I agree with sundevilpeg; I think Trader Joe's prices for perishables are extraordinary, but not the way the the author of that article means.

Quirky, cult-like, aspirational, but affordable: The rise and rise of Trader Joe’s
By Elaine Watson+, 15-Apr-2014

If you want to see what success looks like in US grocery retailing, look no further than Trader Joe’s. Its unique combination of affordable prices, innovative private label items and gourmet, organic, and natural foods have helped drive sales per square foot to a jaw-dropping $1,723 versus an industry average of $521 (even Whole Foods can only manage $973), according to Packaged Facts estimates.

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Market ... ader-Joe-s

There is an interesting comparative chart comparing Whole Foods and Trader Joes.

Hi- It is interesting that 47% of the shoppers at Trader Joe's make $100,000 or more. The article also mentioned that the store is gearing itself to single people and small families, and not large families.

Things I've appreciated finding at Trader Joe's lately are bags of lightly salted cashews and almonds (containing about half the salt of regular--so a good compromise, taste- and health-wise, between salt-free and regular), and pistachio nutmeats (i.e., shelled pistachios). These are not easily found other places.

riddlemay wrote:Things I've appreciated finding at Trader Joe's lately are bags of lightly salted cashews and almonds (containing about half the salt of regular--so a good compromise, taste- and health-wise, between salt-free and regular), and pistachio nutmeats (i.e., shelled pistachios). These are not easily found other places.

Are the pistachios salted or unsalted? Costco carries large bags of shelled roasted+salted, but they're less useful for baklava.

JoelF wrote:

riddlemay wrote:Things I've appreciated finding at Trader Joe's lately are bags of lightly salted cashews and almonds (containing about half the salt of regular--so a good compromise, taste- and health-wise, between salt-free and regular), and pistachio nutmeats (i.e., shelled pistachios). These are not easily found other places.

Are the pistachios salted or unsalted? Costco carries large bags of shelled roasted+salted, but they're less useful for baklava.

The pistachios are unsalted. Because of that, when I combine them in a canister with Trader Joes' half-salt almonds and cashews, the resulting blend contains approx. 33% the amount of salt that would be in the equivalent mixture of "regular salt" nuts. (If my arithmetic is right.)

NFriday wrote:Hi- It is interesting that 47% of the shoppers at Trader Joe's make $100,000 or more. The article also mentioned that the store is gearing itself to single people and small families, and not large families.

Actually, the article says that while 46% of Trader Joe shoppers make $100,000+, an equal number make $25,000 to $99,000.

riddlemay wrote:The pistachios are unsalted.

A minor correction to my above. I was in Trader Joe's again today, and the pistachio nutmeats are available unsalted and salted.

Funny piece about Trader Joe's that has a lot of truth behind it:

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food ... joe_s.html

So in my experience my local TJ's is actually faster than my local Jewel. My Jewel is understaffed with poorly trained or just unenthusiastic checkers that makes lines move incredibly slow.

However, I really don't get what people buy at TJ's. It seems like a lot of people's primary grocery store which is insane. Yes their selection of pumpkin flavored items is unparalleled, but when it comes to things to compose a meal their selection is limited, often overpriced and their produce quality is incredibly variable. If you are buying meat at TJ's it is very likely you are doing it wrong.

TJ's is great for sniping things. The nuts, the spices (if I don't want to get to an actual spice shop), fresh herbs (so expensive at Jewel), occasionally unique produce etc. But as a general purpose grocery store it is untenable unless you eat nothing but snacks and prepared meals.

..And the Unibroue Vintage Ale. I have cases of the 75cL bottles down in the beer cellar for both 2014 & 2015. It is an amazing beer, which will work for both beer trades, or for gifts to people who allegedly do not enjoy craft beer.
Read a Beer Advocate thread of the 2014 product.

goat gouda and goat brie, great quality and cheap price, especially the brie.

I sat in on the Zoom Chicago culinary Historians meeting with the person who wrote a book about Trader Joe's. There were several people there who wished that TJ's would do delivery, but they have approached them about it, and were told that they were never going to do delivery.

Several people said that the store was more geared towards people that are not into cooking, and I agree. I have been there twice since the pandemic started, and they have the best COVID precautions out of any of the stores in the Chicago area, but I don't get turned on by the store because I am not into convenience food, and there is too much in the way of cookies and other unhealthy stuff.

I agree they have the best and most consistent Covid precautions I have seen. But I wouldn't underrate Trader Joe's for its staples: milk, eggs, butter, nuts, dried fruit, flour, sugar, pasta, beer, wine, olive oil, chicken, etc. In other words, I wouldn't necessarily say it's for people who don't like to cook, per se, but for those that don't like to cook all the time or like/need convenience food and snacks around the house (for example, anyone with kids or, say, mostly stuck or working at home for some reason, like during a pandemic), I think it's great. Pot stickers, paella, pad Thai, naan, tikka ... they have all sorts of high quality items we as a family like to have around, plus a host of other surprises (from excellent personal/beauty care products to intriguing global offerings, like Israeli feta or French cultured butter), and while they do have a lot of cookies and other desserts, who doesn't?

They also have a no-questions-asked return policy, which is icing on the (don't eat the!) cake.

Hi,

If you wish to catch last night's discussion, you have choices:

Watch via Facebook.

Or you can listen via podcast.

Regards,
Cathy2

TJ is also lower in price for several items that we enjoy: bagged arugula; bagged nuts and mixes; and, particularly, both St. Andre and the heavenly Delice de Bourgogne (triple cream) cheeses. Often, the prices for the two cheeses are 50% - 66% of the same product at other stores and both are regularly available at TJ.

If you have ever eaten a slice of lightly-toasted WF Cranberry-Walnut bread slathered with DdB and topped with fresh berries, then you already know why it makes sense to stop at both stores.

