Trader Joe’s Rejects Walmart Strategy

[theDoctorisIn]

I can't say that for every item but overall they are...at least down here. We have 3 WF stores down here in SA. TJ's just opened one a few months ago.

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

Trader Joe's has an incredibly shitty selection of produce, and a mediocre meat selection.

But their prices for various pseudo-luxury items (like fancy cheeses, lox, and single malt scotch) are a lot better than Safeway.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[13] In June 2009, MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks second in customer service.[14] Although Ethisphere Magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Trader Joe's did not make that list in 2011.[15][16][17]

Trader Joe's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wegmans is much better than Trader Joe's.

 

[Political Junky]

Uh, no it doesn't. I've lived in a few different areas of the country, and Trader Joe's has ALWAYS been the cheaper option.

not in OC California it aint...

It was definitely cheaper than Ralph's in LA. And it's cheaper than Safeway or Whole Foods in San Francisco.

Yes, I had the same experiences in both cities.

 

[DaGoose]

I can't say that for every item but overall they are...at least down here. We have 3 WF stores down here in SA. TJ's just opened one a few months ago.

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[13] In June 2009, MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks second in customer service.[14] Although Ethisphere Magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Trader Joe's did not make that list in 2011.[15][16][17]

Trader Joe's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shhh ......Don't tell Wicked Jester. He's under some insane idea that Trader Joes has poor quality. Only we know he's full of shit.

The only thing he's eating right now is some crow.

 

[Wicked Jester]

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

Trader Joe's has an incredibly shitty selection of produce, and a mediocre meat selection.

But their prices for various pseudo-luxury items (like fancy cheeses, lox, and single malt scotch) are a lot better than Safeway.

Yeah, as I said in a previous post, I mainly only buy wine and spices there, and stay away from their meats, poultry, seafood, nuts, and produce. Based on the fact that much of their product, particularly packaged under the TJ's brand, comes from countries that have little to no health standards....I don't think there's ever been a time that i've been to one, that there wasn't a recall notice for something or other posted on the outside window.

I do like their customer service, and the fact that they keep their checkout lines moving along.

 

[candycorn]

Uh, no it doesn't. I've lived in a few different areas of the country, and Trader Joe's has ALWAYS been the cheaper option.

Don't know which TJ's you've been in. I found their prices ridiculously high...their website shows a cheese for $10.99 a pound. Glad they're apparently doing well but I can't see what the big deal about them is. Give me some Sargento's for $2.50 a pound any day...

must be were you live or if you like the place or not and if your honest about it.....were i am at they are higher.....not a lot to make a difference.....Whole foods is high enough to make a difference.....but they are worth going to every now and then....

Ever had cashew butter? TJ has it. Fantastic stuff but not for 8 dollars a jar.

 

[Political Junky]

Don't know which TJ's you've been in. I found their prices ridiculously high...their website shows a cheese for $10.99 a pound. Glad they're apparently doing well but I can't see what the big deal about them is. Give me some Sargento's for $2.50 a pound any day...

must be were you live or if you like the place or not and if your honest about it.....were i am at they are higher.....not a lot to make a difference.....Whole foods is high enough to make a difference.....but they are worth going to every now and then....

Ever had cashew butter? TJ has it. Fantastic stuff but not for 8 dollars a jar.

Natural peanut butter is $2.79, about half the price it is at Safeway.

 

[Wicked Jester]

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[13] In June 2009, MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks second in customer service.[14] Although Ethisphere Magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Trader Joe's did not make that list in 2011.[15][16][17]

Trader Joe's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shhh ......Don't tell Wicked Jester. He's under some insane idea that Trader Joes has poor quality. Only we know he's full of shit.

The only thing he's eating right now is some crow.

Nooooo, they're known for having problems with recalls, and it's based on their supply network.

I'm a chef, who's worked in the industry for years, and belong to several industry organizations. I get monthly literature from them that lists retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers in the industry, and lists recall notices...TJ's is a frequent name on those lists, particularly on the VOLUNTARY lists......Ya' see, it's not about customer service, customer satisfaction, or how they treat their employees, it's about an underbelly in the industry that most consumers never know about, unless it's highly publicized.

