Community Chat

[NoelSeven]

SF Gate has an article about the two stores and the results are really informative.

Check the link, they have a slideshow of quite a few items, side by side, along with the price of each.  Some are exactly the same products, others are basically the same thing.

The author mentions $100 buys one or two bags of groceries at Whole Foods, three or four at Trader Joe's.

The price disparities vary from several cents to a couple of dollars and when you add up all 30 grocery items above, Whole Foods costs $133.18 while TJoe's is $109.27.  A difference of $23.91.

Be sure to check the slideshow:

http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Trader-Joe-s-vs-Whole-Foods-A-price-comparison-6462560.php#photo-...

[ROMARY]

One thing, among many things, that I like about TJ's is that the prices are consistant for long periods of times.  Which equals=  No store membership cards, no searching online to see what's 'on sale' for each week, etc.  Translates into easy living............Oh, and p.s.  None  (zero, so far) of the packaging, whether cardboard or plastic, smell like chemicals and/or bug spray, like the other supermarkets' packaging often does.  I've had to return items in supermarkets because of the strong odors, especially on bread wrappers, which has penetrated into the bread and other foods. A real pet- peeve around here, and among my neighbors.

[ROMARY]

p.s.  Which reminds me, years ago, tissues (such as Kleenex, but not necessarily Kleenex), smelled so strong (chemicals), that my Mom kept sneezing when she used one, and I had a nose bleed.  Had to return them to our national drug store.  They stored them next to some type of chemicals and/or laundry detergents, etc.  The sales clerk took a whiff, and she started coughing. 

[NoelSeven]

Hi ROMARY,

I agree, I don't care about sales, TJoe prices are good every day.  We go about once a week and get most of our basics there: cereal, milk, butter, tortillas, salads, sliced sandwich cheese, etc.

[ROMARY]

Yes, and the clerks are soooo very nice!  Cheerful!  Clerks wandering around, asking if everything is ok and if we need help finding something, etc.  (Very happy face)

[NoelSeven]

Yes, their customer service is TOPS 

[muttmom]

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@ROMARY wrote:

p.s.  Which reminds me, years ago, tissues (such as Kleenex, but not necessarily Kleenex), smelled so strong (chemicals), that my Mom kept sneezing when she used one, and I had a nose bleed.  Had to return them to our national drug store.  They stored them next to some type of chemicals and/or laundry detergents, etc.  The sales clerk took a whiff, and she started coughing. 

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There was a time some tissues were scented, I believe PUFFS was one of the brands.

I have never seen in any grocery store, paper products placed next to detergent, soaps or any chemicals.  Between tissues, TP, paper towels, paper plates, food storage/garbage bags, and food wraps, more than a large two-sided aisle is filled.

The same is true for all soaps, and cleaning products for both kitchen and bathrooms.

Grocery stores are set-up not to have clashing products and scents near each other.

I do not know where you shop or what brands you buy but if I had to take bread back because it smelled like chemicals, I'd shop elsewhere.

[Moonchilde]

Several years ago now, when we had a many-months grocery strike, I started shopping more at Whole Foods (I already shopped at TJs). I didn't care about buying organic, so that was never the draw. I bought a lot of ready-to-eat foods, fruit, cheeses, wine and a few other things.

But after doing this for maybe 18 months, including after the strike was over, I just decided that WF was way overpriced for whatever I was buying. Ridiculously overpriced. No matter how convenient it was, there *is* a line between paying a bit more for that, and just being ripped off. And where I live, saying you shop "only" at WF is a status thing - you're either richer or your health matter more to you than your neighbors or co-workers. For me it became empty boasts from people who have money to flush. I have no desire to go to WF any more.

[NoelSeven]

MC, it's that way here, too.  WF is a lot about bragging rights.

It's not easy to get to in the city, in fact, it's a real chore, so I haven't been there in quite awhile.  There's a nice one down the peninsula, but that's almost an hour's drive.

I wish we had a Wegmans but that's not going to happen, lol.

[NoelSeven]

While I'm thinking of it, two of my favorite products at TJoe's are their pilaf and their Israeli couscous. 

I often use the  couscous as the basis for a salad, incorporating pieces of asparagus and topping with a little of their really great Israeli feta.