Trader Joe’s

Krista did a quick Trader Joe’s run and picked up a few items that I requested.

Trader Joe’s is an American grocery store chain that offers a wide variety of products, many not commonly found in the giant chain supermarkets. TJ’s stores are usually smaller, well organized, and almost exclusively stocked with food, beer and wine only. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, informative and by all accounts very well treated.

It is the products that attract a loyal following. TJ’s offers products for just about every palette. For adventurous eaters TJ’s is more than a store and a chore, it is a destination and an adventure. TJ’s finds products all over the world and tests them in their markets. Popular products remain and those that don’t sell are replaced by new test products. Many products are similar to those found in supermarkets but are packaged, and labeled, often with clever names, as a TJ’s product.

Best of all, while TJ’s seems to be a boutique market with eclectic items, shoppers save up the 33% on their total grocery bill over the large chain stores.

There are no TJ’s stores in Canada. The nearest market to Vancouver is in Bellingham, WA., about an hour away through a very busy border crossing. It is not uncommon for the parking lot to have many more Canadian cars than American.

We are going on Tuesday. Can’t wait!