We all know that every neighborhood is unique. And because Trader Joe’s is a national chain of neighborhood grocery stores, every Trader Joe’s is as unique as the neighborhood of which it is a part. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re taking you inside two distinctive neighborhood Trader Joe’s stores, that just so happen to be in the same neighborhood. (Right? It’s amazing what a few blocks can do!) Starting with our original Back Bay store in Boston – the smallest Trader Joe’s in...

We get a lot of questions at Trader Joe’s. One of those we hear the most is, “Hey, when are you opening a store in my neighborhood?” And “How do you decide where to put a Trader Joe’s?” – that comes up a lot, too. As you can imagine, like Trader Joe’s stores themselves, choosing store locations isnot a one-size-fits-all approach. Truth is, we’d like to be in thousands of neighborhoods all across the country – and it’s going to take some time. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized...

In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re taking you inside our customers’ shopping carts to find out what keeps them coming back to Trader Joe’s again and again. For this inaugural iteration of our Customer Cart Conversations, we go to Trader Joe’s number 122 in Studio City, California, where our store Captain Jay Jay gets up close and personal with the contents of customers’ carts, with questions about favorites. Along the way, we get some insights into how Trader Joe’s brings a little...

It’s September at Trader Joe’s. That, of course, means the Pumpkin-palooza is underway. You’ll find more than 70 pumpkin-forward products on our shelves this season – including new entries like Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate and the much-anticipated Pumpkin Mini Sheet Cake. And despite the plethora of pumpkin, this season is also about so much more. Like Apple (Shortbread Cookies), Maple (Brown Sugar Butter), Vanilla Cardamom (Cold Brew Coffee), and Butternut Squash (Mac &...

When we think about back-to-school, we immediately think of chocolate and mustard. (Doesn’t everyone?) Specifically, we think of Belgian chocolate and Dijon Mustard. Just in time for back-to-school shopping – as well as classes like History, Geography, Chemistry, and Culinary Arts – this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s takes you to the source of these longtime favorites. Travel along with us as we go inside a chocolate factory – outside Brussels – talking to the folks who make some of our...

Do you ever feel like you’re hearing things when you’re shopping at Trader Joe’s? You’re not alone. The bells are ringing at Trader Joe’s – nearly all the time. They act as a kind of intercom system, and they keep us attuned to what’s happening in the store. Ever wonder what they mean? Come on, ring those bells, and tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)

When you ask folks why they shop at Trader Joe’s, they’ll usually mention the “Three Ps” – Products, Prices, and People.  In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re diving deep into the third P – People. As we continue to open more stores around the country, ensuring we have the right people in those stores is a top priority. And it doesn’t happen by accident. We’re always on the lookout for great people, and we’re constantly at work developing tools to help those folks cultivate their...

Fact number one: nothing generates excitement like a contest. Fact number two: when we announced our Store Recipe Contest, we could not have predicted the level of excitement it would generate.  Fact number three: the Crew Members in our stores are culinary creative in countless ways, and the recipes they submitted for this contest were exciting, interesting, and most of all, delicious.   In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we get a behind the scenes look into how the winning recipe...

Looking for something interesting – and easy to prepare – for dinner? An appetizer to wow a crowd? A cocktail or mocktail to satisfy even the most critical companion? Or even a creative way to use up the very last bits of peanut butter or jam? We turn to our resident recipe developer for help, and share some tips to help you find recipes that are sure to make you love your favorite TJ’s products even more. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, for all the...

Trader Joe’s is ready for summer! Our shelves, freezers, refrigerators, and bakery racks are brimming with new and returning favorites to make the season really shine. Bet you didn’t know you needed Eggs & Bacon Gummies… but you do. And your dog needs Surf’s Pup Dog Biscuits just as much. Two new ready-to-pop-on-the-grill burgers will have all your friends on the lookout for your next cookout. A new Boba kit, Coffee Mochi Ice Cream, and Organic Freezer Pops… listen in for all the...

At Trader Joe’s, we more or less obsess over value, that magical place where top quality and excellent prices meet. From Olive Oil to Almonds, and a few thousand other products in between, we do the work to ensure we’re offering the best products at the best prices, every day. So, how do we do set our prices? Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)

The air fryer. Depending on who you listen to, it’s either the best thing to hit kitchens since the microwave, or it’s a silly waste of space. Once you listen to this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we think you’ll be happy to walk into the light of the humble air fryer. We asked some Crew Members in our office to share their favorite Trader Joe’s products, air fryer style. We head to the kitchen and enjoy some appetizers, entrees, breakfast treats, and even a vegetable! #babybroccoli ...

