Trader Joe’s .. why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The produce is often a gamble (it’s better in the West), but the prices/quality for prepared foods, bread are so much better than regular grocery. I like that they are HFCS free and private label is GMO free.

The seasonal flavors are fun (pumpkin mini cone love right here), and they actually have customer service. No one in the world is more invested in your emotional well being than your cashier.

What is with that last sentence?

You don’t understand hyperbole?

Obviously, there are other people more invested in your emotional well being than TJ’s cashiers. That said, they deliberately hire people who display kind and empathetic interaction skills and they teach all of their teams customer service. This is why if you ask where something is, you get a clear answer, often an escort, or they find out if they don’t know. It’s one of the few places that stil has a customer service counter,

When cashiers talk to you at the register they make an effort to read whether you want to chat, or just be quiet after greeting. They also are on the lookout for customers who are having really awful days. For example, in my grandmother’s last days I had stopped in to grab something for the kids to have for dinner. It was obvious that I had been crying and I was very quiet. They gave me a bouquet. This is not a unique situation, they don’t do it all the time, it’s for people who seem to be really distressed.

[Anonymous]

I like to get one of the per-made sandwiches or wraps for the way home. Always fresh. Which I can't say for all the produce all the time.

[Anonymous]

I tend to agree with a lot of the criticism here. I opened up a package of tortillas 2 days after purchase and they were all moldy. I do tell the office whenever this happens and show them the receipt and they always refund me. I keep the receipts in the reusable bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The produce is better than it is at giant, Harris teeter or Safeway in Bethesda so it’s a total no brainer. It’s also so much easier to shop and more pleasant. Great eggs, milk, dairy selection. I don’t understand how people can go to giant though so to each their own.

The produce is terrible. I bought a big bag of organic apples like are like animal feed. The meat isn't really cheaper, either.

We go there regularly but only for specific items. I only buy produce there in a pinch.

[Anonymous]

I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

I don't know a single person who does all their shopping at TJs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was there yesterday. Bought romaine, cucumber, banana , bell peppers , potatoes, chicken breast, ricotta, mozzarella, pasta, bone broth, cinnamon sticks, naan, frozen organic fruit for smoothies, popcorn kernels, dog treats, peanut butter, and their less salty version of Chex Mix. All the produce except bananas was organic. I can’t get this quality at such a low price anywhere else.

I used to do that, because I'm a divorced mom who is very, very price sensitive.

But I had to quit, because over a period of a year or so, the following items on your list were moldy when I arrived home or went bad / moldy / rank vinegar / liquidy within 3 days of arriving home:

romaine
Bell pepper
potatoes (sprouted)
chicken breast (vinegar feces smell upon opening package)
ricotta
mozarella
naan (fresh version, not the frozen)
dog treats (salmon, they were recalled)

Now i'm going to add items that have ALSO molded or decomposed within 0-48 hours upon arriving home:
blackberries
apples
that cinnamon monkey pull apart bread
strawberries
blueberries
greek yogurt
taziki
walnut pieces

That is a huge list, isn't it? And I do not have the time to be traipsing back and forth to TJ's and standing in the customer service line to get my $3.75 back for every &%$# moldy / rancid item. And I'm too price sensitive to be like, huh, bummer, guess I'll toss all 5 of these yogurts every week rather than spend time getting my $7 back.

Yes, I'm sure the frozen pizza or can of black beans is unlikely to have mold and, if it wasn't recalled for botulism, is probably fine to consume. But TJ's is such a limited, limited shop if one wants to avoid likely-to-spoil food and I don't have time to go to multiple stores just to save 75 cents on a can of black beans that hopefully isn't botulistic

You lost me with this.

Why? Because you enjoy that feces scent that mass production poultry suppliers attempt to cover up with bleach? Or is it just that I'm being accurate and therefore am being gross?

Here's whose package chicken breasts do NOT ever smell like that: MoM's Organic Market.

To be sure, I'm detecting some feces right now, pp.

You are aware that chickens eat their own feces, yes? Now imagine tens of thousands of them packed into a factory farm. What do you think they are doing in there? Abstaining?

Yes, the cutlets get the bleach bath before being wrapped but one way to keep production costs low (for discount retailers like, for example, trader joes) is to cut corners on the production line.

