5. Trader Joe’s started as primarily a wine shop
Did you know that in the 60’s, Trader Joe’s used to be just a wine shop? This, believe it or not, is how their story began. Even now, they have an impressive collection of wines that occupy a large part of the store. If you like Charles Shaw bottles, then you might know that since 2012 they’ve sold more than 600 million even if their price has increased a bit. It’s still a great deal!
Which one is your favorite?
98 thoughts on “6 Things You Didn’t Know About Trader Joe’s”
Trader Joe’s is such an awesome store. There is nothing but positive comments that can be said about them! The friendliness of the staff, the helpfulness of the staff and the general vibe of the store can be surpassed by no other. I shop there every chance I can get. It is always a fun opportunity to shop at Trader Joe’s!
They don’t have a Trader Joe’s in north co way n(, but they have a Market Basket.
The one BIG problem with TJ’s is their inability to maintain product supply which has been a problem for many ma ny yrs
i love Trader Joe’s and their emplyes. it is a fun and fulfilling shopping spree abd i get stopped by their beautiful flowers abd akways have to buy at least one plant.
I have been wanting to shop in a Trader Joe’s. If there is one in East Tennessee, please let me know what city I can find it.
Thank You, Jan Dyer
There is one in Chattanooga, TN.
There is a Trader Joe’s in Knoxville Tennessee on 8001 Kingston Pike, 37919 .
Knoxville has one
Just Google Trader Joe near me you find it
I’d like to subscribe to your Fearless Flyer!
Please send me you flyer via email. I always enjoy reading it. Thanks, Andy Jacobs
Keep up the terrific customer service. I drive 40 miles round trip weekly. I’m a retired professional cook. Additionally, I always buy flowers for my wife.
I want Fearless Flyer
Please send Fearless Flyer
Question:
Is their a Trader Joe’s in Lancaster, Ca. and Palmale, Ca. and Mojave, Ca., and Rosamond, Ca.?
I’m new to this part of the country.
Need your assistance.
v/r
C.L.
Search online for these locations. TJ’s has many locations all over CA. I would start looking in Lancaster, which is a big city.
There is one in Palmdale Google the address
There is a Trader Joe’s in Palmdale. It’s on 10th St. West. GREAT Staff and a WONDERFUL new Captain. His name is Josh. Been shopping there since they opened. LOVE EVRYONE THERE !
I HATE click through sites. They are often impossible to get out of. If you have something to say, just say it.
Funny, but I’ve never tried a Trader Joe’s even though there is one located not far from me. This article has inspired me to, at the very least, go in for a look-see! For many years, now (5 or 6 at least) I’ve done all my grocery shopping at MOM’s (Mom’s Organic Market) in Herndon. Organics have proven themselves to me in that I neither look nor feel my age (78 +, close to 79). That said, I will definitely giver Trader Joe’s a look, very soon. Many thanks for your article. You actually answered a lot of my questions even before I asked them! 🙂
Elizabeth, Save yourself some time. Trader Joe’s caters to people who like overly sugary and salty food. Stick to Mom’s Organic Market; you’ll be glad you did.
Not particularly…. Anyone who shops organic checks labels. Trader Joe’s offers plenty of reasonable organic & clean unprocessed items.
And salty food.
I really wish you had a store on the Westside of Vancouver….maybe someday huh!🦋
I wish we had a store in Southwest Arlington, as large as Arlington, TX is, they only have the one store over in North Arlington.
Thanks
One of my most favorite grocery stores in the world.
Their marketing strategy of curating products from all over the globe at extremely reasonable prices is par excellence
I am a professional caterer &
Trader Joe’s is my Go-To Market.
for my smaller parties in Bethesda, MD
& in Annapolis, MD & Charleston, SC.
We do Not have a Trader Joe’s store East
of MD’Chesapeake Bay. I have a register of 400 potential clients & reasons WHY
Trader Joe’s needs to build on MD’s Eastern Shore.
Only buy a few items there. Lotta junk foods . High sugar content ‘party foods’ for those who can tolerate that stuff.
Lack of vegetarian foods.
Atmosphere and service great.
I knew all your ‘ did you know’ stuff ‘ in your ad.
No emails PLEASE
Tx
Then don’t purchase the party foods or junk foods. Trader Joe’s is not a vegetarian store, however, there are plenty of other options that are priced considerably lower than vegetarian stores like Mom’s Organic Market. Love the variety of salads and cheeses.
Lack of vegetarian foods? What Trader Joe’s do you shop at??
Need a Trader Joe’s store in or near Dunedin Florida!
My community is only good enough to have a Trader Joe’s distribution ctr. According to Trader Joe’s we are not wealthy e ought to have a store. They can cram it.
How do I get their flyer sent to me?
Trader Joe’s frozen Mandarin orange chicken contains 7 grams of sugar per serving. That’s 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar per serving. Yummy? Only Americans would eat something like that, and Trader Joe knows his America.
Correction: That’s 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar per serving, which is still way too much. One-quarter cup of vanilla ice cream has 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. I like chicken, and I like ice cream, but I don’t want my chicken to taste like ice cream.
