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Evening Open Thread | 234 comments (234 topical)
How come Trader Joe (5.00 / 2) (#38)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 06:59:56 PM EST
discontinues every product I fall in love with and incorporate as a staple in my diet?

[ Parent ]
Trader Joe (5.00 / 1) (#57)
by stillife on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:13:02 PM EST
is coming to my Brooklyn neighborhood at some unspecified date this year.  I can't wait!

I haven't shopped there enough to be aware of the discontinued products, but I've had this problem at regular supermarkets.  My daughter and I always joke that whenever "they" find out we like a product - bam! It's discontinued.

I have heard that TJ's products fluctuate a lot due to availability b/c they always try to get the cheapest price.

[ Parent ]

Don't get me started on TJ (none / 0) (#91)
by Stellaaa on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:35:05 PM EST
 
Coulombe sold the renamed Trader Joe's in 1979 to the family trust established by Theo Albrecht, and he retired in 1988.
Business Week

Albrecht, who is he?  German billionaire, owns largest Euro/sort of Wall martish chain that has put out of business loads of small shops.  I avoid TJ's.  Sorry, they are predatory.  

[ Parent ]

Oh, noes! (none / 0) (#100)
by stillife on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:38:28 PM EST
In my naivete, I thought it was a "nice" company.  Next thing you're gonna tell me is that he's a big contributor to Hope 527.  That would be the final straw!

[ Parent ]
It's a great parallel (none / 0) (#107)
by Stellaaa on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:42:32 PM EST
Just as creepy as big corporate others, but they put out a facade of "change", "hope" etc.  they are privately held, so many think it's owned by a hippie guy in LA.  Albrecht is in the top 20 of Forbes richest people.  They have great PR.  

[ Parent ]
Reminds me of Urban Outfitters (none / 0) (#124)
by stillife on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:57:05 PM EST
where my daughter shops.  Ex-hippie, turned Repug. Split with his former business partner under rather dubious circumstances, I believe.  She stayed true to the cause and he sold out.

My daughter's a Kucinich-supporting, left-wing feminista, but she likes their clothes.  :(

[ Parent ]

Yes and no (none / 0) (#153)
by facta non verba on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:24:11 PM EST
The Albrecht brothers are indeed very wealthy billionaires, top 10. They own Aldi which operates in Europe and in the United States. German retailing is very price sensitive and the EDLP format that Aldi and Trader Joe's subscribe to in effect keeps prices low. Labour is minimal at both Aldi and TJs. Aldi stores are very small under 5,000 sq feet and generally carry only one brand (usually a private label) or distressed goods (products that for some reason did not meet manufacturers' quality control). Trader Joe's is a little different. It is also EDLP but the stores are much bigger, 25,000 to 50,000 square feet. TJs works with companies to make products that meet a very rigourous quality control.

TJs and Aldi treat their employees well. They receive a raise after one month's service and benefits after 90 days including health and a 401(k). I wouldn't put the Albrechts in the company of Wal-Mart. They are much more progressive.

[ Parent ]

In the sense (none / 0) (#154)
by Stellaaa on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:26:22 PM EST
that they put the smaller shops out of business.  Yes, it's the Euro model, but still, large corporate and monolithic.  

[ Parent ]
TJ's employees (none / 0) (#201)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:16:31 PM EST
are unusually well paid, have first-rate benefits and are treated very well by management. It may be a big chain, but they do pretty much everything right by their customers, their employees and their suppliers, as far as I can see.

I used to live within walking distance of where a TJ's moved in, and ended up buying about 80 percent of my groceries from them.

Now I live a 6-hour round trip away from the nearest one, and I make the trip a couple times a year to stock up.

[ Parent ]

When TJ hit town here (none / 0) (#97)
by Cream City on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:38:09 PM EST
I was anticipating it, as a sister-in-law would bring all sorts of goodies from her town's TJ when she came to visit.  But I wanted more tips -- she is not always as adventurous as am I -- so I googled and came up with sites where TJers in other towns talked about the best buys.

Try it and look especially for the discussion site for the original TJ's in San Francisco.  It's hilarious.  That must be a town full of frustrated novelists, as some of the posts went on for eons and veered off into philosophies of life and the like.

[ Parent ]

Original TJs is in Southern California (none / 0) (#102)
by Stellaaa on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:39:55 PM EST


[ Parent ]
Be adventurous! (none / 0) (#205)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:20:10 PM EST
The incredibly cool thing about TJ's is they happily refund your money for anything you try and don't happen to like.  Doesn't have to be damaged or spoiled or anything, just if it doesn't meet your taste.

