Mini Tote Bags? Those are a thing? Apparently, yes. And we knew we loved them – that’s why we decided to sell them. We absolutely did not predict how much our customers would love them. So what’s up with these adorable little tote-lets? Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)
Ah, spring. Birds singing, trees blooming, and products arriving, at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re getting up close and personal with some of our favorite new and returning products for spring. Chocolate Donut Holes? OMD yes. Orange Wine? We spend some time with our resident wine expert to talk about wine of many colors. We’ll take a peek at – and a taste of – Piquant Popcorn. Can we talk about the Cinnamon Twist Danish Pastry? Yes we can, and yes ...
There are things that tie every Trader Joe’s together – delicious products, terrific everyday prices, and phenomenal Crew Members to name a few. Yet every store is also different. How can they all be different? That’s easy – we’re a neighborhood grocery store, and every store is in a unique neighborhood. The Crew reflects the neighborhood, the layout of the store reflects the neighborhood, and there are often signs and murals that reflect the neighborhood. Our store in Providence, Rhode Island i...
The votes are in, and the time has come to reveal the winners of the 15th Annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards! (Can we stop for a moment to consider that this is the 15th Annual Customer Choice Awards? Seriously, we never saw this coming…) We’ve changed things up a bit this year, adding a couple of new categories for consideration – and that’s resulted in some new products in the winners’ circle. Excellent! Get ready for a (not-so) surprising upset in the Bath, Body & Home category an...
Year’s end is a wonderful time for remembrances and reflections… it’s also an excellent time (some may say the best time) for toasting to what’s to come, for raising a glass to a hopeful future. We’ll drink to that! And we can’t think of a better drink for that toast than La Burgondie Crémant de Bourgogne, a crisp and easy-drinking sparkling wine from the Burgundy region of France. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we take you inside the winery where this stellar sparkler is styled, and we...
When the holliest and jolliest of holiday seasons is on the agenda, Trader Joe’s should absolutely be on your list of must-visits. In this episode, we celebrate some of the best we have to offer this holiday season. Danish cookies and delightfully decorated pretzels; candles redolent of chocolate croissants and 12 Days of Beauty to make your skin and spirit shine; cinnamon bun inspired coffee accoutrements and baking mixes… and SO. MUCH. MORE. To make your season merry and bright, have a listen,...
In this mini episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we spend just a few minutes with our Chairman and CEO, Bryan Palbaum, and our Vice CEO and President, Jon Basalone, to talk about the things we’re thankful for this year. Friends, family, customers, Crew Members, favorite products being in-stock… And thanks to you, as always, for listening. Transcript (PDF)
Before most of the world has even packed away its holiday decorations, Trader Joe’s is busy developing new products for the following year’s holiday season. How do we decide which products you’ll see in stores during the holidays? Our Tasting Panel is at the heart of it, and in this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re taking you inside the Holiday Tasting Panel, a days-long event where our product developers put forth their best ideas for future holiday fare, and The Panel tastes and questions...
You can see what’s in a product just by looking at the ingredient listing on the package. What you might not know is that Trader Joe’s has a long list of ingredients we don’t use in our products. There are reasons we use certain things, and reasons we don’t use other things. What’s what, and more importantly, why? Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)...
Are you ready to fall in love? With fabulous faves like Fall Harvest Salsa and Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese? Or maybe new, destined-to-be-faves like Mini Maple Marshmallows or Maple Fudge? (Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention some returning Maple marvels as well.) This fall-forward episode of Inside Trader Joe’s is a harbinger of the season, and a surefire way to whet your appetite for all things cozy and comforting. Honeycrisp Apple Granola? Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars? (Yes...
Did you know that every product on the shelves at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s goes through a rigorous tasting process before we decide to sell it? Rigorous tasting? What the heck does that even mean, Trader Joe’s? In a nutshell, it means we don’t just offer something for sale because we can ; we only offer those things that taste great and represent a great value. To make those decisions, we taste everything – and tasting is, perhaps surprisingly, not the same as eating. It’s careful, it’s co...
Every Trader Joe’s has a few things in common – delicious products, excellent everyday prices, and really terrific people. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re talking to some of those people. We had the opportunity to chat with a group of Trader Joe’s Crew Members in Chicago, and then we sat down with our CEO and President/Vice-CEO so they could answer some of the insightful questions that came out of that conversation. As Trader Joe’s continues to grow, it’s the Crew working in your n...
Private label? What on earth is that? A label you can’t see, a hidden tag, a marker wearing a mask? Perhaps unsurprisingly, “Private Label” is none of these things. What it IS is enormously important to what makes Trader Joe’s, well, Trader Joe’s. Listen in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)
This episode of Inside Trader Joe’s is dedicated to sandwiches and salads in the sun, snacks in the shade, frozen treats in the sand (seaside or lakefront, of course), and all manner of food fabulousness in between. In other words, we are 100% ready for summer. How ready? Oh, we’re Lemon Pesto ready. We’re Strawberry Lemonade Ice Bar ready. We’re S’Mores Ice Cream ready. Listen in, then come on in and stock up on all the super summertime stuff your neighborhood TJ’s has to offer. Transcript (PDF...
Why doesn’t Trader Joe’s have online shopping? Why don’t you deliver? The answer is, we believe the store is our brand, that what happens within the four walls of your neighborhood Trader Joe’s is a huge part of what makes Trader Joe’s special. Our business is built on people – the people who shop in our stores and the people who work in our stores – and a constant flow of new and exciting products, offered at excellent, everyday prices. In other words, we’re a bricks and mortar store on purpose...