I love to shop at Trader Joe’s, first because of the friendly and casual atmosphere and second because their prices are reasonable. I buy flowers frequently, they are a bargain in comparison with other stores. I also like the variety of their roducts from around the world.
One day I went into TJ’s and asked for flowers. One of the employees tried to find what I needed. It seemed they did not have what I was looking for and I continued my shopping. As I went to the checkout, the same employee that was helping me originally came up to me with the flowers I asked for. This was at least an hour later. This is some awesome customer service. I had almost forgotten about those flowers and they were still looking for them (and for ME.)
Trader Joes’s may still have a natural ingredient only policy. If that is still true, then it is a bad policy for diabetics who cannot have natural sugar. If anybody knows differently, please post.
i love their thin meyer lemon cookies, pecan pralines for salad, all of their delicious salads. There are so many things to discover and try.
I have purchased Mandarin Orange Chicken twice. The chicken is not a quality white chicken that a lot of chicken eaters perfer. Instead, it has dark chicken which does not seem to be a good quality dark chicken. I admit that I’m not the best at determining the quality of dark chicken, but it seems to be a less quality dark variety. Yes, the breading and flavor of the sauce is good, but you need to provide this in “white chicken” as well.
They used to also he well known for unique beers. I used to go there in the 80s, specifically, because they had so many unique choices in beers from all over the world.
I will never ship there again. CCP Covid total compliant. Crony crapitalists.
How do i subscribe to the bews letter? I didnt know this much about trader joes other than i took my granny there all the time she loved it there i never thought twice about it i am thinking about it now for sure!!!
Creative advertising – who wouldn’t want to know 6 unknown things about anything? Always assuming the worst!! Very well done!!
Trader Joe’s is the best on the east cost
I have been undergoing chemotherapy. Which means most of the time I am on the couch weak with fatique. My husband now has to get meals ready and a banch of other duties. We tried Trader Joes meals and what a blessing. It’s actually good. Thanks.
Thank you for your article. I’m with you 100%.
I love love Trader Joe’s!!!!! But it is too far away for us. The nearest one is 100 miles away. I wish Fairmont, WV could have one come to this area at our new Middletown Commons. Fairmont is between Morgantown (WVU) and Clarksburg, WV. I have begged for years for this to happen. When we visit our son and family in Fuquay-Varuna, NC we load up because it is 15 minutes from his home to Trader Joe’s (aka Heaven).
You have to read the labels on all of their products. many of them have loads of sugar and salt which can be detremental to your health.
I love your Store.
I love Trader Joe’s and I stop and shop when I’m near one. Sadly, there are no stores in Northwest Indiana. I have hoped for years they would build a store here. Any chances in the near future?
Please open one in Weslaco or Harlingen Texas, we have to drive 4hrs to San Antonio to get to the amazing trader Joe store.
I seem to get different answers from employees. Are Trader Joe’s products GMO FREE. And if they are , why aren’t they labeled GMO- FREE?
I wish Trader Joe’s had a delivery service or worked with Instacart for the seniors who can’t get there anymore.
I love Trader Joe’s. I do my weekly shopping there.
The only thing that concerns me a little: everything is packaged. I wish there would be a way to at least recycle all this.
no trader Joes in melbourne fl. or Palm bay fl. We need one Badley. This area is growing by leaps and bounds. Check it out.
Please put a store in NW Arkansas, Springdale, Bentonville, fayettville, per haps. We need you badly. Please, please. I know a lot of people who have moved here from all over the country and are used to shopping at TJ’s. Please, please. lI always shopped at the store in Palmdale, CA, now I am NW Arkansas. Best part of the state. Love TJ’s.
Sad that the liquor laws in CT do not allow TJ to sell wine in their store.
When I am in Calif, I always buy my wine in TJs. It’s good and economical.
Judy
We’ve been going to Trader Joe’s for years and we love that place. But sometimes they run out of our favorite items and they never get them back.
Food offers are very good. However, make sure you read the chart listing ingredients. Many of there products are not that healthy particularly for people who must watch their sugar and salt contents. Many of their frozen or refrigerated products are loaded with excess salt or sugar or both.
I love Trader Joes, big fan for many many years. Only complaint they stopped supplying my favorite in the shell sunflower seeds (the best); and did not carry Tofurky this year. Hope they bring both of those items back!!!
We really need a Trader Joel’s in the Greeneville/ Johnson city area of NE Tennessee .Please come
Does West Des Moines Trader Joe’s have Trader Joe’s dark chocolate pretzels?
Too much extraneous packaging. I prefer to choose my produce myself. Too much plastic the last time I checked.
We need a Trader Joe’s in the Port St Lucie, Florida area. The community is growing quickly. My sense a Trader Joe’s in this location will be successful.
We would easily drive a hundred miles to shop at Trader Joe’s. Obviously we love it and invite you to take a good look at Riverton, Wyoming.
I enjoyed reading the article about Trader Joe’s. I’ve been in the store a few times, but will make it a point to go more often.
Doreen R.
Great store , and the “ Cult” is a reality every time I can I go to their winter park store … you are right about everything ..
