Review: Trader Joe's Grocery Store

Trader Joe's may call itself a neighborhood grocery store but the food retail chain is located in 23 states. Most of the chain's stores are located in California. If you are in one of the lucky 23 states, I strongly recommend you find your closest Trader Joe's. The store has something for everyone.

The original Trader Joe's was called Pronto Markets and was started in 1958. In the 60s, the store changed names to Trader Joe's. They also changed their philosophy and searched for innovate reasonably priced (a.k.a cheap) food to offer to their consumers.

Trader Joe's can get away with calling itself a neighborhood grocery store because that's the atmosphere it provides but the store's prices match bulk food store discounts without the bulk purchasing. Each store may have different pricing but at most Trader Joe's, you can get a banana for $.19 and if the state allows wine sales at grocery stores expect a plethora of wine for $10 or less. Trader Joe's has it's own brand and its imitations, in my opinion, often tastes better than the original. Joe's O's a cereal similar to Cheerios is a particularly popular item. Trader Joe's also carries there own cookies, nut mixes, canned items, household products, and delicious coffee. Expect discount prices on all of those items.

How do they offer such good prices? The same way a bulk food store may; Trader Joe's lacks decoration and the frills that some grocery stores offer. The store keeps a Hawaiian theme. The employee's Hawaiian shirts often match their pleasant laid-back attitudes. According to Trader Joe's website they are also able to keep prices low but avoiding a middleman and buy directly from the producer when possible. If you ask me, the prices more than make up for the atmosphere.

Trader Joe's is not just short on expensive items; the small stories carry limited groceries. The produce isle is about a third the size of the average grocery store. The isle is stocked with only popular fruits and vegetables, both general and organic. The store also lacks a seafood section, deli, and bakery. The grocery chain also lacks baking items and other ingredients. Trader Joe's has a large frozen section which is filled mostly with pre-made meals. The store does feature a lot of international cuisine. The grocery store may not offer all of the ingredients you need for your dinner but they do offer great alternative meals; many, such as the wide variety of Indian dishes, may be new to you.

It is important to note the Trader Joe's is also making strides towards being sustainable. To encourage shoppers to bring reusable grocery bags, Trader Joe's offers raffle tickets to patrons that bring their own bags. Each Trader Joe's has different rules regarding the raffle but in all cases, the environmentally-conscience consumer is drawing for a store gift certificate.

To find a Trader Joe's near you, visit http://traderjoes.com/.