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Red - I live in So. Ca - very densely populated - Trader Joe's outnumber Wild Oats and Whole Foods by 100 to 1...interesting how as you go east across the U.S., Trader Joe's stores become fewer - I have 3 within a short drive of my house - they are every where...wonder why the difference?
I sure wish TJ's would come to northern Florida. They've made their way to Atlanta, so perhaps in the next couple years they'll arrive here.
Whole Foods used to be more expensive than Wild Oats but that will probably change now that they've bought them out. I'm kinda sad about Wild Oats because they (along with Trader Joe's) were one of the first stores that really seemed to *care* about the quality and creativity of what they purveyed--and they were homegrown in Colorado, the first WO opened in Boulder in the late 70's.
We do have Fresh Market here, which is sort of a Whole Foods wannabe I guess.
http://www.traderjoes.com/action_issues.asp
Questions on this thread spurred me to check TJ's website. The website answers some questions on Trader Joe policies. According to the site, it's still a privately held company. Also contains a logical explanation of why some products are carried in some regions and not others. In Portland, I have two TJ's, WF and and 2 local organic markets within 10 minutes of my house.
Try their frozen lime juice bars. YUM!!!!!! They are awesome. Also the TJ's brand of irish cream is 7.99 and tastes just like Bailey's. Also their margherita pizza is awesome. And the frozen spinach pie. And their crunchy peanut butter - which is less than 2 dollars! And two buck chuck (now 2.99 buck chuck) is still very drinkable.
Someone in this thread asked if all Trader Joe's are created equal. Unfortunately, no they aren't. I had been to the ones in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM before moving to DC.
I was so excited that Trader Joe's was only 10 miles away... prepared food section here I come! NOT! Ugh, they had nothing in comparison to the stores in NM. By prepared foods I mean salads, sandwiches, meals to stick in the microwave. I was so let down.
So, then I decided to goto the next closest Trade Joe's in Fairfax. Thinking ok... bigger city, Trader Joe's has to be bigger and better right? Wrong! The parking lot was full, beyond full. Once I got a parking spot, I walked up to the store to realize oh my goodness once I do get groceries from here, I have to fight my way thru the pedestrians to drive my car up to the front of the store and put the groceries in my car. Meaning, I can't take the buggie to my car, I have to leave my groceries on the curb because there are red metal bars keeping the buggies corraled in front of the story. I've never seen such a thing.
I just walked in to see if the Trader Joe's was any different than Centreville's TJ's. Nope, same lack of prepared foods. The disappointment continues.
Things I do like from TJ's are...
Bran muffins (freeze these because they get moldy fast)
Cucumber dipping sauce
Soy Milk
Dried Nuts
Dried Cranberries
Vodka sauce
Pastas
Dog treats
Hummus
I had been in love with the freezer goods until I found many of the same items at my local Super Target for much less $$
I've always found the produce overall at TJ's to be a bit pricey, except for maybe a couple of things like those huge containers of fresh basil.
I'm in Long Beach, too. I only know of 2 TJ's and one Wild Oats. You mentioned 3 TJ's?? I rarely shop at those two - I stick to my local Ralph's or Von's. I do know wine, cheese and butter have excellent prices at TJ's.
Red - I live in So. Ca - very densely populated - Trader Joe's outnumber Wild Oats and Whole Foods by 100 to 1...interesting how as you go east across the U.S., Trader Joe's stores become fewer - I have 3 within a short drive of my house - they are every where...wonder why the difference?
I believe it is because TJs started off as a company in California. It is slowly expanding in the east. We have quite a few in southern New England (MA and CT).
Paula there are three T.J.'s in Long Beach: one is on Atlantic near Carson, one in Los Altos Center on Bellflower and Stearns and one at the beach at The Market Place on Pacific Coast Highway.....I shop at all three although the one on Atlantic is the furthest from me. Ralphs is so expensive - I go there in a pinch...we eat a lot of fresh berries - yesterday the raspberries were $2.19 at T.J.'s and they were $5.98 at Ralphs. I like Vons too but they do not have the selection of specialty foods or fruits and vegetables that T.J.'s has...I shop at Vons more for the fuel discount than any thing else although I like a store with a butcher and the Von's near me has the nicest butchers - they will do special cuts for me whenever I even hint that I don't see something in the case that I need - T.J.'s certainly does not do that. I recently bought a big plastic bin of salad greens from Sam's Club - very fresh and such a lovely mix of different salad greens.
I'm stunned that TJ's has expanded all over the U.S. I thought they were just California/West Coast. I'm angry about it because we really need another one in our area, and I didn't realize they had all of these grandiose expansion plans. The one in my city is an absolute zoo at any hour of the day or night. It's so bad, they I have stopped going in there, as the lines are hellacious and if you want to get just a couple of things, your are out of luck.
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