Latest news with #InsideTraderJoe's
Miami Herald
25-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Miami Herald
Trader Joe's fan-favorite dessert is back in stock, finally
Anyone who shops at Trader Joe's probably has a list of favorite items from the store. I never leave the store without a bag of peanut butter pretzels, a container of spinach-artichoke dip, and a handful of Chomps for my daughter. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Whenever I have friends or family for dinner, I head to Trader Joe's for dessert. My go-to is a mixed platter of Trader Joe's Hold The Cone mini ice creams, Passion Fruit Merengue Tartelettes, and assorted mochi balls. It's easy and delicious. Related: Trader Joe's shares new locations coming soon Trader Joe's has never steered me wrong, and I know I'm not alone. There aren't that many stores that have literal fan pages across social media, a podcast ("Inside Trader Joe's," in case you're interested), and a vibrant blog with recipes and household tips. Then there are the mini canvas totes that the brand drops a couple of times a year and that often sell out. Image source: Shutterstock Trader Joe's is definitely one of those stores with cult status. Trader Joe's is beloved for many reasons, including its low prices. Even though it's considered a specialty grocer, you will find pretty much every staple you could need, at prices that are surprisingly low when compared to mainstream grocery stores. One of the ways Trader Joe's keeps its prices relatively low is by private-labeling products. Over on Reddit, redditor @cookiebutterlove keeps a long list of items s/he believes are Trader Joe's private labeled: Butter Waffle Cookies - Jules Destrooper Butter CrispsCheddar CheeseSticks - John Wm. Macy'sCheese Blintzes - J&J KosherChicken Cilantro Mini Wontons - BibigoClassic Original Water Crackers - Carr's Table Water CrackersGoddess Dressing - Annie'sHenry Hotspur's Hard Pressed For Rosé Cider - Angry Orchard?Joe Joe's Vanilla Sandwich Cream Cookies - Country Choice Organic Vanilla Sandwich CremesMeyer Lemon Cookie Thins - Dewey's Meyer Lemon Moravian CookiesOriginal Savory Thin Crackers - SesmarkPeanut Butter Filled Pretzels - Good Health Natural Foods Peanut Butter Filled PretzelsSmooth and Creamy Classic Hummus - TribeTeas (boxed) - Celestial SeasoningsUnsweetened Green Tea Beverage - TejavaVery Green 100% Juice Smoothie - Naked Even during this ongoing egg-flation situation Trader Joe's has managed to keep egg prices mostly in check. Related: Trader Joe's cracks down on customer problem Trader Joe's is also known for carrying seasonal items, which can frustrate some shoppers (or maybe it's just me?). For example, you will only find puff pastry during the fall and winter holiday period. You will only find Halloumi cheese, that delicious feta-like cheese, during certain times of the year, and roasted pumpkin ravioli is a fall-only treat. Apparently the company's Carrot Mini Sheet Cake is one of those items that's not always in stock. So when it is, people go crazy for it. More Food News: McDonald's, Starbucks targeted by rival fast-food chain's takeoverPopular retailer unveils affordable line with unexpected brandOreo celebrates 113th birthday bringing back fan favorite If you're someone who waits for the spring Trader Joe's carrot-cake drop, make sure to grab one as soon as you can, as it's in stock now, for a limited time. One of the reasons people seem to love this sweet treat is that unlike most traditional carrot cake recipes, it doesn't contain raisins or chunks of walnut (though it does have walnut meal in the batter, so if you're allergic, you'll want to avoid this one). The cake retails for $5.99, so it won't break the bank. On Reddit, some TJ's fans report they usually grab a few cakes. One for eating and the rest for freezing. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The State That's Getting At Least 5 New Trader Joe's Locations In 2025
After opening 34 new stores in 2024 alone, America's trendiest grocer isn't slowing down. This year is set to see at least a dozen new Trader Joe's store openings, with highly anticipated locations in states such as Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Alabama. But there's one state that's getting multiple new stores — and it just so happens to be the state with the single most Trader Joe's locations in the country: California. With upcoming openings in Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Tracy, Tarzana, and Yucaipa, California is getting a grand total of five new Trader Joe's locations. That brings its overall total to over 200 stores. Meanwhile, there are still states in the U.S. without a single Trader Joe's store. We guess it's safe to assume that the chain didn't get the memo about opening TJ's stores in different communities. While it might be happy news for Trader Joe's California-based fans — which now have a Trader Joe's store for, roughly, every 190,000 people — there are still people in parts of the country who have to drive hours to get their fix of frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken and Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. Seeing as Trader Joe's almost solely opens locations in the most expensive neighborhoods, those people are also the part of the population that benefits the most from its friendly prices. Sadly, seeing as none of the upcoming locations are in areas that don't already have at least one Trader Joe's location, 2025 won't be the year that these less affluent areas get one. Read more: 13 Trader Joe's Prepared Foods, Ranked Being the home of the original Trader Joe's location, it makes sense that California is the state with the most of them. What doesn't make quite as much sense, however, is why the chain continues to build more locations there while