Latest news with #TraderJoes
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
A new Trader Joe's store is baffling customers...'like a glitch in the matrix'
Trader Joe's customers were confused after a new California location opened right across the street from another. A new store opened at 14140 Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, on June 6. However there was already an existing Trader Joe's location only about 100 yards away - at 14119 Riverside Drive. 'Maybe we are living in a simulation, because that seems like a glitch in the matrix,' a TikTok user commented on a video of the two stores posted by ShavsPaper. One TikToker claimed that the original store is one of the busiest in the state, so the retailer is testing the two spots. Another claimed the opening of the new store was delayed, so the chain had to re-sign the lease for the old location. Trader Joe's has not confirmed the reason, but the chain is planning to operate both of them. 'We've had a great relationship with our customers in Sherman Oaks for 52 years, and we plan to keep both stores open,' Trader Joe's spokesperson Nakia Rohde told Many shoppers 'don't see the problem' with two stores and believe multiple locations are a 'win-win' when looking for popular items like its viral mini tote bags. L.A. in a Minute host Evan Lovett had nothing but good things to say about the new location last week in a TikTok video. 'It's modern, it's spacious, it's got an expanded freezer and refrigerated section. It's a great store,' he said. Lovett also pointed out that it has a separate parking garage, unlike the other Riverside Drive store. 'The smaller Trader Joe's wasn't crowded and all the stuff was in there. I parked with no issue for the first time ever on a Sunday,' a shopper claimed on TikTok. A few shoppers insisted the older location is superior even though it makes some customers feel 'claustrophobic.' 'Who wants to park your car in a garage that you need a ticket for?! Then get into a small elevator! Just wait until it gets crowded w/all those new apartments in that complex!,' a person commented. 'H*** no, I won't go. The old one is fantastic: You get in and out in minutes, and the staff is fantastic,' another shopper responded. Others insisted they would visit the new store when they had a chance but would continue visiting the other one now that it will be 'mostly empty.' Trader Joe's popularity has skyrocketed in recent years The grocery store is known for its miniature tote bags which went viral Founded in 1967, Trader Joe's has become a supermarket empire in the US operating about 600 locations. The chain made headlines last year after its tote bags became the talk of TikTok. Shoppers began reselling its Mini Insulated Totes for $100 on eBay, and customers would line up around the block just to get their hands on the $3 bags. Trader Joe's brings back bags from time to time, and shoppers were in a frenzy last March after its $4 collapsible totes returned to stores. The chain is in the process of opening nearly two dozen locations across 13 states, the first bunch launching a few months ago. As of now, the latest Trader Joe's location opened last week in Tracy, Georgia. The only states that don't house a Trader Joe's are Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trader Joe's Newest Location Leaves Shoppers in Disbelief
As of April 2025, Trader Joe's had 581 store locations in 42 different states and a plan to open two dozen more stores. The only states that Trader Joe's isn't in as of 2025 are Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming. California is ripe with Trader Joe's locations all throughout the state, and the April release showed that five locations opened in California alone. One of them was at 14140 Riverside Dr. in Sherman Oaks, in Southern California. But, oddly enough, there is another Trader Joe's across the street from this new location with a store at 14119 Riverside Drive. Yes, Trader Joe's opened a brand-new location despite having one right across the street. One TikTok user, ShavsPaper, posted a video discussing the new location in a clip that has circulated quite a bit. In turn, some were puzzled at the decision to build a new location so close to another store. "I would be eye-balling each parking lot trying to decide which is the least busiest in the moment every single time. People don't need even one more decision in their day. Why TJs, why?" one user replied. "Omg I saw this was happening recently and was like …. Wait what LOL" another wrote. "i feel like it's illegal to have the same store within a certain range of each other. But lowkey trader joe's might've found a land loophole from the looks of it," another stated. "Wait lol. They're both open at the same time," another stated. Others were also upset that Sherman Oaks has two while other cities don't have even one location. "While other cities are literally begging for one," one user wrote. "I can't even get one in my area," wrote another. The city of Sherman Oaks has a population of just over 68,000 and is right in the San Fernando Valley, so it's quite the move to open one right across the Joe's Newest Location Leaves Shoppers in Disbelief first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 16, 2025
