Trader Joe's

Linda A.
1 review
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Too Much Plastic Packaging

There is no Trader Joe's in my hometown so I shop at one in Indianapolis. I always find a variety of great food there and the atmosphere is energizing. My big issue with Trader Joe's is the prevalence of plastic packaging, especially with their own brand. I wish they would find alternative earth-friendly packaging. I have trouble buying chocolate covered almonds in a disposable plastic container that will remain in the environment for 100's of years. That is not good for the planet.

Linda's keywords: disposable plastic plastic packaging

Francis K.
4 reviews
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Seafood is Very Fresh and Yummy

By far my favorite store. I have shopped at TJ's for almost 5 years now and will never go back to Jewel or Whole Foods.

Francis' keywords: Food Groceries Chicago food chain

Diana L.
1 review
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I love TJ, BUT - bad seafood policies

Greenpeace ranked the 20 biggest supermarket chains according to the sustainability of their seafood choices, and Trader Joe's ranked very low.
I contacted them to say I love the store, and appreciate that most of their food is convenient AND healthy and good for the planet, and would like to feel good about shopping there, but they replied simply that their customers 'vote with their dollars.' So, I encourage all of us who are green friends to fill out the customer service form on their website to ask them to please adopt sustainable seafood buying/selling policies.

Diana's keywords: sustainable seafood

Stacey Q.
1 review
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Stop Bragging

We here in Dallas don't have no Joe's (despite my pleading via website submissions). Wish we did, I get my fixes in Orange County, California and Westfield, N.J. when visiting family.

Stacey's keywords: Dallas Trader Joes

Kathy H.
3 reviews
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Good Stuff

Trader Joe's is one of my favorite grocery store because it has a good selection of organic products and the foods are delicious. I normally don't buy fresh produce from there but I do buy pretty much everything else. I love their frozen foods, pasta, sweets, chips, and dried fruits&nuts section. They haven't introduced much new items lately but I am hoping that they will bring more good stuff. I like that their products are reasonably priced than Wholefoods. But Trader Joe's is usually smaller in size, so I have to go to different store to get my fruits and viggies.

If I remember correctly, Trader Joe's stoped carrying things made in China. I am quite relieved by that.

Kathy's keywords: Grocery store organic food drink trader joe

Linda A.
1 review
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Disappointed With Trader Joe's

There is not a Trader Joe's in my town so whenever I go to Indianapolis, I look forward to shopping there. I have not been there for several months and in the meantime I have been educated about the problems with plastic in our environment. So recently when I shopped there, I was disappointed to see how much plastic packaging TJ's uses. Trader Joe's own products like delicious snacks are always packaged in plastic containers. TJ's sells bottled water, including Fiji, in plastic bottles. Many of their takeout foods, like sandwiches, are wrapped in plastic. TJ's may be up on nutrition and fair trade, but is definitely over the top in plastic packaging. This is NOT green or sustainable. We should all write Trader Joe's about our concerns.

Linda's keywords: plastic packaging nutritious foods

Ken O.
52 reviews
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Frozen broccoli from China

Everyone, including me, loves the hipster doofuses and novelty foods at TJ's.

I don't shop TJ's that often, but while browsing the frozen section a year or two ago, I noticed that the frozen broccoli was grown, packed, and shipped over to California from China. That's pretty crazy. I pointed it out to other people in the store who were likewise surprised.

Just thought you'd all want to know.

Trader Joe's like most groceries encases their veggies in styrofoam, ciran wrap or plastic. That's why I prefer farmers' markets produce. Maybe the broccoli thing is not so bad, considering that the world has always had regional and global trade. And if oil becomes scarce, then fewer items will be shipped from China. It's all a matter of time.

Ken's keywords: frozen food broccoli trader joes china food miles energy climate

Susie S.
50 reviews
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Trader Joe's on Masonic

This Trader Joe's setup causes long traffic jams constantly of cars who are crazy enough to idle while waiting for a parking space, when space is plentiful around the block or across the street.

Trader Joe's has overpriced produce packaged in lots of plastic which is ridiculous in California. Boycott it and buy your produce locally!

Other than that of course Trader is good for other reasons.

Although I think they need to dump their recycled paper bags which fall apart after one use which in my mind is worse for the environment than a heavier bag which you can use multiple times. I know I know, bring my own.

Owen S.
1 review
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Shouldn't "Going green" translate to "Going Local"?

It's this simple. The profits of Trader Joes go to Two of the richest men in the world; the Albrecht brothers of Germany. I truly understand the positive associations people have with this company but shouldn't the sustainability movement be advocating local-economics? Overpackaged produce from god knows where, junk food dressed up as healthy/organic, products sourced SO cheap that you have to wonder if the farmer ever got paid anything at all ect. You want to be green?
Buy from your community as much as possible. They do treat their employees quite well though.

