The first thing I noticed when I went into the store was the people, in particular a few silver-haired hippies and, of course, a number of yuppies (in most cases, the kind of people you might find at a Whole Foods). It doesn't quite fit the stereotype of a health food store; you won't find the bulk food canisters. What you will find is what I would consider a healthier version of a supermarket concept (e.g., no junk food but healthier version of snack foods) without the premium prices of a Whole Foods. It also differs by carrying mostly its own private brands (with a small number of competitively-priced healthier brand items, e.g., McCann's Oatmeal and Food for Life breads).
You will find a wider variety of healthier foods with a twist I would term as premium private-label foods. In most cases, we think of store or generic brands as less expensive, comparable quality variations of branded foods. Trader Joe's marries the concept of low prices with healthier, quality ingredient food variations, often with innovative twists. Let me discuss a couple of illustrative examples from the list below. You can purchase a 1 lb. jar of organic unsalted crunchy peanut butter made from Valencia peanuts for $2.99, and a dozen brown large cage-free (i.e., high Omega-3) eggs for $2.69. In contrast, my local supermarket starts Eggland's Best at over $3 a dozen--and organic and/or cage-free eggs are at a significant premium to that price.
Some drawbacks:
- Trader Joe's doesn't have locations in every state. I sometimes write about Trader Joe's to my mom in Texas, and she points out there aren't any local stores.
- Trader Joe's maintains a small number of stores in an area. [I used to have to drive to Bethesda until they opened up a location in Columbia (technically, Elkridge).]
- Whereas Trader Joe's is on the web, it doesn't have an Internet storefront (and it doesn't sound like they have any near-term plans to do so).
Sample Checkout Tape
McCann's Irish Oatmeal tin, $4.99
TJ Soy (Milk) Essential (unsweetened), 1 quart, $1.69 (2)
Butternut Squash Soup, 1 quart, $2.49
Unsalted Macadamia Nuts, 12 oz., $6.29
Brazil Nuts, 1 lb., $4.49
Raw Mixed Nuts, 1 lb., $4.99
Dark Chocolate Jet Black Cocoa Almonds, 1 lb., $4.99
Sunflower Seed Nut Butter, 1 lb., $3.99
Frozen Berry Medley (blackberry, raspberry, blueberry), 1 lb., 3.29
Buffalo Jerky, 3.5 oz., $4.99
Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortilla, 10 small, $2.69 (2)
TJ Oat Bran, 2 lbs., $2.69
Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Bar with Almonds, 3.5 oz., $1.99
Tetra Garden Patch Soup, 1 quart, $2.99
Swiss Dark Chocolate Bar with Hazelnuts, 7 oz., $3.99
Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter, 1 lb., $2.99
Ground Buffalo Patties, 20 oz., $5.69
Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon Fillets, 7.99/lb, $8.47
Large Brown Cage Free Eggs, 1 dozen, $2.69
Lime Chile Mixed Nuts, 1 lb., $3.99
Canned Wild-Caught Pacific Red Salmon, 7.5 oz, $2.49 (2)
Crunchy Raw Almond Butter, 1 lb., $4.99
Whole-Wheat Pretzel Sticks, 12 oz., 1.99
Mini-Pearl Tomatoes, $2.49
Fresh Strawberries, 2 lbs., $4.99
5" Whole Wheat Pita, 8 pack, $1.49
Multi-Grain Wheat Sprouted Bread, 24 oz., $3.49
Whole Wheat English Muffins, half-dozen, $1.49
Just a few minor complaints: I would like my local store to carry frozen venison, grass-fed beef, and ostrich. (I have purchased venison at other locations in the past.) I'm not impressed with my store's current selection of tortillas/flat breads (I think they carry one lavash item in their fresh bread section. They do carry a few tortilla items in their refrigerated deli section. It would be nice if they carried Tumaro's, Flatout, or La Tortilla or offered a comparable private-label product).
