the store was not crowded at all.

The middle area had a lot of the frozen food specialties, which I understand are a big selling point for TJ’s regulars. I’m not a big frozen food person, so for me personally, those aisles won’t be filling my grocery cart, except for the occasional specialty item or in a pinch to save time. I enjoy preparing homemade meals, and most days I can carve out enough time for that, so right now it’s usually not worth the financial or nutritional cost. (That being said, I can definitely understand that for those who appreciate creative pre-made meals and sides, Trader Joe’s is a prime spot!)

Finally, as a little bonus, I agreed to let my almost-three-year-old son pick out a little delicata squash (he likes me to draw faces on them at home before we cook them!).

So, in the end, we arrived at checkout with four fun items, which totaled less than $15. Not bad! We rolled out in a jiffy, happy with our loot (and grateful for a more peaceful and pleasant experience than New York City!).

Lesson 4: It’s a great specialty (not everything) store.

This seemed to fall in line with the best things I had heard about Trader Joe’s — its well-priced, appealing, one-of-a-kind products. As far as “staple items” go (produce, dairy, meat, etc.), my impression remains that I can get quality items for comparable or better prices elsewhere — in bulk at BJ’s, in greater selection at ShopRite, or fresher from a farmer’s market. That being said, I would love to continue exploring, listening, and learning about the Trader Joe’s life (and, on occasion, stocking up on dark chocolate peanut butter cups).

So, am I now a die-hard TJ’s fan? For my main grocery runs, sorry to disappoint the TJ’s crowd that the answer is no. But will I return? Absolutely.

What do you think about Trader Joe’s? Please comment below!

More Resources

The 50 Best Things to Buy at Trader Joe’s, Felicia Lalomia and Alexis Morillo (Delish)