Please explain Trader Joe's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a Wegmans in Fairfax...

Yes, but that is still plenty far from the District.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know what I heard? That at Congressional Plaza in Rockville (Container Store, Buy Buy Baby), they are opening a "Fresh Market" grocery store which is supposed to be just like Wegmans! Not sure what is happening with the Whole Foods located there when it opens--seems like too close to have both upscale markets located but what do I know?

I think the Whole Foods is moving out and they will open a bigger and better WF store in the new development across the street from White Flint. My guess would be that the Fresh Market you are talking about will move into the current Whole Foods store, but I have no idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Wegmans in Fairfax...

I'm not the PP who pointed out that it doesn't pay for those of us who live in the city to haul our too-cosmopolitan asses way the hell out to Wegmanvilles. But my dear, it hardly argues against her point when you inform us of a Wegmans in Fairfax as if it would be of any use to us.

That's OK, all you have to do is go west on the King's 29th Highway and turn right at the third gryphon nest. If you reach the wind cloud blowing north, you've gone too far, and are at risk of being attacked by the dwarven nomads in the wilderness of Clifton. But at least we have regular trade missions to there, it has been some seven cycles of the moon since the last returned.

Plus, it's been decades since anyone went there, but I hear there are places called Leenassas and Manburg off to the uncharted west, and there is said to be a legendary river called the Sherando even further to the west, but none now living have laid eyes upon it. It is said that it floweth green on Saint Patrick's Day.

Love this!!!

Occasionally we venture out to those parts to partake of your turf soccer fields and are able to stop at Wegman's before we return to civilization.

[Anonymous]

Before the economy tanked I shopped exclusively at Whole Foods and Moms. Now I shop at TJs. TJs is like a trip to the dollar store -- it's fun but when you get home you wonder why you spent all that money on cheap knock-offs.

TJ's not for foodies although it tries to pretend it is. I do like that they have some things cheaper than anywhere, like nuts and bananas. I try never to buy produce there and NEVER buy meat there anymore. NEVER.

[Anonymous]

We buy Greek yogurt, sandwich bread, shredded cheese, cereal, nuts and frozen veggies at TJs. Everything else seems to be processed/packaged stuff that's good for fast dinners, but we tend to cook from scratch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP but there are 2 Whole Foods literally within a mile of my house (Bethesda and Friendship Hts). Tenley is about 2 miles, and Georgetown maybe 3 miles.

I like TJs for the prepared foods. I shop at both as I don't see them as interchangeable at all.

There is also one on river in bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wherefore art thou, dried strawberries?.

They still had these last week at the Foggy Bottom location. New packaging from a few years ago (a bag vs. a tub) but still there and still great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what I heard? That at Congressional Plaza in Rockville (Container Store, Buy Buy Baby), they are opening a "Fresh Market" grocery store which is supposed to be just like Wegmans! Not sure what is happening with the Whole Foods located there when it opens--seems like too close to have both upscale markets located but what do I know?

I think the Whole Foods is moving out and they will open a bigger and better WF store in the new development across the street from White Flint. My guess would be that the Fresh Market you are talking about will move into the current Whole Foods store, but I have no idea.

The Whole Foods at Congressional Plaza is indeed closing, and they'll reopen in the new development across from White Flint. The Fresh Market is taking the old Whole Foods spot at Congressional.

[Anonymous]

There is also a Fresh Market opening in Vienna this year, across the street from Giant in the Old That's Amore space. Its out of North Carolina I think, and is supposed to have specialty counters for fish and cheese, with a good selection of produce.

TJ's has gluten free waffles - can't get them at Whole Foods anymore so we make a special trip to buy them at TJ's. We also like the frozen mini-taco's.

[Anonymous]

This is for all the PPs holding their self-described foodie noses at the horror of shopping at TJs vs. WF. Most people probably don't realize where TJs even gets its wares. There's not a special TJs factory in Ohio that is lesser than the 365 WF factory in Indiana. No, actually the same vendors are supplying to both.

.... the funky shop around the corner that sources its wares from local farms and food artisans. Sometimes it does, but big, well-known companies also make many of Trader Joe's products. Those Trader Joe's pita chips? Made by Stacy's, a division of PepsiCo's (PEP, Fortune 500) Frito-Lay. On the East Coast much of its yogurt is supplied by Danone's Stonyfield Farm.