Hi all!

I'm the person from the TJ Zoom session and loved hearing about all the Chicago area markets.

Cathy just told me about LTH. I feel like a new world of food friends has come before me! (I live in Oakland, CA, and I haven't seen such interesting posts since the e-gullet days.)

Yet as I eat my lunch made with lamb merguez sausage from a local butcher, walnut oil from Whole Foods, pine nuts and oranges from Trader, I thought I'd share what staples I turn to from Trader Joe's rather Costco or the abundance of other great markets we have.

1. toasted pine nuts (which are my pandemic indulgence on salads) - although I just bought a huge untoasted bag from Costco.
2. blue cheese and feta for crumbling on salads
3. tahini
4. organic peanut butter
5. blue corn chips with quinoa (there are a ton in the bag and they seem relatively healthy...when I can resist those little, thick curled organic corn chips?)
6. dairy and eggs
7. bagged carrots
8. frozen organic spinach
9. palak paneer frozen meal
10. sun block lotion - which I think they don't have right now even though Calif. has ample sun!

I definitely impulse-buy the imported triple-creme cheeses for those long, sheltering nights.

I also think TJ has done something I've never seen anyone else do with their 1 ounce pre-packed cashews, almonds, and trail mix. That is such an easy, smart idea and I keep them in my back packs, car, etc. and always bring when traveling.

(You just can't beat Costco for raw nuts and coffee as well as massive hunks of cheese and salamis.)


I'd love to hear your must-haves in case there's something new I should try!

We are still not entering stores, so it's easy to list what we're missing from TJs, which for my money does very well by foodie home cooks:

Cheap salt crystal and pepper grinders
Pre-cut butternut squash for instant Ottolenghi preps
the aforementioned toasted pine nuts
inexpensive walnut halves & pieces
generous fresh herb packages and whole herb plants
packaged non-button mushroom varieties without rusting/spotting/mold (Amazon/WF can't get this right for delivery)
red peppers for under $4 per pepper
bulk citrus
Endive and radicchio assortment
canned dolmades and tuna
canned beans
$1+ marinated olive pouches with citrus
frozen chocolate croissants
full fat yogurt, sour cream, creme fraiche, buttermilk in smaller containers
small form factor / price balsamic and oils (avocado, sesame, olive, truffle)
absurdly low-priced cooking vermouth, bourbon, sherry, vodka for sauces and pies
soyrizo and tofu stockup under $2 per package
corn chips, popped dill popcorn, kettle chips
dark chocolate
hand and dish soap
small natural sponges

We've always done better elsewhere on proteins (especially fresh and frozen seafood), breads, fruit, cheeses and deli, name brand beverages and condiments, and most non-nut baking supplies, but for pantry stockup and some more durable vegetables, herbs, soy products and citrus I think TJ was regularly a 40% savings for us every other week for the same needs.

I don't at all get the unhealthy stuff comment when every Jewel, Mariano's, and Pete's is loaded with HFCS, artificial sweeteners, palm oil, and trans fats and most (admittedly abundant) TJ snacks eschew them. I doubt any foodie chef is using one store or source for everything, so in the balance of picking and choosing I'm missing them at the moment (and / but am not yet moved to send a personal shopper there for us).

My handful of favorite TJs items:

Dijon mustard
Cornichons
Frozen Chinese dumplings
Bars of dark and white chocolate for baking (I prefer chopping up bars of chocolate to using chocolate chips)
White whole wheat flour
Joe Os (even better than the Cheerios they're copying)

Giovanna

Yes the snacks may be healthier than what you get at Jewel or Mariano's, but they still have lots of calories, and as someone who is trying to lose some weight, I am trying to avoid them. Somebody told me this summer that Trader Joe's had baked tortilla chips, but when I went to the store, they did not carry them, and I tried another bag of tortilla chips that had the least amount of fat, and I did not care for them. I only eat them when I make my own salsa in late summer, early fall. I used to buy Tostito's baked tortilla chips at Jewel, but the company quit making them during the pandemic, and Jewel does not carry them right now.

I do buy frozen yogurt at Jewel, but I would rather have that than cookies.

One thing I do buy at Trader Joe's is their Greek olive oil. It is $8.99 for a large bottle. Somebody who has a website on olive oil, recommends this olive oil. He has there is a lot of adulterated olive oil on the market.

I was just in Trader Joe's yesterday, and I bought some parmesan cheese there for $6.99 a pound. Does anybody know its country of origin? I did not see it on the label. I assume for that price it is not Italian. They used to have some parmesan from Argentina. I wonder if it is from there, or if it is domestic? BTW- I noticed that Trader Joe's now allows you to bring your own bags.

seebee wrote:Ok - for you three.
I'm NOT an avid TJ's shopper. Last time I was in one was probably early summer. If you happen to find yourself in one, find the tubs of clear plastic cookies. I usually find them lined up in shelves along the top of the freezer cases. Triple Ginger Snaps. Try them. Another thing if you dig swet nut things: Honey Sesame Cashews in the whole dried fruit/nut section. I'll stand behind these products as being rock solid. Like i said, I'm no huge fan or anything. You can walk out of there with something decent with those two things- if you ever have to be in one again.

Tried the ginger snaps based on this post and love them. Thanks.

I agree that the triple ginger snaps are excellent.

Among the other things I like and actually look for are the TJ's elote chips (a little spicy), sweet potato tortilla chips, Latin-style black bean soup with chipotle, the cheddar/gruyere cheese (TJ's own), and Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar (85% cacao from Colombia--intense, not very sweet but very satisfying). Aside from being good, these items are generally reliably available (I often fall in love with things that turn out to have been a special purchase and are never seen again). Other than that, I browse and see what catches my eye.