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Brand That's Behind Trader Joe's Popular Hummus
Long-time patrons of Trader Joe's aren't surprised at the lack of brand-name products when they pop in for TJ's best snacks, but they are constantly on the hunt to find out which companies supply the store with its private-label merchandise. Instead of manufacturing the in-store brands itself, the retailer outsources production to businesses more aptly equipped to make its signature grocery items, often utilizing corporations many are personally familiar with. Some folks may already be aware of the brands behind Trader Joe's smoothies and salad kits, yet the producer of the neighborhood market's hummus has remained somewhat elusive. It was discovered through a recall notice in 2015 that, for at least some time, TJ's hummus was provided by Tribe Mediterranean Foods. However, it seems that the grocer has since moved on to another manufacturer to make its creamy hummus. The cat was let out of the bag via another recall notice in 2023, which indicated Bakkavor Foods was responsible for making at least one of Trader Joe's eight varieties of hummus. The recall occurred as a consequence of Bakkavor mistakenly placing Genova Pesto in a tub marked "Hummus Dip." The hummus container listed the ingredients for that item, not pesto, resulting in a recall of the product for undeclared milk and walnuts. Although Bakkavor was never officially identified as a manufacturer of Trader Joe's hummus, it is clear the company was supplying the grocer with that commodity, given that it had the containers for TJ's snack in its possession. Read more: 15 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Shopping At Trader Joe's Bakkavor Foods touts itself as the leading producer of fresh prepared food. With operations in the U.S., U.K., and China, the company manufactures artisan breads, dips, soups, sauces, and other fresh meals for several grocery retailers in those regions. Its United States division is the smallest of the three, only accounting for roughly 5% of the corporation's revenue. Interestingly enough, Bakkavor lists some of its grocery retail customers in the U.K. and China but not the United States. Companies like Aldi that lack brand-name products by design are notoriously tight-lipped about the suppliers of their private-label products. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume Bakkavor Foods may furnish prepared dips, soups, and sauces for Trader Joe's competitors like Aldi and Costco's Kirkland Signature brand. Still, while Bakkavor appears to be making hummus for TJ's as recently as 2023, that may no longer be the case. It seems apparent that Trader Joe's moved on from Tribe Mediterranean Foods after its recall fiasco in 2015, and it is possible that the retailer has found another supplier of its signature hummus after Bakkavor committed its blunder. Read the original article on Foodie.
CNET
6 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Is Trader Joe's Really Cheaper Than an Average Grocery Store in 2025? We Did the Math
As a regular Trader Joe's shopper, I love it not just for the unique products, but also for the sense that it's easier on my wallet. But is TJ's really cheaper than other stores, or does it just feel that way? Putting aside the cult favorites like Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and creamy Pepita Salsa, are staple items actually more affordable? Or could a conventional grocery store be the better deal for basic groceries? I did the math anyway to find out. Here's the full breakdown. For more price comparisons, check out how much you can save by with a Costco membership, if it's cheaper to buy meal kits than groceries and if shopping for groceries online is less expensive than in the store. Trader Joe's vs. Stop & Shop Product TJ's Stop & Shop Baby spinach, 6oz $2.29 $2.99 Organic English cucumber $2.49 $2.99 Spaghetti squash $2.99 $5.32 Banana, each $0.23 $0.35 Grape tomatoes $1.79 $2.49 Hass avocado, each $1.99 0.88 (on sale) Italian extra virgin olive oil, 33.8oz $10.99 $17.29 Organic unsweetened soy beverage, 1 quart $2.29 $3.49 Potato chips, 13 oz $3.24 $5.49 Tortilla chips, 12 oz $2.99 $5.49 Roasted red pepper hummus, 10oz $3.49 $3.99 Shredded cheddar cheese, 8oz $4.99 $2.00 Cream cheese, 8oz $1.99 $2.99 Sliced Muenster cheese, 8oz $2.99 $3.99 Greek nonfat yogurt, 32oz $5.49 $4.49 Organic reduced fat milk, half gallon $5.99 $5.29 Overnight oats $1.99 $1.99 Almond butter, 16 oz $5.99 $9.29 Whole bean coffee, 12oz $6.43 7.99 (on sale) Peanuts, 16oz $2.99 $2.99 Organic low sodium chicken broth, 32oz $1.99 $2.79 Solid white albacore tuna in olive oil, 5oz $1.99 $2.29 Organic virgin coconut oil, 14oz $4.37 $11.99 Organic garbanzo beans, 15oz $1.19 1.25 (on sale) Black beans, 15oz $0.99 $0.99 Dijon mustard, 12oz $1.94 $3.29 Pure maple syrup, 8oz $4.99 5.99 (on sale) Clover honey, 12oz $3.99 $5.29 Spaghetti, 16oz $0.99 $1.29 Unbleached all-purpose flour, 5lbs $2.99 $3.79 Frozen peas, 16oz $1.79 $2.69 Frozen margherits pizza, 15oz $4.79 $7.99 Egg bites, 4.2oz $3.79 $4.99 Large brown eggs, 1 dozen $5.99 $5.49 Spinach