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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,462
Registered: ‎07-20-2014

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store

I probably buy 50-60% of my groceries at Trader Joe's, with the remainder being spread out among Whole Foods, Sam's, Costco, Target, and a local grocery chain.

 

My only complaint about TJs is the lack of local produce in the summer.  Most of the tomatoes are either from Mexico or Canada.  It's what I like about Whole Foods, they offer a lot of locally grown produce so I prefer to buy it there.

 

What I do love and respect about TJs is how much they give back to the community.  I park in the back parking lot and almost every time I go, there are organizations picking up donated food and flowers at the loading dock.   They keep a sign inside with the amount they have donated year to date, and it was close to $1M, for one smallish store.  For 2016, TJs donated $341 in goods not fit for sale but still good to consume, to food banks.

 

There is an excellent documentary on Amazon Prime about food waste, called Just Eat It.  It is really eye opening how much food goes to waste.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,739
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store

I don't mind going to another store to pick up cleaning products and toiletries, and paper products. I buy in bulk and don't need to shop for them every week

 

It's not that big of a deal to me.  I could get all my  food stuffs there, if I were so inclined.

 

They have items I can't find at my regular store. I'm pleased with them

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,762
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store

[ Edited ]

@Moonchilde wrote:

 

I couldn't resist posting this - kinda surprised no one else has. I know that every TJs thread brings out the "Why I Don't Like TJs", "Why I'm Not Impressed with TJs", etc. But this is a survey of 70,000 people across the country.  Hee! Go, TJ's!


By WCVB

BOSTON —
Americans have a new favorite grocery store.


The annual ratings come from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which interviews about 70,000 consumers every year. Results for each store are measured on a scale of 0-100, with the highest levels of satisfaction at the top of the scale.

 

Overall, satisfaction with supermarkets was 78 percent. That's up nearly 7 percent from the year before.

 

Trader Joe's sits atop the 2016 supermarket results, with a rating of 86 percent. That chain had grown from 300 stores in 2013 to 460 by the end of last year.

 

Only one store on the list declined from its high rating. Wegmans, which had a rating of 86 percent a year ago, dipped 3 percentage points -- enough to move the chain down into to a three-way tie for third place.

 

Top 18 grocery stores for customer satisfaction:

Trader Joe's - 86%
Publix - 84%
ALDI - 83%
H-E-B - 83%
Wegmans - 83%
Whole Foods - 81%
Other - 79%
Hy-Vee - 79%
Kroger - 79%
ShopRite - 79%
Meijer - 78%
Target - 78%
Southeastern Grocers - 77%
Ahold Delhaize (Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Hannaford) - 76%
SUPERVALU - 76%
Albertsons Companies - 75%
Giant Eagle - 74%
Walmart - 67%


I agree with the poster who responded that TJ's is NOT like a regular grocery store.  I love TJ's for certain items:  Jumbo Eggs and milk - cheap, bread nice variety, nuts,

produce (as long as you eat it right away).  

 

There are frozen Specialty type foods I love to pick for company like Orange Chicken, Pot Stickers, Cheese cakes. 

 

I like Wegman's for meat and produce.  Excellent quality and the prices are reasonable.  Plus - I buy the meat already portion packaged.

 

 Our Trader Joe's just moved 1.5 miles away.  The parking lot is so dead.  It is really sad.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,504
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store


@ValuSkr wrote:

@Irshgrl31201 wrote:

I do like Trader Joes a lot but the one near us has such a small parking area it is literally impossible to find a place to park no matter what time you go.


Same here.  There are two TJ's near me and both parking lots are much too small.  I wonder if that's intentional - surely, when TJ's plans a store, it can accurately forecast parking requirements - or just poor planning.  In either case, I lump it, with other examples, under "poor customer service."  


 

 

FWIW, TJs always seem to have "small", packed parking lots. They are not the same size in square footage as a large chain grocery, so why would their parking lots be the size of a much larger square footage store? That doesn't make sense.

 

The lots are packed because the stores are full of (happy) customers.

 

Poor customer service? Customer service is their best asset. Their employees are cheerful and helpful. They are well-paid and also financially invested in the company. They promote from within. Any of them will stop what they're doing and check anything for you, bring stock out from the warehouse, offer to put an arriving item aside for you. They always have multiple check-outs open. Everyone who shops there is in a good mood.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,829
Registered: ‎03-18-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store


@dex wrote:

@Irshgrl31201@My son has sprouts and it is one of his favourite stores I went once.We have Trader Joe's and I remember telling my son that I wished we had Sprouts.I think they had great produce and health products but little meat choices.


Thank you @dex, I wanted to stop but I was in the left lane and there was no time to get over. Think I will check it out tomorrow.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
JFK
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,462
Registered: ‎07-20-2014

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store


@Moonchilde wrote:

@ValuSkr wrote:

@Irshgrl31201 wrote:

I do like Trader Joes a lot but the one near us has such a small parking area it is literally impossible to find a place to park no matter what time you go.


Same here.  There are two TJ's near me and both parking lots are much too small.  I wonder if that's intentional - surely, when TJ's plans a store, it can accurately forecast parking requirements - or just poor planning.  In either case, I lump it, with other examples, under "poor customer service."  


 

 

FWIW, TJs always seem to have "small", packed parking lots. They are not the same size in square footage as a large chain grocery, so why would their parking lots be the size of a much larger square footage store? That doesn't make sense.

 

The lots are packed because the stores are full of (happy) customers.

 

Poor customer service? Customer service is their best asset. Their employees are cheerful and helpful. They are well-paid and also financially invested in the company. They promote from within. Any of them will stop what they're doing and check anything for you, bring stock out from the warehouse, offer to put an arriving item aside for you. They always have multiple check-outs open. Everyone who shops there is in a good mood.


I so agree about the check out.  TJs has the best, and fastest by far, of any of the other places I shop.  Which is why I hate going to Target.  They never have enough checkout lines open and the ones that are seem really slow to me,

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,620
Registered: ‎09-22-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store

 


@Caligurll wrote:

I probably buy 50-60% of my groceries at Trader Joe's, with the remainder being spread out among Whole Foods, Sam's, Costco, Target, and a local grocery chain.

 

My only complaint about TJs is the lack of local produce in the summer.  Most of the tomatoes are either from Mexico or Canada.  It's what I like about Whole Foods, they offer a lot of locally grown produce so I prefer to buy it there.

 

What I do love and respect about TJs is how much they give back to the community.  I park in the back parking lot and almost every time I go, there are organizations picking up donated food and flowers at the loading dock.   They keep a sign inside with the amount they have donated year to date, and it was close to $1M, for one smallish store.  For 2016, TJs donated $341 in goods not fit for sale but still good to consume, to food banks.

 

There is an excellent documentary on Amazon Prime about food waste, called Just Eat It.  It is really eye opening how much food goes to waste.


@Caligurll

 

The donating food is very common.  I volunteer in a local food bank and we pick up food from Trader Joe's, Costco, Kroger, PCC (local co-op), Metropolitan Market, Safeway and Whole Foods every week.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,153
Registered: ‎05-22-2012

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store


@Carmie wrote:

Most if the grocery stores on that list including Traders Joes is not in the area where I live. I have never even heard of them.

 

i don't know where that poll was taken, but it certainly wasn't in Pennsylvania.


HEB always makes it into the top 5 and they are only located in Texas.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,620
Registered: ‎09-22-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store

I am in the Seattle area and except for Whole Foods, Kroger and Target we don't have those other stores.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,752
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Trader Joe's - America's Favorite Grocery Store

They are rated poor customer service because of a small parking lot?  That doesn't make sense to me.