Mini Tote Bags? Those are a thing? Apparently, yes. And we knew we loved them – that’s why we decided to sell them. We absolutely did not predict how much our customers would love them. So what’s up with these adorable little tote-lets? Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)

Ah, spring. Birds singing, trees blooming, and products arriving, at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re getting up close and personal with some of our favorite new and returning products for spring. Chocolate Donut Holes? OMD yes. Orange Wine? We spend some time with our resident wine expert to talk about wine of many colors. We’ll take a peek at – and a taste of – Piquant Popcorn. Can we talk about the Cinnamon Twist Danish Pastry? Yes we can, and...

There are things that tie every Trader Joe’s together – delicious products, terrific everyday prices, and phenomenal Crew Members to name a few. Yet every store is also different. How can they all be different? That’s easy – we’re a neighborhood grocery store, and every store is in a unique neighborhood. The Crew reflects the neighborhood, the layout of the store reflects the neighborhood, and there are often signs and murals that reflect the neighborhood. Our store in Providence, Rhode...

The votes are in, and the time has come to reveal the winners of the 15th Annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards! (Can we stop for a moment to consider that this is the 15th Annual Customer Choice Awards? Seriously, we never saw this coming…) We’ve changed things up a bit this year, adding a couple of new categories for consideration – and that’s resulted in some new products in the winners’ circle. Excellent! Get ready for a (not-so) surprising upset in the Bath, Body & Home...

Year’s end is a wonderful time for remembrances and reflections… it’s also an excellent time (some may say the best time) for toasting to what’s to come, for raising a glass to a hopeful future. We’ll drink to that! And we can’t think of a better drink for that toast than La Burgondie Crémant de Bourgogne, a crisp and easy-drinking sparkling wine from the Burgundy region of France. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we take you inside the winery where this stellar sparkler is styled, and...

When the holliest and jolliest of holiday seasons is on the agenda, Trader Joe’s should absolutely be on your list of must-visits. In this episode, we celebrate some of the best we have to offer this holiday season. Danish cookies and delightfully decorated pretzels; candles redolent of chocolate croissants and 12 Days of Beauty to make your skin and spirit shine; cinnamon bun inspired coffee accoutrements and baking mixes… and SO. MUCH. MORE. To make your season merry and bright, have a...

In this mini episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we spend just a few minutes with our Chairman and CEO, Bryan Palbaum, and our Vice CEO and President, Jon Basalone, to talk about the things we’re thankful for this year. Friends, family, customers, Crew Members, favorite products being in-stock… And thanks to you, as always, for listening. Transcript (PDF)

Before most of the world has even packed away its holiday decorations, Trader Joe’s is busy developing new products for the following year’s holiday season. How do we decide which products you’ll see in stores during the holidays? Our Tasting Panel is at the heart of it, and in this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re taking you inside the Holiday Tasting Panel, a days-long event where our product developers put forth their best ideas for future holiday fare, and The Panel tastes and...

You can see what’s in a product just by looking at the ingredient listing on the package. What you might not know is that Trader Joe’s has a long list of ingredients we don’t use in our products. There are reasons we use certain things, and reasons we don’t use other things. What’s what, and more importantly, why? Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop.  Transcript (PDF)

Are you ready to fall in love? With fabulous faves like Fall Harvest Salsa and Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese? Or maybe new, destined-to-be-faves like Mini Maple Marshmallows or Maple Fudge? (Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention some returning Maple marvels as well.) This fall-forward episode of Inside Trader Joe’s is a harbinger of the season, and a surefire way to whet your appetite for all things cozy and comforting. Honeycrisp Apple Granola? Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars?...

Did you know that every product on the shelves at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s goes through a rigorous tasting process before we decide to sell it? Rigorous tasting? What the heck does that even mean, Trader Joe’s? In a nutshell, it means we don’t just offer something for sale because we can; we only offer those things that taste great and represent a great value. To make those decisions, we taste everything – and tasting is, perhaps surprisingly, not the same as eating. It’s careful, it’s...

Every Trader Joe’s has a few things in common – delicious products, excellent everyday prices, and really terrific people. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re talking to some of those people. We had the opportunity to chat with a group of Trader Joe’s Crew Members in Chicago, and then we sat down with our CEO and President/Vice-CEO so they could answer some of the insightful questions that came out of that conversation. As Trader Joe’s continues to grow, it’s the Crew working in...