I work at a TJ's in Northern Virginia (seems like some of the other commenters could be my customers, like Leah!) and it's fun to see my store mentioned on neatorama! You are not the only ones who come a long way, or ship things to relatives in other states that don't have TJ's. I'm always meeting people who are stocking up for relatives, or need freezer bags for the 5 hour drive home. It's pretty funny when people buy 30 bags of snap pea crisps because they're leaving the country for a while.
I love the sea salt brownie bites, tarte d'alsace, horseradish hummus, Chinese mustard wonton chips, vegan pea soup with mint and lemon and maryland corn and crab chowder. I have to agree that TJ's doesn't do produce (or sandwiches) very well, but we do get some unique fresh stuff that I don't see often (trimmed leeks, sunchokes, super sweet blackberries even in the winter). I also LOVE the cheap, gorgeous flowers, and sneaking up to the demo station when I get a moment to breathe.
When I started working there, I was really surprised at how low the prices are, but since there's no middle man, most of our stuff is private label, and we don't charge for shelf space (we just put things wherever they make sense, mostly), the prices make sense.
The hardest thing to explain to uninitiated customers, though, is why their favorite things always disappear or get discontinued. I had to get used to this, too. It's because we have a very limited amount of space compared to supermarkets, we like being a "neighborhood" grocery store. We are constantly getting rid of slow sellers to make room to try new items as they become available (I'd say we get new stuff weekly). Things go temporarily out of stock frequently for a ton of reasons as well, so if you don't see your favorite thing, ask a crew member and they can tell you what's up and if/when it's coming back. I've noticed that traderjoesfan.com (NOT an official site) has a nice board dedicated to disco'ed items.
A few responses to comments here:
Jason said:
"It is actually very VERY frustrating and infuriating to see Trader Joes sell themselves as this “healthy, wholesome food company” throwing around words such as “natural” and “organic,” while at the same time spiking every product with MSG to boost flavor..."
Trader Joe's doesn't bill itself as a health food store at all, though it does get mislabeled that way by others fairly often, maybe because our privately labeled products don't contain artificial colors or flavors and we carry some organic, vegetarian, and gluten free products, and have a big vitamin section, but we are definitely NOT a wholesome food store and don't pretend to be. A lot of our products are decidedly unhealthy, our giant candy and cookie section, for example. What we say is that we're "unique" or "specialty" because you can't get a lot of our stuff anywhere else. I can't respond to the whole MSG comment because I don't know if it's true or not. I don't know if MSG is normally hidden as a natural flavor. How do you know that "spices" or "natural flavoring" really mean MSG in these particular cases? I wouldn't be too shocked. I see those words on lots of things that I assume are loaded with MSG at other stores, but frankly, so many of our products are too bland and it's hard to believe that they're all loaded with MSG, which is like salt on steroids. Did you try getting a list of low sodium products from the office or demo station? Those might be a safer bet with your restrictions. Did you really do the research and find out how much MSG is in our stuff, or are you assuming? While I understand your concern and hate when companies are deliberately misleading, I've come to my own conclusion over time that TJ's isn't really that sort of company. We're smaller on purpose, and still privately owned. I think your belief that the profit is more important than the customer is inappropriate here. I've seen quite a few products voluntarily pulled from shelves due to concerns for the customer's welfare even though there was virtually no chance that we had been supplied with damaged goods (cat food from a totally different country than the one with the problems, for instance, during the cat food recall [another aside: I DID have poisoned cat food in my house, from PetSmart]). I'd like a little more proof, because that was a pretty incendiary comment, what with all the BOOs. Spices and natural flavoring do actually exist some places.
Joe said:
"also one more thought, i don’t like the way they seem to only hire 'attractive' people. I think that’s kind of regressive to give people more opportunities based on their appearance."
Maybe that's true at your TJ's (that you've given up on, oh well), but at my store we really run the gamut from hot to not, all shapes, sizes and colors. They try to hire on personality and work ethic. I'd love to believe I was hired in part because I'm cute or whatever, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case, heh.
