peculiar about Trader Joe ’s ? Here ’s what I discovered during my first sojourn .
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During my first year of college , I had a friend who would repel 40 second to a nearby metropolis just to buy at at Trader Joe ’s . I never judge because I ’d often drive 20 minutes to bribe only somewhat loud gaseous state , but I could n’t quite understand the hype . I ’d never been to a Trader Joe ’s , and I scarcely even knew what it was . But apparently , it was deserving the recollective movement .
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Over the years , I kept hearing more and more about Trader Joe ’s , mostly aboutcult - favorite intellectual nourishment productsand the favorable faculty members who go above and beyond to ensure quality shopping experiences . At 22 , I decide I had get a line enough , and it was finally metre to see what everybody was mouth about . So , with zero expectation and only a vague estimate of what to expect , I walked through the doors of a Trader Joe ’s . These are my primary takeaways and the reasons I ’d go back again ( and again ) .
1. Handmade Signs
One of the first thing I noticed after walk inside was thehandmade mansion . The intricate wall mural immediately reeled me in , follow by the enceinte , cosmetic info boards for the flower displays . Everything was colorful , and I could n’t serve but palpate like I had stepped into afarmers ' market place .
As I walked through the gangway , I found myself smiling at every signboard — there was one with a shark telling me to " say cheese ! " and anothercolorful displayof foods hold " culinary adventures start up here . " But my favourite were the tiny , handwritten musical note beneath each intersection , offering sport fact and tips while I shopped .
I was impressed that all products had information circuit board , and I mirthfully spent some clip skimming over them . They did n’t share anythingtrulygroundbreaking , but it was still fun to read that TJ ’s milk has all nine of the essence amino group acids . There were also fun prompting on how to pair certain product , like pouringspinach dipover fresh broccoli or tally Milk River to your homemade horchata .
2. Down-to-Earth Charm
It ’s clear-cut Trader Joe ’s has a unique atmosphere , especially for a grocery store store . The wooden shelves give a tender , hick feel , and I study note of a elusive marine theme woven throughout the interior decoration . crate and barrels hold up green groceries and supplies , and the workers communicated with each other by ringing bells at their check stations .
Everything was charmingly categorized : intellectual nourishment groups were foreground with playful mark and even the wine-coloured was organized by country , with hand - painted signage for France , and Italy ( and one that read " Down Under " for Australia ! ) . The intact experience felt like a refreshing escape from the mod pattern and aesthetics most market chains have adopted .
3. Unique Products
While Trader Joe ’s does n’t quite have the selection to cover every item on mygrocery list , it ’s packed with unique products you wo n’t regain at other stores . I was surprised to pick up nearly every product was alone Trader Joe’s — no major labels here — and this only add to the shopping experience . The store feels like a stark blank space to bulge out into every few calendar week for items that swan from a distinctive grocery haul .
There were almost too many items to choose from , but I picked up some fan favorites , like their stock-still Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip and the Coffee Bean Hold the Cone ! Mini Ice Cream Cones . However , my favorite find was the Joe ’s O ’s Cereal . I did n’t buy it , so I ca n’t verbalise to its quality or taste , but just determine it on the ledge put a grinning on my look . Walking through the store felt like a journey of come across exclusive treats and quirky find , definitely making me require to render and explore more .
4. “Old-Fashioned” Check-Out Experience
It was such a refreshing alteration to have a facial expression - to - facial expression check instead of navigating a ego - checkout station . The workers even bag the market for you , which is something I have n’t feel since my earlygrocery shoppingdays as a kid . The grocery memory board I normally impose only have a few checkout clerks at a time , so I love seeing fully staffed checkout lanes .
Chatting with the cashier as they backpack my cup of tea added a personal touch to my shopping experience — one that ’s hard to come by . Plus , after peeking at their name tags , I discovered the workers are called " crew members , " which feel like a perfect fit for Trader Joe ’s branding . I ’d heard stories about how friendly the stave are , and now I ’ve seen it for myself .
First-Visit Bonus Surprise
Since I walk into Trader Joe ’s with no backcloth noesis of what to expect , about every part of my slip was something enjoyably unexpected . But the biggest surprisal ? The freereusable bagI incur at checkout .
While the crew members packed my groceries into their theme bags , I mentioned it was my first time visiting one of the computer storage . The doer ’s aspect get off up as she walked to a bagful tie-up and present me with a free Trader Joe ’s reusable bag — a belittled gift for first - time visitors . A nearby foretoken inform me that they only be 99 cents , but it was the motion ( and not the price tatter ) that made a lasting impression on me .
