So Robin, been to Trader Joe's yet?

[Jenise]

Was thinking about you last Friday as Bob and I circled the parking lot three times looking for a parking place. The store is just impossibly popular, and that made me ask the manager, who happened to be my checkout clerk, just where it stacks up nationwide. His answer was that it's #1 in the Pac Northwest, and #18 nationwide. Pretty impressive for a small town, and not at all what either he or the suits expected when he accepted the transfer here to open this store.

Our Trader Joe's is popular here too, Jenise. Of couse it only took 15 years of asking for them, to finally make the decision to build here. I think when our population was just under 100,000, and a new complex opened up for them on a busy commercial shopping area, they finally took a good look. Our store is bigger than the one in Chico, a university town 80 minutes away. It has wider isles, a huge liquor section and big produce and deli. Gene sometimes goes late in the afternoon and they are already out of certain things and parking is bad. I go at 9 am during the week, or I don't go at all. At that time, it is very quiet.

[Robin Garr]

I still haven't been. I'll peek in, eventually, when the crowds die down, but to be honest, except for some really wacky stuff it doesn't excite me that much - our local Lotsa Pasta and Rainbow Blossom are just similar enough that it's a little bit of a competitive threat, and I fear the Walmart effect, undercutting the locals with lower prices made possible by economies of scale until the locals are gone.

Now that Trader Joe is long gone and TJ's is under the same German mega-corporate umbrella as Aldi's, the hippie-granola image only goes so far.)

I had just that conversation with my favorite local green-grocer, and another person in my building had just that conversation with a very prominent local import shop. They had a different 'take' on it. They said that, in the short run, the new TJ will steal business from them but that, in the long run, the presence of the TJ will attract more business to the neighborhood than there was before. They both expected to sustain/grow their businesses based on there being a 'larger pie' soon.

I like Trader Joe. It is one of five stores I regularly buy from. They constantly introduce new products. Their employees are very friendly and knowledgeable about their products.

I only have one complaint against this store and that is that when I leave their store I have far too many bags to carry.

Tim

[Jenise]

I still haven't been. I'll peek in, eventually, when the crowds die down, but to be honest, except for some really wacky stuff it doesn't excite me that much - our local Lotsa Pasta and Rainbow Blossom are just similar enough that it's a little bit of a competitive threat)

I felt that way too. Trader Joe's hurts my beloved Food Co-Op here more than any other retailer, I think. At least on the grocery side of things, though TJ's certainly move a lot of wine too. But they do have a few things I can't get anywhere else--frozen artichoke hearts are hard to come by, and things like microgreens, thick handmade corn tortillas and lavash breads exist nowhere else. Also, some things in the dried nut and fruit realm are unique as well. I like their canned tuna better than any other on the market. But I'm not a customer of the stuff for which they really shine, the premade heat-and-eat foods. My typical purchases there fit in one bag.

I am in awe of the size of the "heat and eat" premade foods. I walk by, stop and gawk, and walk on. I have tried two or three with less that "OK" results, so I stay away. Another complaint from me and a few foodie friends is that there is a mold problem sometimes in produce and cheese, only a few days after getting the product home. TJ's is wonderful about replacing the item, but it is another unnecessary trip. I do buy the cheese but watch the sell by dates closely. The only produce I get there might be a different item that interests me. Last purchase was one of those beautiful stalks of brussels sprouts. Love those, but they take up so much room in my extra refer!

Folks, the annual release of Trader Joe's Vintage Ale is within the next 2 weeks. The beer is brewed for them by Unibroue, and it comes out in 750 ml bottles, with an ABV of 9+%, and is bottle conditioned. At $5 per bottle, I can think of no better deal in beer. This being part of a wine forum, but for any who frequent Trader Joe's and like beer, keep an eye out for this in the next few weeks.

A word of caution. Trying to drink one of these on your own is ambitious - typically I find that 3/4 of the way through the bottle I wake up 3 hours later.

I am in awe of the size of the "heat and eat" premade foods. I walk by, stop and gawk, and walk on. I have tried two or three with less that "OK" results, so I stay away. Another complaint from me and a few foodie friends is that there is a mold problem sometimes in produce and cheese, only a few days after getting the product home. TJ's is wonderful about replacing the item, but it is another unnecessary trip. I do buy the cheese but watch the sell by dates closely. The only produce I get there might be a different item that interests me. Last purchase was one of those beautiful stalks of brussels sprouts. Love those, but they take up so much room in my extra refer!

Agree with you on the cheese mold issue. I've stopped buying cheese from them for that reason. I've never had a mold problem with produce, save the occasional blueberry.

Folks, the annual release of Trader Joe's Vintage Ale is within the next 2 weeks. The beer is brewed for them by Unibroue, and it comes out in 750 ml bottles, with an ABV of 9+%, and is bottle conditioned. At $5 per bottle, I can think of no better deal in beer. This being part of a wine forum, but for any who frequent Trader Joe's and like beer, keep an eye out for this in the next few weeks.