Overall TJ's is a very good employer. I have health insurance and a retirement plan even though I'm only a part timer. I made more than twice as much at my last (desk) job, but the atmosphere is so much better overall that I don't mind the pay cut. Everyone has off days, but we really like almost all of our customers and will bend over backwards for them.
I know I sound like an ad, and I just got off work and I have to go again tomorrow, so maybe I should just relax, but that's just proof that it's a good place to work, right? It was my mom's favorite store for years, but I didn't even like it before I worked there and really saw what it's about.
I think it's both. My store has been stung by the cops, once resulting in a 3-day suspension of all liquor sales. If we sell to a minor again, we lose the liquor license altogether. Not only that, whoever does the selling has to go to court and pay a very hefty fine. We don't have to card everyone, they tell us to use our judgment, I wouldn't have carded that guy, but if I did, he'd HAVE to show me his ID. I've carded women who were born in the 50s because they looked so young. It's hard to tell these days. You can refuse to sell alcohol to anyone for any reason. That said, I think it's stupid to place blame on the cashier for selling to someone underage, especially since the rule of thumb is the gray hair rule (I knew kids with gray hair in high school). I also think it's stupid that you can't sell alcohol to someone that you SUSPECT will then give it to a minor, how the hell am I supposed to know that? I tried denying people who let their underage kids carry the bottle to the register for that reason and they were PISSED. One guy actually called to complain afterwards, so I just stopped doing that. I think this guy was a jerk for giving the cashier a hard time just because she didn't ask in a joking manner, but it's his fault if he refuses and she doesn't sell it to him. She was covering her own ass, I don't blame her.I don't get why the manager didn't just say it was fine, but good for him for sticking up for his employee. Dumb law, dumb guy. The end.
I think it's funny when kids curse. I don't like the concept of bad words. Most of them wouldn't be bad if we didn't stigmatize them. Kids learn a word is "bad" so they say it over and over. Who cares, kids love to be naughty, if they get a big reaction from doing something, they'll do it again. If the kid was actually full of rage and hate, that would be scary.
My mom told me a story about her high school boyfriend's little brother, she asked him how old he was and he said "Five." and she said "And what's your name?" and he said "Shut up motherfucker, I'm SUPERMAN!" I think that's hilarious. Funnier than this kid. Man, you should hear what kids on the streets of Manhattan say sometimes. They're amazing.
Did they actually hike, or did they just get someone to record a hike for them and then watch it on a plasma? There are people starving and living in subways and people spend their money on this shit. Unbelievable.
I think it's a great, inventive idea. I don't think it would be useful to standardize them for the great reasons listed above by other commenters (misuse, getting used to it) but frankly, the blame for an accident still wouldn't be on the cutout guys' shoulders. We don't know what this guy's street looks like, maybe you can see the cutout for a while coming if you're paying attention. If the driver swerved out of the way for a still cutout that's on the property (it's not in the street, as you can see in the picture), it's still the driver's fault for speeding or not paying attention. I don't see why you'd want to take it out on the homeowner for putting a still object on his property in order to quell an established problem, instead of the reckless driver who actually hit your car. I think it would be effective even if it were a little further from the street. Cops already do this (cutouts of cop cars make people hit the brakes really fast, and the cops can do something a little more intense than sit in a speed trap and wait to catch people).
It might be anti-theft, but I think it's more likely that it's just anti-badge-theft. People like to steal the hood ornaments off of expensive cars, maybe people stole the Bentley tag so they slapped on a Hyundai. Funny.
Looks like a game to me, where you flip a ball out of the open part like flipping a pancake, and try to catch it in the hole, you can flip towards you, or away, since the top slides back and forth. People seem pretty sure that it's a voting box, but the description says the top slides to cover either side. If only one side is ever covered, how can that work? It just reminds me of something I've seen with a wiffle ball.
I love the sea salt brownie bites, tarte d'alsace, horseradish hummus, Chinese mustard wonton chips, vegan pea soup with mint and lemon and maryland corn and crab chowder. I have to agree that TJ's doesn't do produce (or sandwiches) very well, but we do get some unique fresh stuff that I don't see often (trimmed leeks, sunchokes, super sweet blackberries even in the winter). I also LOVE the cheap, gorgeous flowers, and sneaking up to the demo station when I get a moment to breathe.
