Very Interesting Read on Trader Joe's

[JR]

Great business model and a pretty good story.

Can't speak about their products...they have 344 stores and not a single one in Canuckistan.

Hey guys, your market does not end at the 49th parallel. There are 35 million people up here, a quarter of whom live in SW Ontario. And our economy is doing fine, thanks very much.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I think the "yuppie" think is way overrated (maybe not at Whole Foods). The one here is about 30 miles away so I don't go that often. When I do, the crowd is a nice mix. Drug the wife a couple of weeks ago, she was amazed at some of the prices. She thought it would be Whole Foods-esque. It is not, not by a long shot.

The meats are exceptionally reasonable and amazingly fresh. Their coffee is half the price and a better quality than the "specialty" coffee at my local store.

Pancake syrup is first-rate. So's the pancake mix. You keep your head and your shopper's thinking cap on, they're terrific stores.

 

[playthrough]

Good stuff at a good price with good employees.

That is a good business model.

For some background...

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/69255/

Jeez . . . they're willing to pay for good employees.

What a concept.

Some grocery stores get it right. Ask longtime Publix workers.

 

[poindexter]

Nice pay, but I'd need more than that to interact with those awful yuppies on a daily basis. Puke.

WTF?

 

[Webster]

Just a great store -- in our little corner of suburbia, we have three large grocery stores and a Trader Joe's. With the exception of meat and fresh fish, I do all of my shopping at Trader Joe's where I can. Great prices and much friendlier service -- which makes up for a lesser selection. Plus beer and wine at excellent prices.

 

[YankeeFan]

Good stuff at a good price with good employees.

That is a good business model.

For some background...

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/69255/

Jeez . . . they're willing to pay for good employees.

What a concept.

Some grocery stores get it right. Ask longtime Publix workers.

Employee owned, right?

I liked Publix a lot when I was living in Florida.

 

[Stitch]

The one I used to go to in north Phoenix wasn't too bad. Some yuppies, but a good mix of others.

I wonder how happy the employees are. There are some businesses that aren't just about making a buck, but do OK because they know employees, customers and vendors are all important.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Anyone who says "Man cannot live on Trader Jose's Mildly Spiced Vegetable Burritos alone" is a liar.

 

[playthrough]

Good stuff at a good price with good employees.

That is a good business model.

For some background...

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/69255/

Jeez . . . they're willing to pay for good employees.

What a concept.

Some grocery stores get it right. Ask longtime Publix workers.

Employee owned, right?

I liked Publix a lot when I was living in Florida.

I'm moving back to Florida and can't wait shop at Publix again. (You never appreciate good grocery stores until you live someplace that doesn't have them.)

Yeah, it's employee-owned. My brother has worked there for 15 years and has a ton of the private company stock and other benefits that would make most in the media biz cry.

 

[Dyno]

I love shopping at Trader Joe's. The prices are great and I always walk out of there feeling good about the experience and what I've bought. I get happy just thinking about going to Trader Joe's (and Wegman's, too).

As for the "yuppies," I live in the DC area, too, and the typical Whole Foods customer is MUCH worse, in my experience.

 

[Huggy]

Great business model and a pretty good story.

Can't speak about their products...they have 344 stores and not a single one in Canuckistan.

Hey guys, your market does not end at the 49th parallel. There are 35 million people up here, a quarter of whom live in SW Ontario. And our economy is doing fine, thanks very much.

Grocery bidness is plenty competitive in southern Ontario. Making a splash up here would not be easy. I'd love to see a Wegman's in my neck of the woods.

 

[93Devil]

I don't think people understand how small these stores are. They are about 1/2 the square footage of the smallest A&P or IGA I ever stepped foot in as a kid. But you are there for 30 minutes, fill your cart and it always costs less than you think it will.

If anyone decided to open a butcher or a meat deli next to a Trader Joe's they would be very, very successful.