other states don't have enough — let alone one. Eight U.S. states still don't have a TJ's, and none of these states are currently on the list to get one in 2025. Of course, there are instances where communities have protested new store openings for fear of gentrification — the case of the historic African American neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, being one of the most prominent examples. But many others have been asking for one for a while. From Wilmington, Delaware, to Povo City, Utah, and South Bend, Indiana, to Germantown, Tennessee, people in cities across the country have made their longings for TJ's known. Out of these, only South Bend and Germantown have been successful so far. Still, one has to wonder why certain locations continue to be surpassed. A 2025 episode of the "Inside Trader Joe's" podcast offers some insight on the matter. While the hosts certainly appreciate the demand for its stores, TJ's vice president of marketing, Tara Miller, says, "Our decisions, they're business decisions. We're excited when people are excited about us, but that's really not what's driving the decisions about what brings a Trader Joe's." It seems that the primary thing that Trader Joe's considers when deciding on a new location is people — or, more specifically, how many people are in any given area. Indeed, California has the largest population of all the U.S. states. But, seeing as it isn't anywhere close to those on the list of the most densely populated states, that still leaves some questions to be asked. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Trader Joe's makes key customer-friendly decision
Have you heard the one about the Trader Joe's parking lot? It goes something like this: Trader Joe's Real Estate Agent: How's the parking lot? Landlord: Claustrophobic. Chaotic. Awful, actually. Trader Joe's Real Estate Agent: Where do I sign? Jokes about Trader Joe's typically terrible parking abound. In fact, it's even been a topic of discussion on "Inside Trader Joe's" the company's podcast. Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE Daily newsletter But there's a reason for the for the notoriously difficult parking. Trader Joe's locations tend to be a lot smaller than typical grocery stores - a store's square footage partly determines the size of its adjoining parking lot - because the company prefers to have smaller stores which require lower overhead. In other words, convenient parking is not a priority. Trader Joe's management seems to know that bad parking is one of the brand's idiosyncrasies loyal customers are willing to put up with, in exchange for lower prices on everything from cheese and chips to eggs and milk. If you happen to be a Trader Joe's shopper, odds are you know it's possible to find decent deals on staples and speciality items, at least when you compare TJ's prices to some mainstream grocery outlets. Related: The one-dollar rule: How a personal finance expert justifies any purchase One of the reasons Trader Joe's is able to keep prices relatively low is the number of private label products they stock. Basically the company buys brand names of hundreds of products and then put the Trader Joe's name on the label. One savvy Redditor, CookieButterLovers shared an exhaustive list of Trader Joe's products s/he swears are private label, including: Butter Almond Thins - Jules Destrooper Butter Almond ThinsButter Toffee Pretzels (holiday seasonal) - Everton Toffee Butter Toffee PretzelsCheddar CheeseSticks - John Wm. Macy'sChicken Cilantro Mini Wontons - BibigoGoddess Dressing - Annie'sHenry Hotspur's Hard Pressed For Rosé Cider - Angry OrchardInstant Ramen Soup - Right Foods Dr. McDougall's or Mike's Mighty Good RamenPita Chips - Stacy'sSmooth and Creamy Classic Hummus - Tribe Alas, one cannot live on ramen, Rosé Cider and pita chips alone, but Trader Joe's staples also tend to be less expensive than many mainstream grocery stores. More Food News: McDonald's, Starbucks targeted by rival fast-food chain's takeoverPopular retailer unveils affordable line with unexpected brandOreo celebrates 113th birthday bringing back fan favorite For example, Trader Joe's website currently lists a dozen "pasture-raised" brown eggs for $4.99. That's quite a bit more than eggs cost six months ago, but if you consider that at Safeway, a dozen large "cage free" eggs costs $9.99, also per the company's website, you can see why so many people are increasingly doing more of their everyday shopping at Trader Joe's. Related: Trader Joe's, Aldi make surprising moves in grocery space While you'll find decent prices at Trader Joe's, you won't find a self-checkout lane, a smart cart with a screen on the front, or a shelf-stocking robot. Another reason Trader's Joes is able to keep prices lower is the company's commitment to being low-tech. On a recent episode of the "Inside Trader Joe's" podcast co-host and Trader Joe's Vice President of Culture and Innovation Matt Sloan shared why the store all but eschews so-called retail technology. "So it turns out we are all about marketing, the lowercase-M marketing being an actual market," said Sloan. "We think grocery shopping should be a fun social experience," added co-host Trader Joe's Vice President of Marketing Tara Miller. "So instead of cold, impersonal, flat monitors, we have live crew members who are smart and fun to talk with. They'll not only help you find what you're looking for and discover new products, they're happy to share their thoughts on those products." The company has no plans to introduce e-commerce, either, partly because setting up an e-comm business would require a considerable investment and ultimately that would drive up prices and could alienate many of Trader's Joe's most loyal budget-minded customers. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
