WHOLE FOODS v. TRADER JOE'S: A Price Comparison - Page 6

sueinsf · ‎03-13-2010

@reiki604 wrote:
I do about 90% of my shopping at Trader Joe's. We don't have a whole foods near here. The paper goods , laundry detergent etc I get at Costco. During the Spring to fall I get my meats, fish, etc. from the farmers market. I hardly ever go into a supermarket anymore. Maybe once or twice a month. I love my Trader Joe's.

I have both a TJ and a WF within walking distance and go to both, although I too probably do about 90% of my shopping at TJ's. Some things I do prefer at WF and some things I get there that TJ's doesn't stock. Occasionally I go to Safeway (pretty rarely) or Costco.

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

We have neither store here. There's a TJ an hour and a half away. I go there 3 or 4 times a year and load up. I visited WF when traveling for work and found it very expensive.

sunshine45 · ‎03-09-2010

we have so many grocery stores close by......lots of options......major chains, a local family owned chain, trader joes, wegmans, smaller specialty neighborhoods stores, lots of ethnic markets, warehouse stores, and the fresh market.

i rarely go into trader joes because i just dont see anything that stands out for me. plus, ours has a fairly small parking lot where it is often tough to get a space, especially around the holidays.

my absolute favorite smaller market is THE FRESH MARKET......i love all the smells in that store! they have excellent meats, it is small and "intimate", lots of unusual things from all over the world, they will give you a taste of almost anything. the entire atmosphere makes you want to stay all day just to look around! it is a bit more expensive, but worth it for me for the quality and the selection.

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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

GingerPeach · ‎03-12-2010

As I said earlier, it's not about price for me.

For me, it's about trusting where the food is sourced. I found a couple of sources that question Trader Joe's approach:

http://foodbabe.com/2013/08/07/what-is-trader-joes-hiding/

http://groundswell.org/the-truth-behind-trader-joes-what-you-may-not-know-about-tjs-brand/

There are others.

Basically, Trader Joe's keeps its sources quiet. So you may or you may not be getting something that's grown in a healthy way, has no GMOs, or is otherwise sustainably produced. You just don't know with Trader Joe's. So a shopper has to choose what is important. That's up to each individual.

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.

winamac1 · ‎12-29-2010

@sunshine45 wrote:
we have so many grocery stores close by......lots of options......major chains, a local family owned chain, trader joes, wegmans, smaller specialty neighborhoods stores, lots of ethnic markets, warehouse stores, and the fresh market.

i rarely go into trader joes because i just dont see anything that stands out for me. plus, ours has a fairly small parking lot where it is often tough to get a space, especially around the holidays.

my absolute favorite smaller market is THE FRESH MARKET......i love all the smells in that store! they have excellent meats, it is small and "intimate", lots of unusual things from all over the world, they will give you a taste of almost anything. the entire atmosphere makes you want to stay all day just to look around! it is a bit more expensive, but worth it for me for the quality and the selection.

I love Fresh Market too. Fresh Market, though, is as expensive as Whole Foods. I don't go there too often, but they do have a few good sales on seafood and poultry. There's one five or so minutes from my house.

"friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel"