Private label? What on earth is that? A label you can’t see, a hidden tag, a marker wearing a mask? Perhaps unsurprisingly, “Private Label” is none of these things. What it IS is enormously important to what makes Trader Joe’s, well, Trader Joe’s. Listen in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)

This episode of Inside Trader Joe’s is dedicated to sandwiches and salads in the sun, snacks in the shade, frozen treats in the sand (seaside or lakefront, of course), and all manner of food fabulousness in between. In other words, we are 100% ready for summer. How ready? Oh, we’re Lemon Pesto ready. We’re Strawberry Lemonade Ice Bar ready. We’re S’Mores Ice Cream ready. Listen in, then come on in and stock up on all the super summertime stuff your neighborhood TJ’s has to offer. Transcript...

Why doesn’t Trader Joe’s have online shopping? Why don’t you deliver? The answer is, we believe the store is our brand, that what happens within the four walls of your neighborhood Trader Joe’s is a huge part of what makes Trader Joe’s special. Our business is built on people – the people who shop in our stores and the people who work in our stores – and a constant flow of new and exciting products, offered at excellent, everyday prices. In other words, we’re a bricks and mortar store on...

In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re back at the hacks, with delicious and often unexpected ways to use Trader Joe’s products throughout the store. Pizza Dough and Biscuits on hand but not in the mood for Pizza or Biscuits? We’re here for you. We’re considering all the possible ways of using Everything But The Bagel Seasoning… what’s your favorite? Meals out of mezze? Yes. Got an empty jar from a favorite TJ’s product? You could recycle, but you can also reuse! And just wait ‘til you...

The vernal equinox is near, days are getting longer, and we have high hopes for higher temperatures day by day. All these things point to spring’s arrival as surely as this latest shopping list episode of Inside Trader Joe’s. There are so many fun new products to try – from Bananas! Bananas! Chocolate (that’s one product, and it’s delish) and a Chromatic Celebration Cake (trust us here), to our most verdurous candle yet and a Mini Sheet Cake that delivers a punch of puckery pleasure… did we...

On this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we take you to a super-secret, underground, high school club – the Trader Joe’s Club! What, your high school didn’t have one? Neither did ours… but we found out about some high schools that do, and, well, how could we resist? We really couldn’t, so we sat down with some cool kids (it’s hip to say, cool, right?) to cover all things Trader Joe’s. Listen in… it’s totally bussin’. Transcript (PDF)

We’ve tallied the votes (all 18,000+ of them!), and the winners of the 14th Annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards have been decided. When it comes to sweets and desserts, what takes the cake? What’s the favorite for folks feeling snacky? And what do you love most overall when you walk our aisles? On this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re announcing this year’s winners, and shining a light on some old favorites being honored in a whole new way. Transcript (PDF)

We get this question all the time, and it’s a good one. The truth is, once you start to think about “loyalty programs,” you quickly realize there’s nothing in them to promote loyalty. They’re just ever-so-slightly-disguised ways to collect data about your purchases. We look at loyalty with a significantly different lens. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop. Transcript (PDF)

Phew! What a year! The end of one year, the start of another… there’s a reason folks get reflective at this time of year. Trader Joe’s is no different, as it turns out. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we’re looking back at the year that was, and forward, to the year ahead. Stores have opened, Crew Members have been hired – and promoted! – and millions of meals have been shared with our neighbors… We’re excited about what’s to come, and we look forward to seeing you at your...

Chestnuts (roasting on an open fire)? Check. Peppermint Hold the Cones? Check. Cedar Balsam Candles? Check. And check. This is a big, bold holiday season shopping list episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, filled with the fun and festive fare you count on us to deliver. Join us as we peruse the aisles and take a foray through the freezers, finding returning favorites and some exciting new discoveries along the way. What’s that? Carolers at the door? Check. Transcript (PDF)

Wine makes people nervous. We get it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Like the rest of your TJ’s shopping experience, we think buying wine should be a fun and feel like an adventure. So, when you go to your neighborhood Trader Joe’s looking for a bottle of wine, and you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for… don’t panic! There are knowledgeable Crew Members there who can help. They taste the wines, they know which wines taste great with which foods, and they’re always happy to make...

If there’s a question we get more than “When are all the holiday products coming back?” it’s definitely “What’s up with your parking lots?” We get it. They’re small. Which kind of makes sense when you think about it. Which we do. A lot. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to find out everything you ever wanted to know (and let’s be honest, probably a whole lot more) about Trader Joe’s parking lots. Transcript (PDF)

Aloha shirts as far as the eye can see, new products for everyone to taste, and So. Much. Energy! It’s the Trader Joe’s Annual Captains’ Meeting, and you have a front row seat, so to speak. Have a listen to find out about our plans for the future, the return of Demo (yes!), your store Captain’s favorite product, and what the heck is a Golden Potsticker Award! Transcript (PDF) Golden Potsticker Award Winners: Store # Location 8 Fresno, CA 26 Hillcrest, San Diego, CA 46 Orange,...