Former executives say that Trader Joe's wants neither its shoppers nor its competitors to know who's making its products. And many suppliers aren't that keen on consumers knowing that they produce a lower-cost version for Trader Joe's either. Take Tasty Bite, which makes much of Trader Joe's Indian food. The Tasty Bite Punjab Eggplant ran $3.39 at a Whole Foods in Manhattan. The seemingly identical Punjab Eggplant that the Stamford, Conn., company makes for Trader Joe's is more than $1 cheaper.

Taken from a really enlightening Fortune article that any TJ shopper should read: Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe's
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/news/companies/inside_trader_joes_full_version.fortune/index.htm

[Anonymous]

I don't get the appeal of Trader Joe's. I think its just different stuff not better and I don't think the prices are that much cheaper overall. I'm also annoyed that i can't get all my shopping done in one stop.

I love Snider's in silver spring - small family owned (rarely do i not see the manager there), some unique foods, great sales and overall prices, sells beer and wine, fast cashiers and help to your car. I can get in and out of there in 20 minutes for a weeks worth of shopping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the appeal of Trader Joe's. I think its just different stuff not better and I don't think the prices are that much cheaper overall. I'm also annoyed that i can't get all my shopping done in one stop.

I love Snider's in silver spring - small family owned (rarely do i not see the manager there), some unique foods, great sales and overall prices, sells beer and wine, fast cashiers and help to your car. I can get in and out of there in 20 minutes for a weeks worth of shopping.

Someone else said this about Snider's, so I finally went and really did not like it. It's small and expensive and I felt like I was in the early 80s. They were nice I guess...and the beer and wine in a grocery store is awesome since they usually don't have that in MD. But based on price and selection alone, I will not be going back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP but there are 2 Whole Foods literally within a mile of my house (Bethesda and Friendship Hts). Tenley is about 2 miles, and Georgetown maybe 3 miles.

I like TJs for the prepared foods. I shop at both as I don't see them as interchangeable at all.

There is also one on river in bethesda.

The River Rd one is the Bethesda one. But the Friendship Hts one is 100% nicer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clearly, the posters who don't 'get' TJs have never had their frozen macaroni and cheese. OMG. I could subsist on that alone. To. Die. For.

Oh yeeesssssssssssssssssss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is for all the PPs holding their self-described foodie noses at the horror of shopping at TJs vs. WF. Most people probably don't realize where TJs even gets its wares. There's not a special TJs factory in Ohio that is lesser than the 365 WF factory in Indiana. No, actually the same vendors are supplying to both.

.... the funky shop around the corner that sources its wares from local farms and food artisans. Sometimes it does, but big, well-known companies also make many of Trader Joe's products. Those Trader Joe's pita chips? Made by Stacy's, a division of PepsiCo's (PEP, Fortune 500) Frito-Lay. On the East Coast much of its yogurt is supplied by Danone's Stonyfield Farm.

Former executives say that Trader Joe's wants neither its shoppers nor its competitors to know who's making its products. And many suppliers aren't that keen on consumers knowing that they produce a lower-cost version for Trader Joe's either. Take Tasty Bite, which makes much of Trader Joe's Indian food. The Tasty Bite Punjab Eggplant ran $3.39 at a Whole Foods in Manhattan. The seemingly identical Punjab Eggplant that the Stamford, Conn., company makes for Trader Joe's is more than $1 cheaper.

Taken from a really enlightening Fortune article that any TJ shopper should read: Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe's
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/news/companies/inside_trader_joes_full_version.fortune/index.htm

I don't need to read articles to make up my mind about the quality of the food. All I have to do is buy it and eat it. The quality of the food at Trader Joe's is often low. I'm sure they buy up all the damaged batches of food that would otherwise be sold full price elsewhere. I buy several products at Trader Joe's because they are the identical product but the packaging or something else about the product is obviously defective. If I weren't on a low budget I would not waste my time on this.

And Trader Joe's is not organic or even "all natural" as a PP earlier said. Read the ingredients of most items and you will see that most of them are as bad as what you buy at Giant.

If you want beautiful, fresh produce that is not organic, try an asian grocery store. They have lovely, abundant, fresh produce. (Produce at TJ's sucks.)