What to Buy at Trader Joe's

Great Deals and Unique Flavors at America's Favorite Supermarket

Oct 17, 2009

Coming to more and more cities each year, Trader Joe's brings great new products and cheap prices. If there's one in your neighborhood, here's what to shop for.

Trader Joe’s is a supermarket chain based in Monrovia California, with over 300 stores nationwide. “TJ’s” as it’s affectionately called, began in 1958 as a chain of convenience stores, with stiff competition from the up-and-coming 7-11 chain. To cope with the competition, the owner, Joe Coulombe, took inspiration from a Caribbean trip and turned his stores into specialty markets, bring customers more exotic products unavailable in regular supermarkets.

Coulombe sold the stores to the German supermarket chain Aldi, who greatly expanded Trader Joe’s. They currently have an estimated 326 stores nationwide; according to Supermarket News it grossed $7.2 billion in 2008.

Trader Joe’s is so successful because it has a nitch – high quality, specialty goods at low prices. Trader Joe’s selects products by tasting them first. Their guarantee: “We tried it! We liked it! If you don’t, bring it back for a full refund, no questions asked.” So, here are some exceptional goods at exceptional prices. Basic goods like eggs and milk are cheaper than chains like Safeway. But their specialty goods are a real treat. If there’s a Trader Joe’s in your area, be sure to try out these fantastic products.

Wines and Chocolates, a Trader Joe’s Specialty

Wines and chocolates were among the first specialty foods offered by Trader Joe’s, when it converted from “Pronto Market” to supermarket. In stores where state laws do not prohibit the sale of Alcohol, TJ’s has an excellent selection of wine, both affordable and pricy, including an excellent selection of California wines as well as foreign wines. TJ’s is the only seller of the famous Charles Shaw Winery or “two buck Chuck,” named for its $2 price tag. In addition to wines, TJ’s has an excellent selection of beer.

Chocolates as well as other candies are hard to resist: from English toffee to Australian licorice to chocolate covered cherries, these items are perfect for a sweet tooth or a cocktail party.

Go Nuts for Dried Fruits and Nuts

From chopped pecans to decadent chocolate cranberry trail mix, TJ’s has an excellent selection of fruits and nuts perfect for anything from a day hike to a classy party dish. Nuts like almonds, cashews, and peanuts come in orange, blue, or red labeled bags to indicated, unsalted, lightly salted, and salted.

Chips and Salsas, Move over Lays and Doritos

Trader Joe’s selection of chips is healthier than at regular supermarkets, no deep fried chips or trans-fats, but they don’t sacrifice taste. They have large selection from corn and potato chips to flavors like BBQ and Salt and Vinegar. Try the Hemp chips for a delicious new taste.

To accompany these chips, Trader Joe’s offers a large array of salsas at unbeatable prices. Their three-pepper salsa and peach salsa are two of the best.

Pasta and Pasta Sauce, From Marinara to Pesto

Trader Joe’s offers great deals on pasta and sauce. A bag of regular pasta goes for 99 cents. Specialty pasta is also well-priced, and includes such flavors as spinach and chives. They also have a good selection of organic pasta. The sauce ranges in price from $1.50 to $4 (as opposed to larger chains who often charge upwards of $8 for certain brands.

Frozen Foods, from Pizza to Mud Pie

The frozen food selection at TJ’s let’s a lazy night in become a delicious and even health-conscious meal. From their delicious pizzas (try the French style Tarte a l’Alsace) to their beef taquitos, TJ’s makes frozen food taste good. Their desserts in this section are decadent and delicious: mud pies, New York cheesecake, and chocolate lava cakes.

This list doesn’t cover the produce, dips and spreads, meets, or prepared salads and sandwiches. TJ’s makes an effort to treat it’s employees well, with full benefits and living wages for part-time employees. In many stores, a raffle for $25 gift certificate is done every week for customers who bring bags. It’s hard to win, because so many customers come in, happily armed with their environmentally-friendly Trader Joe’s shopping bags.

The copyright of the article What to Buy at Trader Joe's in Gourmet Food is owned by Pema Levy. Permission to republish What to Buy at Trader Joe's in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.