But then, you obviously started this thread to try and score cheap political points, in an effort to pump up your dream of liberal utopia, but, that doesn't mean there are those up here who won't chime in with what they may know.....And, based on what I know, there are certain things I would never consider buying at TJ's.....Just the same as I know things about certain popular chain restaurants, that would cause me to never eat at them under any circumstances.

 

[Papageorgio]

Trader Joe's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[13] In June 2009, MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks second in customer service.[14] Although Ethisphere Magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Trader Joe's did not make that list in 2011.[15][16][17]

Well if its Wiki... Propaganda.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

For you Neo-Cons who think that a company can only get by if it screws its workers....this one's for you!!

We’ve watched as places like Walmart, Papa John’s, Target, Applebee’s and other businesses continue to pay sub-par wages while claiming their only option for profit, given the economy and their being “forced” to provide employees with insurance, is to either cut employees’ hours and/or their wages. This miserly strategy is justified and implemented despite the fact that research shows that raising wages would actually “benefit workers, the industry and the overall economy".

Many employers believe that one of the best ways to raise their profit margin is to cut labor costs. But companies like QuikTrip, the grocery-store chain Trader Joe’s, and Costco Wholesale are proving that the decision to offer low wages is a choice, not an economic necessity. All three are low-cost retailers, a sector that is traditionally known for relying on part-time, low-paid employees. Yet these companies have all found that the act of valuing workers can pay off in the form of increased sales and productivity

Rejecting Walmart Strategy, Trader Joe?s Pays Employees A Living Wage And Wins | Addicting Info

I don't shop at Walmart or buy pizza from Papa Johns. Their merchandise and food sucks and they treat their employees like shit.

.

WalMart doesn't cater to pretentious snobs, they are making it possible for all the poor people you pretend to care about to buy better groceries than any Trader Joe's I have ever been in, and give them lower prices. You prefer to shop where they cater to assholes, which is understandable.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

$10-$12 an hour is a living wage in California?

Not according to San Francisco or San Jose, that is minimum wage in those cities.

 

[DaGoose]

For you Neo-Cons who think that a company can only get by if it screws its workers....this one's for you!!

We’ve watched as places like Walmart, Papa John’s, Target, Applebee’s and other businesses continue to pay sub-par wages while claiming their only option for profit, given the economy and their being “forced” to provide employees with insurance, is to either cut employees’ hours and/or their wages. This miserly strategy is justified and implemented despite the fact that research shows that raising wages would actually “benefit workers, the industry and the overall economy".

Many employers believe that one of the best ways to raise their profit margin is to cut labor costs. But companies like QuikTrip, the grocery-store chain Trader Joe’s, and Costco Wholesale are proving that the decision to offer low wages is a choice, not an economic necessity. All three are low-cost retailers, a sector that is traditionally known for relying on part-time, low-paid employees. Yet these companies have all found that the act of valuing workers can pay off in the form of increased sales and productivity

Rejecting Walmart Strategy, Trader Joe?s Pays Employees A Living Wage And Wins | Addicting Info

I don't shop at Walmart or buy pizza from Papa Johns. Their merchandise and food sucks and they treat their employees like shit.

.

WalMart doesn't cater to pretentious snobs, they are making it possible for all the poor people you pretend to care about to buy better groceries than any Trader Joe's I have ever been in, and give them lower prices. You prefer to shop where they cater to assholes, which is understandable.

Sorry to burst your bubble but Walmart does NOT have lower prices than say, Costco, which pays it's employees a wage that does not require you and me to subsidize with welfare benefits.

 

[DaGoose]

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[13] In June 2009, MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks second in customer service.[14] Although Ethisphere Magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Trader Joe's did not make that list in 2011.[15][16][17]

Trader Joe's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shhh ......Don't tell Wicked Jester. He's under some insane idea that Trader Joes has poor quality. Only we know he's full of shit.