Owen's keywords: Trader Joes

Cathryn S.
2 reviews
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Traitor Joe's

Trader Joe's has the potential to be the most incredible grocery store on the planet. The prices are so great, the quality is fantastic, the variety is amazing for the size of the stores. It's refreshing that they are encouraging folks to bring their own bags into the store when they shop. But-----there is an ENORMOUS and inexcusable use of plastic in the TJ stores. I cannot buy their produce--3 bell peppers in a plastic "dish" covered with plastic wrap; grapes, potatoes, artichokes, you-name-it--all in a plastic box. Lovely organic sugars in heavy plastic bags. And those gift cards--couldn't they use recycled cardboard? I do shop at Trader Joe's, but there are many items I can't buy there because of the overuse of plastic. Make it stop, Joe!

Cathryn's keywords: plastic bags grocery store

James C.
1 review
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Trader Joe's

Good small niche gourmet store with a good selection of wines at a very reasonable prices. Also has new gift products during certain holidays such as special chocolates at Christmas time.

James' keywords: gourmet store wine christmas gifts

Brian C.
2 reviews
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A truely great store!

Trader Joe's has to be the best "green" store out there. They have such an extensive selection of organic products and products you just don't find elsewhere. It's easy to go there and shop for items which are not only created in ways that are better for the environment, but that are also much better for you and your family than what you would find at a normal grocery store! I'll admit that sometimes their items are a bit pricey, but nothing higher than what you would expect from a small store grocery chain, especially one that sells "green" items which tend to cost a bit more anyway.

Brian's keywords: green store organic family environment

Linda S.
2 reviews
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Trader Joes

Trader Joes is a wonderful green and healthy store. My family loves most of their products and find them to be quite reasonably priced. My children have asthma and I know that their food and cleaning products do not have all the dyes and chemicals that can be bad for them. We shop there on a regular basis and continue to find great products that fit into our family's lifestyle. If you haven' been in a Trader Joe's store it is well worth your time to visit one soon.

Linda's keywords: cleaning products food store

Ada B.
4 reviews
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Love it!

I love Trader Joe's. I will admit that there are things that you can't buy at TJ's, but I go there specifically to buy organic TJ brand cosmetics (much cheaper than a lot of other brands), detergents and great quality and taste frozen foods!

Ada's keywords: groceries cosmetics

Shayne B.
16 reviews
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Super-friendly staff, not so friendly practices

I love going to Trader Joe's, if just for the extremely friendly and personable staff. I've never met an angry staff person there, and furthermore, they are incredibly knowledgeable about the company and their products!

Also, they do offer some pretty great deals on a lot of their products, which I have to admit, influences this 20-something non-profit worker. I do agree that their packaging is a little excessive, and for a company that touts itself on being eco-friendly and socially responsible, they could do better in that instance. Also, the fact that so much of their food comes from other countries is a huge bummer.

But damn if I don't love their trail mixes!

Shayne's keywords: grocery stores health food

Miyoko K.
7 reviews
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My only supermarket

Avoid Safeway and Lucky's - switch to TJ's.
Great prices and selection
Quality is flawless!

Miyoko's keywords: grocery shop market sanfrancisco

Jenn A.
378 reviews
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TJ's is good for some things...

Trader Joe's is good for certain types of purchases -- mainly, the kinds of packaged foods that you can't really buy in bulk or which you are too lazy to make at home:
- Pacific Almond Milk ($20.28 for a case of 12, compared to $30.08 less 10% at Rainbow Grocery or $24 at Whole Foods on sale)
- Wine (local and imported)
- Bread (lots of good local bakeries represented) and "Now and Zen" vegan cinnamon rolls.

I am perpetually aghast that they package produce as they do, and most of it comes from Chile and other such far away places. The true cost of buying produce from such distances is not reflected in the price you pay at TJ's. Just don't do it. And stay away from the frozen food aisle - that crap is just bad for you.

Jenn's keywords: Trader Joe packaged food grocery store

Emily K.
8 reviews
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Big Store, Good Food, but not for Me

Save the local co-op! Trader Joe's may have good eats, but it feels like a big box store. The just had a commercial about daffodils from Ireland. OH YEAH THAT'S ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE! 15 cents each and how much jet fuel was wasted to get them here? I would rather go to the South Suburban Food Coop and get my organics there. Going to Trader Joe's is like using a Hybrid Hummer. Nice try, but you still are missing the point.

Emily's keywords: food store

Cris Bisch
448 reviews
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GMO's? No!, Says Trader Joe's

This you can know about Trader Joe's: their stance on Genetically Modified Food (GMO's): "Our customers can be assured that all products in Trader Joe's private label are sourced from non-genetically modified ingredients. Our efforts began in 2001, when we determined that, given a choice, our customers would prefer to eat foods and beverages made without the use of genetically engineered ingredients. Our process has been to identify any product containing ingredients that could potentially be derived from genetically engineered crops and work with our suppliers to replace offending ingredients with acceptable alternatives."

The Trader Joe's I shop at seems relatively small compared to other specialty grocers I frequent. More often than not, I can't find key ingredients on my shopping list, even though I leave with...condiments, mostly. And, I haven't been able to find that nice Cote d' Rhone I found while strolling through the wine aisle a while back.

Cris' keywords: specialty foods gourmet foods natural foods neighborhood grocer wine condiments GMO

Brooks A.
1 review
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fabulous shopping experience

I went veg in June and TJs has allowed the transition to be effortless. Great prices, great food, great environment. Makes shopping a fun and soulful practice. I adore them!!

Brooks' keywords: Grocery store food