I like Trader Joes and everything about it.
Dana
Please open a store in Sierra Vista in southern Arizona!
Trader Joe has a fantastic customer service. They know how to train their employees and how to keep them happy. However, you should know the prices in other stores, of the items you want to buy. Very often it “looks very inexpensive” but the prices of many items are high. Be careful! It is either that they charge by the item instead of by the pound, so it looks cheap, or the container size is deceiving.
That being said, you do find items that are not commonly sold in your regular store. You really like a product, like the eggplant parmigiana, they carry it for a few months and then it disappears or it comes in a very different format, not always as good as the original. I shop there for the flowers and some other items, only.
everything you said is true. the one caveat is that many of the foods contain a large amount of salt and sugar and for those with any health problem need to be aware.
Read the food labels to be sure that the item is good for you in terms of salt and sugar. If you have high blood pressure or are diabetic beware!
Love TJs, but they have a long way to go in taming their hideously over-sugared abs especially over-salted and over saturated fat product lines. This applies to all of their appetizers, and the vast majority of their frozen entrees and pizzas. It is enough to send you into cardiac arrest!
Maybe every staff person at TJ’s wears a Hawaiian shirt where you shop, but we’ve been shopping at the Dublin (Columbus), Ohio store for 24 years now, and I can’t recall seeing any staffer in such a shirt (although I’m sure there were some around).
We especially appreciate the staff … their friendliness … and their willingness to assist their customers.
Bring one to the villages Florida. Everyone here talks about how we need one here ! You will not
be able to keep the shelves stocked!
They must treat their staff very well. They’re so friendly and helpful.
No, I don’t think you can get free samples of anything in the store. That changed with covid.
I wish we had a store a little closer to White Stone, Virginia. I go to Williamsburg and Newport New ,Va. to shop your store, about a hour away.
How about adding the truth about who really owns Trader Joe’s, which is really either Lidl or Aldi’s – not sure which (I think Aldi’s, a European based retailer – Lidl, too), and the fact that some of their “private label” products (with made up names) are sometimes from the same sources as products in Aldi’s or Lidl. I’m not saying there’s really anything wrong with Aldi’s or Lidl – actually very unique operations and in many cases, very well-priced, and obviously now prevalent with thousands of locations all over the Globe. Just looking for complete transparency with where things come from and where the money really goes. Many times you can find an “as good” or better deal with name brand products in more traditional supermarkets when they’re “on sale.”
It is a treat to shop in the store in Olympia. I like it alot. I live 60 miles away and it makes it worth it when I end my day by going in the store. Thank you for being there!
My only complaint is that I wish that they would open a closer store to my home.
Tucson, Arizona east side Tanque Verde and Catalina Highway.
I love the store, specially, the employees the most wonderful every single one of them
They have it in vegan also and quite tasty!
My wife used to shop at TJ but stopped a few years ago, but now I do a lot of the shopping and I don’t like the prices. Hopefully our new president will fix this but until then I am going to shop TJ and if I like it I will continue because you are only two miles from my house. This was a great advertisement, I didn’t know all this stuff about your store, so you will see me tomorrow, especially for the bread, thanks.
In my opinion, what stands out most at our local Trader Joe’s store is the friendship and personal assistance given by its staff to customers. There are some notable food selections which are among our favorites as well.
I frequently shop at Trader Joe’s and I find it to be a super shopping experience–KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK TRADER JOE’s!
I appreciate Trader Joe’s for the items I can purchase only there, always something new to try.
There wasn’t anything 6 things ?? Just a f#$king add for them Stupid
I learned several new things I did not know about TJs. Thank you for sharing the information.
We love TJs.
always have gone to trader joes for food and groceries always treated with kindness and respect
Went to Trader Joe’s in the middle of a snow storm a couple weeks back. I was so distraught by the flat tire I found as I parked the car that I forgot to take a cart in. One of the staff not only helped by getting me a cart, she came out with me later to help load the groceries. Went today and found less expensive eggs, the grapefruit juice that most other groceries have been out of for a month, and some really good chocolate treats. Your swiss cheese is cheaper and better than others, your prochuitto like wise (although it’s too high up for some of short folks to reach without help), your Kosher beef stew is the best ever. I love the unmarinated artichokes and miss terribly the salt caramel gelato.
Yes, there are good things about Trader Joe’s, but as a health conscious person, I am extremely disappointed in that they use canola oil in their brand products. It has been known for quite awhile that canola oil is a bad oil. Although all seed oils are not that good, at least sunflower and even to some extent safflower oils are way better than canola oil. For that reason I do not shop very often at Trader Joe’s.
When is Trader Joe’s coming to Tracy?
It was my fav store in livermore.
Thx for any news about it if you have news..
Alice in santos ranch
i dont want never seen
I would like to subscribe to the newsletter. I do not see any place to do it. Please advise. Thank you!!
The founders sold the company to a buyer from China several years ago.
I love Trader Joe’s but fail to see why the Orange Chicken is so popular. I’ve tried it several times and find it to
be mediocre. Also, the founders sold Trader’s to a China based company several years ago. I was sorry to hear that.