None of this is in dispute

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

I don't know a single person who does all their shopping at TJs.

I do and have for more than 20 years. We eat entirely organically and tons of veggies and fruits. We don’t eat much bread. I shudder every time I go into a giant Safeway or HT. Talk about being full of chemical crap. The produce is covered in chemicals that make it last longer. Their organic produce lasts no longer than TJs. That is the point. And anyone who eats all that processed crap is begging for colon cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

I don't know a single person who does all their shopping at TJs.

+1

I shop there because I like the kinds of snacks, frozen foods, cheeses, and condiments that they stock. I like the prices, I like that there are only a few aisles, I like the variety of flowers, and it’s near my kids’ school so convenient for me. I don’t ever buy produce there, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

I don't know a single person who does all their shopping at TJs.

I do and have for more than 20 years. We eat entirely organically and tons of veggies and fruits. We don’t eat much bread. I shudder every time I go into a giant Safeway or HT. Talk about being full of chemical crap. The produce is covered in chemicals that make it last longer. Their organic produce lasts no longer than TJs. That is the point. And anyone who eats all that processed crap is begging for colon cancer.

Do you think that’s why TJ produce goes bad so quickly? Bc it’s all organic and not
Covered with chemicals etc? That’s interesting… (PP of the delicious frozen crap and the moldy produce)

[Anonymous]

I am in a committed relationship with Trader Joe’s. The mini ice cream cones alone are worth it. Overall much cheaper than other stores too. (I don’t Costco)

[Anonymous]

I agree it’s not a “one stop shop.” But there is one in College Park and I sometimes swing by on my way home from work.

My kids loved their flavored yogurts, some of the frozen food items are good, and I get snacks for work like nuts and dried fruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

I don't know a single person who does all their shopping at TJs.

I do and have for more than 20 years. We eat entirely organically and tons of veggies and fruits. We don’t eat much bread. I shudder every time I go into a giant Safeway or HT. Talk about being full of chemical crap. The produce is covered in chemicals that make it last longer. Their organic produce lasts no longer than TJs. That is the point. And anyone who eats all that processed crap is begging for colon cancer.

Do you think that’s why TJ produce goes bad so quickly? Bc it’s all organic and not
Covered with chemicals etc? That’s interesting… (PP of the delicious frozen crap and the moldy produce)

I bought from Whole Foods intermittently for years and their organic produce went bad faster than TJs. This is true of all organic produce. It’s why you shouldn’t want your fruit to be all lasting forever. How’s it doing that, good lord.

[Anonymous]

They have some unique and very tasty snacks and decent frozen foods. I don’t go much anymore because it’s less conveniently located but they have some good food options you can’t buy everywhere else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had the issue with rotting food from TJs- that Pp isn’t wrong. I am much more careful now with what I’ll buy there. Tend to stick to frozen crap and candy and dairy- but not cheese. That goes bad so fast! Or is already sort of bad when I open it. I do love TJs for being so fun and seasonal but I don’t understand how people can do their full shop there.

I don't know a single person who does all their shopping at TJs.

I do and have for more than 20 years. We eat entirely organically and tons of veggies and fruits. We don’t eat much bread. I shudder every time I go into a giant Safeway or HT. Talk about being full of chemical crap. The produce is covered in chemicals that make it last longer. Their organic produce lasts no longer than TJs. That is the point. And anyone who eats all that processed crap is begging for colon cancer.

Do you think that’s why TJ produce goes bad so quickly? Bc it’s all organic and not
Covered with chemicals etc? That’s interesting… (PP of the delicious frozen crap and the moldy produce)

I bought from Whole Foods intermittently for years and their organic produce went bad faster than TJs. This is true of all organic produce. It’s why you shouldn’t want your fruit to be all lasting forever. How’s it doing that, good lord.

I am a sort of smart person and I didn’t realize this. Thanks. But I do want my pears, cucumbers, whatever, to last until I eat them! Buying organize all the time must commit you to grocery shopping more frequently? I have four kids and do not want to shop all the time, so I buy a lot of apples or whatever. Speaking of apples, I buy huge quantities from my local farm and they don’t go bad as fast as TJs? And I assume they’re organic, or at least local…