Why Start A Blog About Trader Joe's?

I know it sounds strange, but I like to study companies. I'm especially interested in companies that are serious innovators in typically boring or declining markets. I spent the past 20 months following Netflix on my other blog, Hacking Netflix. Netflix is completely changing the DVD rental business, and has been a very interesting company to write about. I posted about 850 stories on Hacking Netflix, and the site has received more than 1 million pageviews and generated almost 10,000 comments.

I wanted to start another blog, and I was looking for a company that was growing in a competitive market, had a lot of passionate customers, and was doing something very interesting. Trader Joe's is all of this and more. It also helps that I shop there several nights a week.

When I started Hacking Netflix, I was posting information that I found interesting, but it quickly grew into a community of readers and contributors. I see my job here as editor, and I would hope that you would contribute story ideas, ask questions, and participate in the discussion.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail: TrackingTJ @ gmail.com.

Comments

[Kathy]

Oops...My message was in response to Katrina....

[evan Morgan]

im gay.

[Jamie]

I LOVE TJ's!!!!!
I am absolutely HEARTBROKEN that I will be moving to South Delaware State, where there is NO Trader Joe's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What am I ever, ever going to do!!! I foresee a monthly drive to the Trader Joe's that's almost an hour away in Wilminton!!!

[john]

keep up the good work!

[Sean]

I enjoy alot of the products at Trader Joe's but man are the employees STRANGE. I live in Atlanta and most people here are pretty laid back and "southern", stepping into the Trader Joe's is like being teleported to southern California (where I lived for a few years...a very bizarre place).

The employees talk twice as loud as the customers, yelling at each other across the aisles. They make borderline rude comments about customer's appearances or purchases. I've noticed several customers who appear very uncomfortable with the comments (including my wife and myself). I'd like to just stop shopping there but the products and pricing are hard to give up.

Does anyone know if they encourage their employees to act like this? Or do they import their employees from SoCal (which my wife and I suspect)?

[Kathy]

You guys do a wonderful job! Keep up the good work!!!b

[thomas]

i need to know if trader joes drug tests? asap... i will be back on today to look for responses to this answer... thanks

[Ann]

Hi,

My husband is self-employed and we spend 12k a year on health insurance for our family. I was thinking about applying for a part-time job because of the health insurance benefits, and my intention would be to work evenings and weekends to avoid childcare.

Can anyone tell me how many hours I would be expected to work as a part-timer? What is the minimum I could work in order to get health insurance? Also, what is the health insurance coverage like? Would I be required to contribute and approximately how much?

Thanks so much!

Ann

[Melissa]

Interesting web page is, i\'ll see you later one more timec

[Adam]

To the last poster, "Kathy,"

"Look at what the unions have done to grocery companies like Albertons, Vons, and Ralphs! They are going down the tubes!! Because of the union, checkers make $17.00 per hour (and UP) with tremendous medical and dental benefits. They beep groceries, for goodness sakes, and are paid more than many college educated professionals!"

Excuse me, but I work in a grocery store and I am a member of a union, Local 1500 to be exact, and I have been in this union for 5 years. You say because of the union, that cashiers make $17.00 and up, and I assure you, that except for the rarest of cases, this is not true. I wish that was true, but in the real world, for a cashier to be making that much money because of the union, that would mean they had worked in that position for over 15 years. What the hell is your problem with somebody who's been doing the same low level job for 15+ years making a decent wage? Not everybody is provided with the same opportunities. Have you ever been a cashier? Most people don't last more than a year doing it, because many of the people cashiers have to deal with are in similar mindsets as you and cause cashiers tons of problems and stress. Also, its very rare for a cashier to ever be hired full time, so even if they somehow were making $17 an hour, they're still working less than 30 hours a weeks. Which means that even the luckiest cashier is only making roughly $400 a week, after taxes and union dues and such. $400 a week is not a lot of money at all, and is certainly not causing a massive hike in the prices of groceries.