The only thing he's eating right now is some crow.

Nooooo, they're known for having problems with recalls, and it's based on their supply network.

I'm a chef, who's worked in the industry for years, and belong to several industry organizations. I get monthly literature from them that lists retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers in the industry, and lists recall notices...TJ's is a frequent name on those lists, particularly on the VOLUNTARY lists......Ya' see, it's not about customer service, customer satisfaction, or how they treat their employees, it's about an underbelly in the industry that most consumers never know about, unless it's highly publicized.

But then, you obviously started this thread to try and score cheap political points, in an effort to pump up your dream of liberal utopia, but, that doesn't mean there are those up here who won't chime in with what they may know.....And, based on what I know, there are certain things I would never consider buying at TJ's.....Just the same as I know things about certain popular chain restaurants, that would cause me to never eat at them under any circumstances.

If fair wages and benefits for employees is "liberal utopia" then I guess that's where we should ALL be.

As it is you and I have to subsidize Walmart's employees so that must be YOUR idea of a neo-con utopia?

 

[Wicked Jester]

Shhh ......Don't tell Wicked Jester. He's under some insane idea that Trader Joes has poor quality. Only we know he's full of shit.

The only thing he's eating right now is some crow.

Nooooo, they're known for having problems with recalls, and it's based on their supply network.

I'm a chef, who's worked in the industry for years, and belong to several industry organizations. I get monthly literature from them that lists retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers in the industry, and lists recall notices...TJ's is a frequent name on those lists, particularly on the VOLUNTARY lists......Ya' see, it's not about customer service, customer satisfaction, or how they treat their employees, it's about an underbelly in the industry that most consumers never know about, unless it's highly publicized.

But then, you obviously started this thread to try and score cheap political points, in an effort to pump up your dream of liberal utopia, but, that doesn't mean there are those up here who won't chime in with what they may know.....And, based on what I know, there are certain things I would never consider buying at TJ's.....Just the same as I know things about certain popular chain restaurants, that would cause me to never eat at them under any circumstances.

If fair wages and benefits for employees is "liberal utopia" then I guess that's where we should ALL be.

As it is you and I have to subsidize Walmart's employees so that must be YOUR idea of a neo-con utopia?

Walmart pays their employees a fair wage, and provides them benefits....No one is forcing them to work there, nor is Walmart REQUIRED to provide any benefits....If the employees aren't happy with their pay or benefits, they can leave, it's as simple as that.

And, you really don't seem to understand that you and I would end up subsidizing, no matter what, through higher prices, and that consumers who have a need to account for every penny they spend, would end up paying higher prices......You also don't seem to understand that Walmart and TJ's are completely different types of operations, with completely different mission statements, despite being in the retail business.....Thereby meaning, that the companies operate in a different fashion on every level.

Sooooooo, go ahead and rail against Walmart until the cows home, nobody is forcing you to shop there.....And if you choose to shop at TJ's, pay a higher price on certain items, and in many cases on certain food items sacrifice quality, go for it....It's a free country, it's your choice.

 

[Sarah G]

For you Neo-Cons who think that a company can only get by if it screws its workers....this one's for you!!

We’ve watched as places like Walmart, Papa John’s, Target, Applebee’s and other businesses continue to pay sub-par wages while claiming their only option for profit, given the economy and their being “forced” to provide employees with insurance, is to either cut employees’ hours and/or their wages. This miserly strategy is justified and implemented despite the fact that research shows that raising wages would actually “benefit workers, the industry and the overall economy".

Many employers believe that one of the best ways to raise their profit margin is to cut labor costs. But companies like QuikTrip, the grocery-store chain Trader Joe’s, and Costco Wholesale are proving that the decision to offer low wages is a choice, not an economic necessity. All three are low-cost retailers, a sector that is traditionally known for relying on part-time, low-paid employees. Yet these companies have all found that the act of valuing workers can pay off in the form of increased sales and productivity

Rejecting Walmart Strategy, Trader Joe?s Pays Employees A Living Wage And Wins | Addicting Info

I don't shop at Walmart or buy pizza from Papa Johns. Their merchandise and food sucks and they treat their employees like shit.

