Trader Joe’s: Behind the Hype
If you’ve ever been to Trader Joe’s (henceforth in this post to be referred to as TJ’s), you know this photo above was not taken there. Squarespace did not have one for me. Copyright law and whatnot.
And if you’ve ever been to Trader Joe’s, you probably agree that it effing rocks. I waited on a wrapped-around-the-block line the other day, ahead of the snowstorm, to make sure I nabbed some kale gnocchi (among many other things, naturally).
How is it possible that a grocery store inspires this much loyalty? It’s because TJ’s has so many things that you can’t find anywhere else—not at Stop&Shop or Acme or even the posh Whole Foods—making each trip like a treasure hunt. Each trip is also a test of wills, as I have to keep reminding myself I don’t need that and that and these and those just because I’ve never seen them before and am a fan of trying something new.
I have realized, though, that having this access to TJ’s is a luxury of NYC. When I lived in Westchester, all those four months ago, a trip to TJ’s meant a twenty-minute trip to an entirely different state where my mom would promptly clear out all of the Nature’s Path Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola (which makes a great yogurt mix-in). It was something we had to factor into the errands equation, never a last-minute decision. And the whispers of a TJ’s coming to Yorktown are still only a promise of the biggest thing to ever happen to grocery shopping in northern Westchester.
But NYC is a whole new story. When we were deciding on a place to live, my roommate and I, the proximity to a TJ’s went right into the “pros” column. They are all over the place. And NYC also taught me that TJ’s has its own wine and liquor store. Transcendent.
Now I mentioned earlier the kale gnocchi—this is one of the gems I’ve discovered that I go back for again and again and again. In that category also fall the Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil, the Organic Seeded Bread, the Just Mango Slices, and the Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese. And you see, it’s important for me to call these items out by name, because a lot of product loyalty at TJ’s comes from first-timers googling “best things to buy at Trader Joe’s.” I’ve done it in many iterations. Healthiest snacks. Best options for vegetarians. Best frozen apps.
And despite the earned high regard, the freezers are not the only vessel for the TJ’s magic. The produce is always fresh, offers great variety, and, best of all, is CHEAP. I mean, with at least a week and half’s worth of oranges, apples, bananas, pears, kale, spinach, carrots, potatoes, avocados, you name it—plus all the other fun stuff that lands in my cart—I have only once spent over eighty dollars. Every time the Hawaiian-shirt-clad cashier tells me my total, I am surprised all over again. I am not sure that shock will ever fade. It’s a great break from the feeling that NYC is in fact just a breeding ground for hemorrhaging wallets.
Yes, I do anticipate waiting in a line every time I want to head to TJ’s, but it moves very fast. I mean, they have over twenty cash registers, so we are funneled in and out with great efficiency. And the line is part of the fun. While I am waiting to check out, I am waiting beside the aisle-long freezers and able to peep at all the things I decided to pass up. Meaning, there is a definitely a relationship between the length of the in-store line and how many items I end up buying.
My one complaint: despite all their milk options, from soy to cashew to oat, they do not sell lactose-free dairy chocolate milk. As a runner, chocolate milk is my favorite post-run indulgence, but the lactose… not so much. So I can’t avoid the Fairway completely. And I’ve also had trouble weening myself off of Skippy Natural PB, so until I can get myself to go truly au natural, that’s point two for Fairway.
TJ’s does not have the Stew Leonard’s interactive displays or pre-COVID samples, but it does have something else. It’s got fair-priced exclusivity. It’s the elite streetwear brand that never goes out of stock. Its aisles are always filled with new things: foods you would have never paired together; foods you didn’t know were foods; foods you’ve only heard of in myth. Oh, and the staff communicates by ringing a bell, so, yeah.
It’s a fun place, for a grocery store. Though of course you never asked for my review, 11/10.