When I started working there, I was really surprised at how low the prices are, but since there's no middle man, most of our stuff is private label, and we don't charge for shelf space (we just put things wherever they make sense, mostly), the prices make sense.
The hardest thing to explain to uninitiated customers, though, is why their favorite things always disappear or get discontinued. I had to get used to this, too. It's because we have a very limited amount of space compared to supermarkets, we like being a "neighborhood" grocery store. We are constantly getting rid of slow sellers to make room to try new items as they become available (I'd say we get new stuff weekly). Things go temporarily out of stock frequently for a ton of reasons as well, so if you don't see your favorite thing, ask a crew member and they can tell you what's up and if/when it's coming back. I've noticed that traderjoesfan.com (NOT an official site) has a nice board dedicated to disco'ed items.
A few responses to comments here:
Jason said:
"It is actually very VERY frustrating and infuriating to see Trader Joes sell themselves as this “healthy, wholesome food company” throwing around words such as “natural” and “organic,” while at the same time spiking every product with MSG to boost flavor..."
Trader Joe's doesn't bill itself as a health food store at all, though it does get mislabeled that way by others fairly often, maybe because our privately labeled products don't contain artificial colors or flavors and we carry some organic, vegetarian, and gluten free products, and have a big vitamin section, but we are definitely NOT a wholesome food store and don't pretend to be. A lot of our products are decidedly unhealthy, our giant candy and cookie section, for example. What we say is that we're "unique" or "specialty" because you can't get a lot of our stuff anywhere else. I can't respond to the whole MSG comment because I don't know if it's true or not. I don't know if MSG is normally hidden as a natural flavor. How do you know that "spices" or "natural flavoring" really mean MSG in these particular cases? I wouldn't be too shocked. I see those words on lots of things that I assume are loaded with MSG at other stores, but frankly, so many of our products are too bland and it's hard to believe that they're all loaded with MSG, which is like salt on steroids. Did you try getting a list of low sodium products from the office or demo station? Those might be a safer bet with your restrictions. Did you really do the research and find out how much MSG is in our stuff, or are you assuming? While I understand your concern and hate when companies are deliberately misleading, I've come to my own conclusion over time that TJ's isn't really that sort of company. We're smaller on purpose, and still privately owned. I think your belief that the profit is more important than the customer is inappropriate here. I've seen quite a few products voluntarily pulled from shelves due to concerns for the customer's welfare even though there was virtually no chance that we had been supplied with damaged goods (cat food from a totally different country than the one with the problems, for instance, during the cat food recall [another aside: I DID have poisoned cat food in my house, from PetSmart]). I'd like a little more proof, because that was a pretty incendiary comment, what with all the BOOs. Spices and natural flavoring do actually exist some places.
Joe said:
"also one more thought, i don’t like the way they seem to only hire 'attractive' people. I think that’s kind of regressive to give people more opportunities based on their appearance."
Maybe that's true at your TJ's (that you've given up on, oh well), but at my store we really run the gamut from hot to not, all shapes, sizes and colors. They try to hire on personality and work ethic. I'd love to believe I was hired in part because I'm cute or whatever, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case, heh.
Overall TJ's is a very good employer. I have health insurance and a retirement plan even though I'm only a part timer. I made more than twice as much at my last (desk) job, but the atmosphere is so much better overall that I don't mind the pay cut. Everyone has off days, but we really like almost all of our customers and will bend over backwards for them.
I know I sound like an ad, and I just got off work and I have to go again tomorrow, so maybe I should just relax, but that's just proof that it's a good place to work, right? It was my mom's favorite store for years, but I didn't even like it before I worked there and really saw what it's about.
My mom told me a story about her high school boyfriend's little brother, she asked him how old he was and he said "Five." and she said "And what's your name?" and he said "Shut up motherfucker, I'm SUPERMAN!" I think that's hilarious. Funnier than this kid. Man, you should hear what kids on the streets of Manhattan say sometimes. They're amazing.