Very Interesting Read on Trader Joe's

[JackReacher]

We have a Wegman's near our house and we've been in it once. God damn that place is youuuuuuuge. Just massive. We did our typical weekly grocery shopping and paid about $20 more than we usually spend.

For specific items, though, it's a great place. Place had a pizza joint, a deli, a sushi place, a little sitting area with flat-screen TVs.

I'd never do my weekly shopping there because of the price, but they have such a wide variety of shirt, if there's something you can't find at your everyday grocery store, Wegman's will have it.

 

[Dyno]

The prices at Wegman's for some things are a little high, but for other things, they're lower than any other store around.

The experience of shopping there is great. They have a zillion checkout lanes and the cashiers are fast.

For me, going to Wegman's is a haul, but I like doing it. I say I'm going on a field trip when I go there.

 

[tarheelgamecock]

I shopped exclusively at TJ's for a couple of months a few years back. Mostly because of the quality I got for the cost. Then I realized a lot of the food I was buying there came from China. I think other people realized the same thing at about the same time ... TJ changed suppliers soon after. That got me going back.

I like a lot of their packaged food (their fruits and veggies, not so much), and their cereal prices are amazing. And their garlic naan, both the frozen and the nonfrozen kinds, make for a really good pizza crust.

 

[93Devil]

The whole bean Diner Cafe coffee they sell is probably the best for the price that I have ever had in my life.

 

[vivbernstein]

Shocked that Trader Joe's opened a store near me. No yuppies to be found, although there's a large university nearby (it's mostly a commuter school).

Anyway, I go about twice a month to pick up my supply of Trader Joe's Nut and Berry Blend granola cereal (the best!), Ritter dark chocolate and hazelnut, TJ's Jasmine Green Tea, etc. Not a big frozen food fan, but love the Paneer Tikka Masala. Don't like the produce and cheese, though. Don't eat meat, so can't comment on that.

Very glad they opened the store near me.

 

[beardpuller]

Trader Joe's is good. Wegmans is great. Whole Foods is pretentious and overpriced.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

In response to economic conditions and public ridicule, the Whole Foods near my house has begun running weekly loss leaders in the meat and fish departments (their best element by far). One item per week is slashed in price to where it's actually cheap compared to regular supermarkets.

 

[TigerVols]

It IS a name brand. The Trader Joe's brand. That's a "name" to me.

My coffee maker is on the fritz so I bought a jar of their instant coffee to prop me up until I can it fixed. Surprisingly good stuff.

Moddy, get to SBUX and get a box of their Via instant coffee. It's fan-f'ing-tastic!

 

[Moderator1]

It's also about a dollar a cup. Trader Joe's was 3.49 a jar and I've been using it for two cups a day for three weeks now.

 

[JayFarrar]

Yes, but can you get Michelle Obama approved lobster there?

So, if you live in a place that doesn't have one, is making a stop at Trader's Joe worth it if you're visiting a place that does?

 

[Moderator1]

Yes, but can you get Michelle Obama approved lobster there?

So, if you live in a place that doesn't have one, is making a stop at Trader's Joe worth it if you're visiting a place that does?

Before one opened in Richmond, we'd shop there on our trips to D.C. for cereal, coffee, some other non-perishables.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

My mother's been in love with Trader Joe's since the Larchmont store referenced in the article opened.

There's one near me now, but it's in a weird location. It's on a main street, but it's on the second floor and it's basically built into a parking garage. You enter the lot from the road that runs behind the store, parallel to the main road. You drive to the second floor, and there's the store -- right inside the parking garage.

I actually kind of forget about it. There's a Dominick's nearby that's pretty good & when I want yuppy food or need to just pick up one or two items, the third largest Whole Foods in the world opened recently just two blocks from me.

And as someone pointed out, Trader Joe's inventory can make it hard to do all of your shopping there. They just don't stock everything you need.

They do carry my favorite candy bar:

But then I found that World Market also carries it and World Market is closer & has better parking.

You can get these at Target too.