.

I agree and now that I'm living in a bigger city, I have choices. No more Walmart, no more of any companies who treat their employees like crap. I can't wait to go to Costco.

 

[healthmyths]

For you Neo-Cons who think that a company can only get by if it screws its workers....this one's for you!!

Rejecting Walmart Strategy, Trader Joe?s Pays Employees A Living Wage And Wins | Addicting Info

I don't shop at Walmart or buy pizza from Papa Johns. Their merchandise and food sucks and they treat their employees like shit.

.

WalMart doesn't cater to pretentious snobs, they are making it possible for all the poor people you pretend to care about to buy better groceries than any Trader Joe's I have ever been in, and give them lower prices. You prefer to shop where they cater to assholes, which is understandable.

Sorry to burst your bubble but Walmart does NOT have lower prices than say, Costco, which pays it's employees a wage that does not require you and me to subsidize with welfare benefits.

A) Costco caters to BULK buyers not to people that can't afford to buy 100 razors at a time!
Whereas Walmart customers LIKE me that don't need 100 razors pay LESS then other supermarkets as well as less for other goods.
You buy a case of apples at Costco.. Walmart a bag. BIG difference in how many people are needed to stock BINs versus SHELVES!

B) Walmart PAID over $6 billion JUST in payroll taxes. This is TAX revenue to the Federal government.
C) CostCo Paid less then $400 million in payroll taxes.

So let that burst your bubble in that a major part of the $6 billion Walmart PAYS on Top of the payroll to the benefit of the employees,
i.e. you obviously don't know that employers contribute almost 13% towards employees' SS/Medicare etc. which goes directly to IRS.

That tax revenue is distributed back as welfare checks!

 

[Wyatt earp]

fyi what ever happen to TCBY? remember it was taking the nation by storm in the 80's......

They're still around....Ton of 'em here in So. Cal.

Not sure about the rest of the country.

Lived in Arizona, chicago area, south carolina, georgia, tennesse in the last 20 years, I have not seen them since the early 90's. dont know why they were kind of good.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Uh, no it doesn't. I've lived in a few different areas of the country, and Trader Joe's has ALWAYS been the cheaper option.

not in OC California it aint...

It was definitely cheaper than Ralph's in LA. And it's cheaper than Safeway or Whole Foods in San Francisco.

whether they are cheaper or not.....what they offer is pretty limited......

 

[Harry Dresden]

Not here. Trader Joe's is about 3 blocks from a Whole Foods and I've shopped both. Trader Joe's is a lot cheaper.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

As is the quality of their food products, hence, the number of recalls they experience.

The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[13] In June 2009, MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks second in customer service.[14] Although Ethisphere Magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Trader Joe's did not make that list in 2011.[15][16][17]

Trader Joe's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shhh ......Don't tell Wicked Jester. He's under some insane idea that Trader Joes has poor quality. Only we know he's full of shit.

The only thing he's eating right now is some crow.

it all depends on what you like Goose....you think WJ is the only person that feels that way?....before i ever went to Trader Joes i heard many a person say they are either too expensive or their products suck or they have a very limited selection....when i finally checked one out i felt they are a little bit higher but not enough to stop me from going and so far i think their food is pretty good....but they are pretty limited as to what you can pick up......

 

[Harry Dresden]

Don't know which TJ's you've been in. I found their prices ridiculously high...their website shows a cheese for $10.99 a pound. Glad they're apparently doing well but I can't see what the big deal about them is. Give me some Sargento's for $2.50 a pound any day...

must be were you live or if you like the place or not and if your honest about it.....were i am at they are higher.....not a lot to make a difference.....Whole foods is high enough to make a difference.....but they are worth going to every now and then....

Ever had cashew butter? TJ has it. Fantastic stuff but not for 8 dollars a jar.

yes i have.....where did you pay 8 a jar at?....