16 Trader Joe's Foods You Need To Discover (And Then Hoard) (2024)

FAQs

16 Trader Joe's Foods You Need To Discover (And Then Hoard)? ›

Overall Favorite: Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. Just like last year, Trader Joe's zesty, crunchy rolled-up corn chips have taken home the prize of overall favorite.

Overall Favorite: Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. Just like last year, Trader Joe's zesty, crunchy rolled-up corn chips have taken home the prize of overall favorite.

While you can't walk into your neighborhood grocery store and sample anything you want, that kind of behavior is actually encouraged at Trader Joe's. TJ's employees have permission to open any ready-to-eat item in the store, which means you're able to taste-test hundreds of products without buying them first.

Well, the short answer is that Trader Joe's cuts out the middleman entirely by working directly with some of the biggest food manufacturers across the world, who then make products under Trader Joe's specifications (down to price, flavor, and size) for its store brand.

Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips. Whether it's their satisfying crunch, the just-hot-enough seasoning blend, or the fact that they're $2.99 per bag — or a combination of all of the above — these rolled chips bested everything else on Trader Joe's shelves and in its freezers to come out on top.

Trader Joe's SWOT Analysis: Final Thoughts

Its mastery of private label products, sustainability initiatives, and ability to attract shoppers of all ages are significant strengths. However, complexities in the supply chain, limited online presence, and geographical limitations pose challenges.

Trader Joe's competitors include H E B, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market and NatureBox. Trader Joe's ranks 2nd in Product Quality Score on Comparably vs its competitors.

The chain's busiest location is its 72nd & Broadway store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The smallest Trader Joe's location is in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts on Boylston St.

What are the best days to shop at Trader Joe's? According to employees, the best days to shop there are Tuesdays and Wednesdays because they are the slowest days.

What is the hidden prize at Trader Joe's? ›

Here's how it works: Each day, a store employee takes a stuffed animal and hides it somewhere in the aisles. It could be atop the shelves, or squeezed in between product boxes, or wherever there's a good hiding spot. Any kid who finds it will get a prize — usually a lollipop or a sticker.

Instead of calling their workers employees, Trader Joe's has nautical titles for positions. crew members are entry-level workers. Merchants are crew members who've received recognition for stellar customer service.

In a time when kitchen essentials like eggs and milk have skyrocketed in price, Trader Joe's stores have largely weathered the storm of inflation. Because of their direct relationship with suppliers and curated stock, the chain manages to keep prices low.

California-based Trader Joe's brands itself as a “national chain of neighborhood grocery stores.” But the grocery chain known for its private label goods and competitive prices is owned by the same German family that founded another well-known grocery store: Aldi.

Timothée Chalamet's Go-To Trader Joe's Product

We know that celebs love Trader Joe's just as much as we do. Tiffani Thiessen, shops there and then puts her favorite snacks in the front seat to munch on while she drives home.

Best Overall Trader Joe's Item: Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. When it comes to Trader Joe's products, there's one that shoppers believe is a cut above the rest—snack category winner Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips.

She mentioned the outgoing, charismatic employees who are encouraged to strike up conversations, its quirky hand-drawn signs, its low prices, its unique seasonal products, and its fun, laid-back atmosphere that helps it to stand out from the hustle and bustle of other popular supermarket chains.

The secrets to Trader Joe's success are pretty simple and not all that secret: smaller stores with a limited number of SKUs, a friendly, playful atmosphere, helpful employees, aggressively competitive pricing, and most importantly, the food. It's Trader Joe's focus on food that makes the rest of it work.