They also have somebody who cooks up stuff from their ingredients to give away generous free samples pretty much every day around lunchtime, and I've ended up buying lots of stuff I would never even have considered because it turned out to be so good.

Best of all, I've found, all their products use good ingredients, so none of them are overloaded with spices and artificial flavorings to conceal a poor basic ingredient.

TJ FOR PRESIDENT!!! (oops, sorry)

[ Parent ]

Ahh yes, TJ anticipation (none / 0) (#214)
by Virginian on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:28:58 PM EST
I know it well

We moved from DC suburbs to Charlottesville, VA (grad school/med school) and have had to dedicate weekends to driving 2 hours north to stock up...but soon one will be opening an hour away......small victory

[ Parent ]

Have you been to the one on 14th street? (none / 0) (#116)
by nycstray on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:49:38 PM EST
I keep meaning to go for the wine specials  ;)

Where in Brooklyn?

[ Parent ]

Yes I have (none / 0) (#132)
by stillife on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:08:35 PM EST
I live in Boerum Hill, near Atlantic Center.  My neighborhood is subway mecca - I'm near most of the subway lines.  It's not a big deal to go from my house to Union Square on the 4 train, but still it's a schlep carrying shopping bags.

There will be no wine at the store in Brooklyn.  :(  Stupid New York blue laws.

[ Parent ]

P.S. (none / 0) (#133)
by stillife on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:09:45 PM EST
Probably in answer to your question, the new TJ's will be at Atlantic and Court which is an excellent location for me - I work on Court Street, so it's on the way home.  

[ Parent ]
Thanks, good to know. (none / 0) (#149)
by nycstray on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:21:04 PM EST
I'm over in Williamsburg, so 14th is a hop skip. Lucky you that it will be on your way home! I pop over that way on occasion. Prob more often this summer, so I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

[ Parent ]
10-4!!!! (none / 0) (#51)
by andgarden on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:09:37 PM EST
They had this amazing lemongrass chicken rice bowl that hasn't appeared in my TJ for more than a year. I still look for it. ::sniffle::

[ Parent ]
I looooove that soup (none / 0) (#92)
by Cream City on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:35:20 PM EST
and now you worry me.  I could get it at my TJ's until recently, but it wasn't there this week.

Ditto my TJ's chicken shumai, mmmmm.

I think I'm gonna have to hit my local Asian stores again.  Btw, if you have a Noodles nearby, I rec the Thai curry soup, too.  Spicier, though -- good for clearing sinuses in this hay fever season, achoooo.

[ Parent ]

Was it TJ brand? (none / 0) (#112)
by nycstray on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:47:36 PM EST
They said last summer/fall they would no longer use imported ingredients from China in their products. It was supposed to be phased out by the first of the year iirc.

They were one of the few responsible companies during the pet food recall and stayed on top of things throught out the recalls etc.

[ Parent ]

Yeah, the Chinese (none / 0) (#195)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:11:59 PM EST
ingredient thing is probably what's going on.  Knowing TJ, though, they're likely to eventually come through with non-Chinese makers for the same or similar products if they were popular.  I'm sure that fabulous frozen vegetable tempura is from China, so that's probably gone too. (sob)

[ Parent ]
They were reacting to the customers (none / 0) (#209)
by nycstray on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:23:24 PM EST
which I like. There was a lot of concern about the imports. Some of us made the mistake of following the refusal lists on the FDA site. OY! We should really be supplying more of our base ingredients. And adopt regs closer to the EU.

They may end up doing some local sourcing. I know that is encouraged here. And while it's more expensive, people are waking up and willing to adjust a bit when it comes to food. Especially if crap food is getting expensive.

[ Parent ]

But, TJs has the BEST (none / 0) (#217)
by suisser on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:39:11 PM EST
reusable grocery bags. They have turned me into a careless, non- pontificating user of myown bags.  Sort of becomes a non-issue when the bags work.
They make it easy to "just do it".

[ Parent ]
discontinues every product I fall in love with (none / 0) (#234)
by BarnBabe on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:04:31 PM EST
OK, not food related. But I am a blond. But I need to enhance it and every time I find the right shade of Light Ash Blond, they discontinue it and offer a new product. That ones drives me nuts. No Trader Joe's near here in PA, but I use to go there all the time in San Diego. Loved that store.

[ Parent ]

Evening Open Thread | 234 comments (234 topical)

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