A word of caution. Trying to drink one of these on your own is ambitious - typically I find that 3/4 of the way through the bottle I wake up 3 hours later.

Ooooh, thanks for that! Sounds delicious.

Not to knock this Trader Joe's love fest... as maybe TJs vary from town to town. We have a Whole Foods that I'd say knocks the socks off of TJs. Easily 6-7 times the wine selection and no comparison when it comes to the beer selection. For that matter, when it comes to beers Anderson's most of the grocery chains beat TJs. Not to mention the bistro in the center of the wine and beer section. You can buy a bottle off the shelve and sit down to a very nice meal. Pricy (like TJs) but easily worth it. I guess I'm surprised at the level of loyalty to TJs.

Not to knock this Trader Joe's love fest... as maybe TJs vary from town to town. We have a Whole Foods that I'd say knocks the socks off of TJs. Easily 6-7 times the wine selection and no comparison when it comes to the beer selection. For that matter, when it comes to beers Anderson's most of the grocery chains beat TJs. Not to mention the bistro in the center of the wine and beer section. You can buy a bottle off the shelve and sit down to a very nice meal. Pricy (like TJs) but easily worth it. I guess I'm surprised at the level of loyalty to TJs.

Interesting that you see them as competitors, Ed. I see them as stores people patronize for very different reasons. TJ's is for people who want reasonably high-quality everyday items at good prices. WF is for people who want certain items with very high quality at very high prices. I tend to stay away from WF because there are other markets here that supply high quality meats, produce, bakery items, etc. that are easier to get to. I go to TJ's to get stuff like peanut butter, Clif bars, sandwich bread, etc. that are as good as or better than what I can get at other markets but quite a bit cheaper. I would certainly buy meats, fish, and produce from a place like WF rather than TJ's, irrespective of the pricing.

I do agree that TJ's wine and beer selections are nothing to write home about. (Our local WF isn't very good in this aspect either, though.) The only wines I'll buy there are from the "Reserve" cabernet line. These tend to be comparable to $20-$50 Napa wines for $10. They do have great prices on their liquor but a very limited selection that varies from week to week.

Very excited that I've heard a Trader Joe's is going to be built in Naples, Florida, the first in the state. I've been waiting for 10 years since I moved here from New York. Now, please open one near Palm Beach.

[Jenise]

Not to knock this Trader Joe's love fest... as maybe TJs vary from town to town. We have a Whole Foods that I'd say knocks the socks off of TJs. Easily 6-7 times the wine selection and no comparison when it comes to the beer selection. For that matter, when it comes to beers Anderson's most of the grocery chains beat TJs. Not to mention the bistro in the center of the wine and beer section. You can buy a bottle off the shelve and sit down to a very nice meal. Pricy (like TJs) but easily worth it. I guess I'm surprised at the level of loyalty to TJs.

Ed, I agree with you, but for the reasons Mike Filigenzi states. Trader Joe's does not compete with Whole Foods in produce, meat, cheese or wine, not even close. For the most part they're not playing to the scratch cook who wants quality at any price. Next time you're in one note how little there is in the way of herbs, spices and things like flour. Rather, they're mostly selling to the kind of person whose challenged for time and kitchen skills and yet wants to put a more complex meal on the table--and pick up some dog food and cereal so they don't have to make two stops.

Worth noting: Trader Joe's sets one price on an item, and that's what you pay whether you're in Los Angeles, Bellingham (where I live) or New York. They make no adjustments for higher transportion costs or regional scarcity.

ummm, jenise! two buck chuck is three buck chuck here in MI. the only thing i always buy there is the Tart d'Alsace. some good wine deals - such as the estate muscadet for $7. the store here has no prepared foods and very little meat - what there is is prepackaged.

[Jenise]

ummm, jenise! two buck chuck is three buck chuck here in MI. the only thing i always buy there is the Tart d'Alsace. some good wine deals - such as the estate muscadet for $7. the store here has no prepared foods and very little meat - what there is is prepackaged.

By 'premade', I was referring to their frozen stuff where you might have thought I meant fresh pre-made. None of that here either, and as with yours, all the meat is pre-packaged. And you're right about the wine--they did vary the cost of that due to location. But stuff like cheese, no, the cost is consistent store to store.

I am in awe of the size of the "heat and eat" premade foods. I walk by, stop and gawk, and walk on. I have tried two or three with less that "OK" results, so I stay away. Another complaint from me and a few foodie friends is that there is a mold problem sometimes in produce and cheese, only a few days after getting the product home. TJ's is wonderful about replacing the item, but it is another unnecessary trip. I do buy the cheese but watch the sell by dates closely. The only produce I get there might be a different item that interests me. Last purchase was one of those beautiful stalks of brussels sprouts. Love those, but they take up so much room in my extra refer!

Karen, I have found that if I wrap left over cheese in plastic wrap, then place it in a plastic cup or bowl etc, one with a tight fitting lid, I never have any problem with mold and the cheese last about 5 times as long as if it is just wrapped.