What's So Great About Trader Joe's?

Probably the best thing about moving to Arizona for me was discovering Trader Joe's, and it will probably be the thing I'll miss most now that I'm leaving the Valley of the Sun for South Carolina, where the closest location will be across the NC border. When I hear someone ask what's so great about this specialty grocery store, I know it's because they haven't shopped there.

It's true you'd have to rake in some big bucks to do all your shopping there, but for some products, there are no better bargains to be had. The California-based store made headline news as the retailer of "two-buck Chuck" (or three-buck Chuck here in Arizona), a Charles Shaw Cabernet of surprising quality for the price.

It's worth a visit to TJ's for the wine selection alone. Though small, the store stocks a range of unusual and affordable wines from locales such as Chile and Australia. You'll also find familiar labels at prices comparable to other stores, but probably the most impressive wines are sold under the Trader Moon label. The Purple Moon Chardonnay and Merlot are quite drinkable at $3.99 a bottle, and the Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon is still better at the same price. The Coastal Chardonnay has not been in stock recently, but the Grower's Reserve Chardonnay is superior for only a dollar more a bottle.

Though not always in stock, the seasonal Honey Moon Viognier is sublime. Not overly sweet like most of the available labels of this out-of-favor varietal, it's also difficult to beat the cost at $5.99. Other varietals bottled for the label include Merlot and Fumé Blanc.

The Trader Joe's brand names grace products throughout the store, from milk and yogurt to soap and paper towels. They appear in clever incarnations for specialty items, such as Trader Jacques for French imports, Trader Giotto for Italian foods, and Trader Darwin for herbal supplements. I have found them all to be economical and comparable, if not superior, to major national brands. Trader Giotto's extra-virgin olive oil is a steal. Not only is Trader Joe's dolphin-safe tuna competitively priced, the water-packed chunk tuna is a far better value than the fine mush that has become standard for even the best-known national brands.

Organic foods make up a significant portion of Trader Joe's offerings. You'll also find unique gourmet items like low-fat champagne pear vinaigrette or smoked chicken and turkey sausage flavored with sweet basil pesto. Their lemon dill dressing that makes an excellent marinade for salmon. I make a new discovery almost every shopping trip.

I rely on the store for purchases of gourmet items like brie and goat cheese that would cost me nearly double in a supermarket. I rarely buy meat or produce because these items are higher-priced than elsewhere, though their regular price for Hebrew National hot dogs is some two dollars less than elsewhere. As a matter of policy, Trader Joe's does not have sales; a product's price increases only when their cost does.

This isn't the only policy that sets the store apart from its competitors. Its advertising boasts that buyers try every product and will not stock something they don't like. Signs invite customers to return any item they don't like themselves, a policy I'm often reminded of by the store cashier.

As if the groceries weren't enough, Trader Joe's has captured the secret of good customer service. Employees go out of their way to be helpful, and not in the scripted way most grocery store employees are. Perhaps it's because they're truly happy to be working there. Trader Joe's seems to go out of its way to treat its workers well, most visibly by closing or reducing hours for major holidays.

Whether it's because of the good deals, the selection, or the cheerful staff, nowhere have I had more pleasant grocery-shopping experiences than at Trader Joe's, even on weekends when it can be hard to navigate the aisles for the crowds of customers. If you don't already know what's so great about Trader Joe's, you owe it to yourself to find out.