In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re back at the hacks, with delicious and often unexpected ways to use Trader Joe’s products throughout the store. Pizza Dough and Biscuits on hand but not in the mood for Pizza or Biscuits? We’re here for you. We’re considering all the possible ways of using Everything But The Bagel Seasoning… what’s your favorite? Meals out of mezze? Yes. Got an empty jar from a favorite TJ’s product? You could recycle, but you can also reuse! And just wait ‘til you he...
The vernal equinox is near, days are getting longer, and we have high hopes for higher temperatures day by day. All these things point to spring’s arrival as surely as this latest shopping list episode of Inside Trader Joe’s. There are so many fun new products to try – from Bananas! Bananas! Chocolate (that’s one product, and it’s delish) and a Chromatic Celebration Cake (trust us here), to our most verdurous candle yet and a Mini Sheet Cake that delivers a punch of puckery pleasure… did we ment...
On this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we take you to a super-secret, underground, high school club – the Trader Joe’s Club! What, your high school didn’t have one? Neither did ours… but we found out about some high schools that do, and, well, how could we resist? We really couldn’t, so we sat down with some cool kids (it’s hip to say, cool, right?) to cover all things Trader Joe’s. Listen in… it’s totally bussin’. Transcript (PDF)...
We’ve tallied the votes (all 18,000+ of them!), and the winners of the 14th Annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards have been decided. When it comes to sweets and desserts, what takes the cake? What’s the favorite for folks feeling snacky? And what do you love most overall when you walk our aisles? On this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re announcing this year’s winners, and shining a light on some old favorites being honored in a whole new way. Transcript (PDF)...
We get this question all the time, and it’s a good one. The truth is, once you start to think about “loyalty programs,” you quickly realize there’s nothing in them to promote loyalty. They’re just ever-so-slightly-disguised ways to collect data about your purchases. We look at loyalty with a significantly different lens. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)...
Phew! What a year! The end of one year, the start of another… there’s a reason folks get reflective at this time of year. Trader Joe’s is no different, as it turns out. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re looking back at the year that was, and forward, to the year ahead. Stores have opened, Crew Members have been hired – and promoted! – and millions of meals have been shared with our neighbors… We’re excited about what’s to come, and we look forward to seeing you at your neighborhood T...
Chestnuts (roasting on an open fire)? Check. Peppermint Hold the Cones? Check. Cedar Balsam Candles? Check. And check. This is a big, bold holiday season shopping list episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, filled with the fun and festive fare you count on us to deliver. Join us as we peruse the aisles and take a foray through the freezers, finding returning favorites and some exciting new discoveries along the way. What’s that? Carolers at the door? Check. Transcript (PDF)...
Wine makes people nervous. We get it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Like the rest of your TJ’s shopping experience, we think buying wine should be a fun and feel like an adventure. So, when you go to your neighborhood Trader Joe’s looking for a bottle of wine, and you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for… don’t panic! There are knowledgeable Crew Members there who can help. They taste the wines, they know which wines taste great with which foods, and they’re always happy to make sugg...
If there’s a question we get more than “When are all the holiday products coming back?” it’s definitely “What’s up with your parking lots?” We get it. They’re small. Which kind of makes sense when you think about it. Which we do. A lot. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to find out everything you ever wanted to know (and let’s be honest, probably a whole lot more) about Trader Joe’s parking lots. Transcript (PDF)...
Aloha shirts as far as the eye can see, new products for everyone to taste, and So. Much. Energy! It’s the Trader Joe’s Annual Captains’ Meeting, and you have a front row seat, so to speak. Have a listen to find out about our plans for the future, the return of Demo (yes!), your store Captain’s favorite product, and what the heck is a Golden Potsticker Award! Transcript (PDF) Golden Potsticker Award Winners: Store # Location 8 Fresno, CA 26 Hillcrest, San Diego, CA 46 Orange, CA 59 Santa Barbara...
Ever walk into your neighborhood TJ’s to find your favorite product is no longer on the shelf? It happens to us, too! A big part of shopping at Trader Joe’s is finding new things to love, and because our stores are small, making room for those new favorites means some old standbys may have to make way. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)...
Autumn is in the air… and your neighborhood Trader Joe’s is filled with the finest that fall has to offer – for a limited time, of course! In the mood for maple? Marvelous. Craving caramel apples and cinnamon rolls? What a coincidence; so are we! Sweet on squash? Super. Pining for pumpkin? Perfect timing! Listen in to the latest episode of Inside Trader Joe’s for all this and a gathering of wine, beer, and spirits that will lift the spirit of any gathering. Transcript (PDF)...
What’s the difference between a “hack” and a “recipe”? We honestly have no idea, but whether you call them “hacks” or “recipes,” we have some more to share. We heard from customers and Crew Members from around the country about fun, easy, delicious ways to enjoy so many Trader Joe’s products. A sweet use for pizza dough? Yes! Scallion pancakes as taco shells? Yes, please! A cake made with sparkling fruit juice? Excuse us while we head to the kitchen. We have some hacking to do… #traderjoesproduc...
That empty building from Part One? It’s a whole lot less empty now. Crew Members are working hard, designing the look of the store – spoiler alert, it looks like its neighborhood! – from wall murals to shelf signs, stocking shelves with your favorite TJ’s products (and some new stuff you haven’t seen yet), and establishing relationships with community organizations focused on ending hunger, so when we open, we’re ready to be a neighborhood store in every possible way. We have a great Crew, in a ...
Fade in on an empty building. Four walls, some windows, not much else. How does that empty space become a bustling neighborhood grocery store? It’s a good story, and one that involves a whole bunch of hard-working, super talented people. In Part One, we’ll talk to the folks who find the perfect location and the folks who get stuff built. We also get to chat with some Crew Members getting the store ready to welcome their neighbors. It’s a lot of work, and these folks are having a great time doing...
