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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

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Monday, June 26, 2017

Who Could Possibly Take Issue With Trader Joe's?

In a word:  I.

Given, Trader's is a pleasant, happy even, place to shop.  The employees are generally helpful, congenial, and engaging.  Their products are of quality -- the pizzas and flatbreads, for instance, are excellent and the pricing under Trader Joe's label, is considerably below that of other brands.

Their meats are a great buy; nuts, olive oil, cheeses excellent.  And I could go on and on singing their praises; but that's not my point, is it?

So what's the problem?

1.  The parking lots of every Trader's we've ever been in are tight and ingress/egress poorly designed.  Could it be the same firm?  Perhaps an entire firm of non-drivers?

2.  While of excellent quality, the produce is not local.  I could be wrong about this, but have asked different store personnel and they've concurred.  And while this is not a game changer for me, we do like to shop locally, particularly in our growing season.  And so we do.

3.  THE ISSUE is this:  We try a lot of their products or products they feature.  We get hooked.  We crave.  We buy.  After a few months the products disappear.  Specifically, a decaff green tea we LOVED.  The same with a lavender body wash and hand soap.  (At least I found these on the internet and can buy  in bulk).  

We weren't so lucky with their French roast, decaf coffee-- superior to many expensive brands (we've tried them all) -- rich and flavorful.  And alas, gone. (They still carry the caffeinated version, however).  And the product that prompted this rant:  Trader Joe's frozen arancini (little Italian rice balls filled with cheese).  We love them, our grand daughter loves them, everybody loves them, and they are no more.  Discontinued.  Nada.  Try buying these from Amazon!  

5 comments:

Linda Reeder said...

I have been to Trader Joe's a few times, usually looking for something special, but I see a lot of prepared stuff I just have no need for. I'm not a big fan.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

No Trader Joe's here in little Crossville, TN... I'm sure there is one in Knoxville (our city when we go to the city) --but I have never been in one...

But--I have had experience with companies who quit carrying things I love... SO frustrating... Since George and I got married, he has introduced me to all kinds of wonderful hot teas... One of my favorites is one named Pumpkin Chai..... (It's a Davdi's Tea.) Oh My Gosh--it is awesome.. Guess what? NO LONGER AVAILABLE.... Dang it.... And I haven't found anything nearly as good as this one...

There is also a perfume I have loved for years... It is not an very expensive perfume but has the perfect smell for and on me (not too sweet and not too strong)... The name is "Navy" by Cody..... Guess what???? No longer available... BUT---I have done research online --and have found it on iBay and other places... SO--everytime I see some, I order it.... Probably have enough until I die!!!!! ha

George and I are fine and still staying busy --although at age 75, we are slowing down (more than we want to)... ha... I don't blog now except for about once a week... I still enjoy it --but just don't have time to visit others' posts as much as I should or want to....

Concerning your post about blogging, I have met some wonderful friends through blogging --but once those memes got so popular (something I have never been interested in), I sorta lost interest for awhile. I almost quit and did quit for awhile --but blogging once a week now seems to work fairly well... Since I don't blog as much and don't visit as much, my total numbers are down --but are more manageable for me now... I lost friends who weren't really friends --and the ones who enjoy my blogging/travels/yard, etc. are still with me... They are the ones I cherish... I do agree with you about comments being SO important. I do try to visit everyone on my lists at least once a week now...

Nice to hear from you... Are you still growing roses? We are --but the deer are giving us FITS this year (more than ever before). Liquid Fence changed their mixture --and now charge even more --and it doesn't work nearly as well.... Dang!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

Kay said...

I've always loved certain products at Trader Joes. In Hawaii, Trader Joes is where everybody goes to buy gifts to bring back from the mainland because we don't have Trader Joes here. Mostly, it's nuts and dried fruits.

Cobalt Violet said...

Hello! Hope you are doing well! Time flies and I'm checking in on old blog friends.
:)
Hope you are doing well in 2018!

Mage said...

Good parking at the old NTC, Liberty station Trader Joe's. But for two people one has to buy 4 green peppers...et al. I shop at a little neighborhood market where some of the veggies are local.

It's nice to see a note from you. Yes, I love San Diego too.