The truth is, most union-backed grocery stores start cashiers off at a couple cents above minimum wage. In the case of my union, theres a mandatory raise of $0.25 every 6 months. When I started, and I was hired as a cashier, I was getting paid $7.00. In case you can't do the math, for me to get that $10 raise necessary to be making your assumed wage of $17/hr, I would need to work for 20 years from the day I was hired. You can't possibly tell me that someone who works as a cashier for 20 years of their life, which is about 25% of most peoples entire lifetime, does not deserve to be making a measly $17 an hour.

It's funny that you ended your post with "You owe the hard workers out there an apology," because you should be taking your own advice. So that's how I'm going to end this post.

You owe the hard workers out there an apology.

[Hannes]

Looking for information and found it at this great site...o

[Stuart]

Hello,
I am a current employee of TJ's and am ready to send TJ's goodies to all those who do not have a store near them, yet. My questions to those who are looking for this service:
1) Shipping will be expensive - is it an expense that you are willing to incur in order to get your products? (About $15-$20 for a 10lb order);
2) Perishables will not be available, unless you REALLY want to pay a high price for the packaging and subsequent shipping;
3) All dry products and wine will be available at prices about 20% higher than California prices plus the shipping costs. Are you ready to pay (theoretically) $100 for $60 worth of goodies?
Thanks for your time with your responses. I will look into what it would take to 'build' an on-line store and will try to have everything up and running before Thanksgiving.
I hope to hear from all of you soon!
Sincerely, Stuart

[Timmy]

I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you!

[Kathy]

You have built a good websiteg

[anon]

Posted by: Kathy | June 03, 2008 at 01:44 AM

should have been directed to

Posted by: Katrina | July 14, 2006 at 08:45 PM

[Jose H.]

I have been a dedicated TJ's employee for about 2 years now and for the person who made the cult of drug addicts, alcoholics, etc. I do have to admit there are some like that but it's so far and few between. I won't eloborate but my last captain was probably one of the laziest bosses i've ever worked with. In his defense he was great with customers but with half the employees it was a different story. He showed obvious favoritism with those who had been there since opening day regardless of there work ethic but for the fresh harder working people he was less likely to listen or consider what pressure we would be under because we would be lifting not only are weight but thiers as well. If it were not for the other managers i probably would have left long ago but then 6 months ago we had a captain change and all I can say is I'm a much happier employee and so are the other hard working employees the only ones less thrilled are the lazy employess who were pretty much able to get away with murder. If I had to make one suggestion to all managers of the company is please be more picky about who you hire and make sure they can at least lift a case of shaw (i'm sorry for those who can't but it doesnt do the store any favors to hire someone that can only do half the job). I'm sorry this is such a lengthy rant but I need to get it off my chest. I'm sorry but when i know that someone who is getting paid more then me to just laze around and only go on register when hunted down is just ridiculous. Now for those considering employment only go into it if your going to be a dedicated employee who will work hard and make customers happy it's a much more rewarding exprience and I don't want my rant being taken at face value. Every store is different and every store has it's flaws. I plan on going full-time and I love a lot of the people I work with (there like a second family to me). I'll end this on a high note by giving huge props to the hard workers at my store and everywhere else.

[noella]

What happened to the vegetable rice bowls at Trader Joe? They were a staple in my diet, it's tragic

[Emily Lunceford]

I am looking to start a movement to get a Trader Joe's in the Central New York (specifically Syracuse or Ithaca) area. The closest ones are downstate. I lived much closer to TJ's years ago and miss it sorely. I think this market is perfect for a store and have even heard others talking about in area groceries. Who's with me? How do we start?

[Michel]

Trader Joe is no Longer a "trader place" but more and more an "average joe".
It's used to be a wonderful a place and I start shopping there 25 years ago.
But they replace a lot of small company product with their own label.
And if the price remind the same, the quality has drop. A Trader Joe product is a lower quality, flavor less than the product it suppose to replace. And my shopping bill has drop to half as I used to spend there. I try to send email to the company, but, I never received an email back, except the automatic response. I am really hoping this email will touch some people at trader joe.

[Julia]

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[X-man]

These prayers help me to keep God in my life, especially with the many distractions I encounter.a

[Albert]

I praise God for answering my prayers. God, you are so wonderful, majestic. Jesus Christ, I adore Your Sacred Heart.=

[Anonyme]

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[Albert]

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[Marly]

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