Ever walk into your neighborhood TJ’s to find your favorite product is no longer on the shelf? It happens to us, too! A big part of shopping at Trader Joe’s is finding new things to love, and because our stores are small, making room for those new favorites means some old standbys may have to make way. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to get the scoop.   Transcript (PDF)

Autumn is in the air… and your neighborhood Trader Joe’s is filled with the finest that fall has to offer – for a limited time, of course! In the mood for maple? Marvelous. Craving caramel apples and cinnamon rolls? What a coincidence; so are we! Sweet on squash? Super. Pining for pumpkin? Perfect timing! Listen in to the latest episode of Inside Trader Joe’s for all this and a gathering of wine, beer, and spirits that will lift the spirit of any gathering. Transcript (PDF)

What’s the difference between a “hack” and a “recipe”? We honestly have no idea, but whether you call them “hacks” or “recipes,” we have some more to share. We heard from customers and Crew Members from around the country about fun, easy, delicious ways to enjoy so many Trader Joe’s products. A sweet use for pizza dough? Yes! Scallion pancakes as taco shells? Yes, please! A cake made with sparkling fruit juice? Excuse us while we head to the kitchen. We have some hacking to do…...

That empty building from Part One? It’s a whole lot less empty now. Crew Members are working hard, designing the look of the store – spoiler alert, it looks like its neighborhood! – from wall murals to shelf signs, stocking shelves with your favorite TJ’s products (and some new stuff you haven’t seen yet), and establishing relationships with community organizations focused on ending hunger, so when we open, we’re ready to be a neighborhood store in every possible way. We have a great Crew, in...

Fade in on an empty building. Four walls, some windows, not much else. How does that empty space become a bustling neighborhood grocery store? It’s a good story, and one that involves a whole bunch of hard-working, super talented people. In Part One, we’ll talk to the folks who find the perfect location and the folks who get stuff built. We also get to chat with some Crew Members getting the store ready to welcome their neighbors. It’s a lot of work, and these folks are having a great time...

Summertime… and the shopping is delicious… It really is. Our shelves are stocked with returning favorites like Jalapeño Limeade and Dill Pickle Mustard, plus exciting new arrivals like Jalapeño Lime Crunch and Seasoning in a (Dill) Pickle (we’re sensing a theme here). Discover a new favorite while you’re listening? Make haste to your neighborhood Trader Joe’s, because like the season itself, many of these summertime products will only be around for a limited time. Check out the whole list: ...

When we set out to produce a podcast, our goal was a five-part series to take listeners Inside Trader Joe’s, literally and figuratively. Now here we are, episode 50! In this episode, we take you truly inside, traveling to Trader Joe’s stores in Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon, where we get the inside scoop about what makes Trader Joe’s a special place to shop and to work, from the folks who really know all the inside info – our Crew Members! Transcript (PDF)

We get questions all the time. Questions like, why are your parking lots so… unique? Why did you discontinue my favorite product? What’s it like to work at Trader Joe’s? We have this tendency to just assume people know this stuff, because we live it, every day. So we’re launching a series of mini episodes we’re calling ITJ ICYMI: Inside Trader Joe’s In Case You Missed It. For the first ICYMI, What’s It Like to Work at Trader Joe’s? Transcript (PDF)

This is, without a doubt, our most hacktacular episode yet! What does that even mean? It means this episode is chock-full of inspired uses for your some of your favorite TJ’s products. How to make your flowers last longer and stand straighter… check. How to make simple meals in minutes using ingredients you might not have thought to put together… check. Delicious and unexpected dessert ideas… check, check, check! We’re sharing creative ideas shared with us by Trader Joe’s Crew Members from...

Everyone loves a list, right? And if that list leads to deliciousness, then even better. Right? Yes. This episode of Inside Trader Joe’s delivers a shopping list packed with some of our favorite offerings for the season. From sparkling tea to serious wine, and custard tarts to truffle crunchies, spring is in full bloom in every aisle… Listen in and you’re sure to have a spring in your step as you spring into action and spring forward to your neighborhood Trader Joe’s. Transcript (PDF) ...

In this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, we get to chat with the folks who design the packages and labels for your favorite Trader Joe’s products, as well as one of the people who makes sure all the information on that package or label is accurate. Ever wonder where the inspiration for the design on the Instant Cold Brew Coffee jar came from? Whose pets are on the treat packages? Or who the heck decides what a serving size is? This, podcast friends, is the episode for you! Transcript (PDF)

It’s awards season, and time for our products to walk the red carpet. The votes have been counted, and on this episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, all the winners are revealed. Favorite Entree? Check. Vegan and Vegetarian faves? Check. Favorite Overall? Check. It. Out. Listen in to find out if your favorite is a winner, or just honored to be nominated!  Transcript (PDF)