tortellini, 9 oz $2.96 $3.99 Extra lean ground beef, 16oz $7.49 $8.57 Smoked salmon, 4 oz $5.99 $7.99 Ground turkey, 16oz $4.49 $4.99 Organic chicken breast, per pound $7.99 $8.49 Plain bagels, 6 count $2.49 $2.99 English muffins, 6 count $1.99 $1.99 Flour tortillas, 17oz $2.82 $3.29 French vanilla ice cream, 1 qt $4.79 $2.66 Fresh pizza dough, 16oz $1.69 $2.49 Tempeh, 8 oz $2.49 $3.79 Total $160.09 $198.66 How much cheaper was Trader Joe's? According to our online price comparison done in June of 2025 using online prices and prorated for equal quantity, Trader Joe's was 21.5% cheaper than Stop & Shop. The list of groceries bought at TJ's totaled $160.09, while the same or similar groceries would cost nearly $200 if purchased from Stop & Shop. Who supplies Trader Joe's products? First things first: When it comes to understanding the potential savings of shopping only at Trader Joe's, it's important to know where TJ's products come from, regardless of whether we're talking about flour and butter or Unexpected Cheddar and frozen butter chicken. We've previously analyzed whether it's cheaper to buy store brand or name brand products, and we found potential savings when predominately shopping store brand products. So, is TJ's affordability simply a matter of Trader Joe's only selling store brand items? As it turns out Trader Joe's more or less only sells products under its own brand name, with few exceptions. Trader Joe's is definitely cheaper than the average grocery store, but you might have to wait in a longer checkout line to take advantage of those cheaper prices. Shara Tibken/CNET Trader Joe's isn't actually a manufacturer of products itself, and unlike some store brands (which are really just name brands in disguise), Trader Joe's relationship with its vendors is a unique point in understanding its pricing structure. Turns out there's actually merit to the "trader" element of Trader Joe's name. According to its website, Trader Joe's deals directly with manufacturers and growers, cutting out the brokers and distributors, which contributes to its lower prices. Which exact vendors make those Trader Joe's items with cult-like followings is a closely guarded secret. Trader Joe's vs. Stop & Shop Stop & Shop is a regional chain in the northeastern US whose sibling companies include Hannaford, Giant and Food Lion. I chose Stop & Shop to represent an average grocery chain in my area whose reputation is good and whose prices are known for being reasonable. However, it doesn't have the cult following of Trader Joe's, or even the following of other conventional retailers such as Wegmans. Stop & Shop does have its own store brand, simply called SB, which stands for "store brand." It also has an organic store brand line called Nature's Promise. Both the SB and Nature's Promise lines offer a wide variety of products in every department. Your local Stop & Shop may have self-driving delivery pods but it also has higher grocery prices than Trader Joe's. Stop & Shop How I evaluated Trader Joe's and Stop & Shop for staples Using grocery shopping templates available online, I generated a list of almost 50 basic grocery items representing a wide range of price points from nearly all departments of the store: produce, pantry, dairy, deli/meat, bakery and frozen sections. I only left out bath and body care products and cleaning supplies, since I was primarily interested in comparing food costs. For each item, I compared the Trader Joe's price, sourced from Trader Joe's website, to the Stop & Shop price, sourced from Stop & Shop's website. I did this evaluation in June 2025. I tried to find equivalencies in terms of the sizes of each product, but when one store or the other was offering a larger size, we prorated the price to match in quantity. To make it as fair a fight as possible, and since Trader Joe's entire fleet of products qualifies as store-brand, I used the equivalent Stop & Shop SB product or Nature's Promise product as a point of comparison whenever possible. Trader Joe's beloved pepita salsa is just one example of a store brand item that's gained fandom and loyalty all its own. Trader Joe's Trader Joe's savings At the end of the nearly 50-item list of basic staples, comparing what was effectively store brand to store brand, Trader Joe's clearly came out as the winner, with a final total of $160.09 compared to Stop & Shop's final total of $198.66. That's a total of about 21.5% savings on the entirety of the list. If you're someone who doesn't typically purchase store brand items when shopping at conventional grocery stores, it is safe to assume that the potential savings could be even greater. Stop & Shop did offer a good amount of sales and competitive prices, but Trader Joe's won in this test. Where are the biggest savings on Trader Joe's items? Almost all of Trader Joe's biggest money savers come from the pantry department, with cereal, soy milk, coffee, maple syrup, coconut oil and nuts. Coffee and coconut oil, in particular, have such unbeatable prices that one wonders whether TJ's has brokered a deal with the devil. It is worth noting that deli cheeses, ice cream and black beans seemed to be the categories where Stop & Shop came close to TJ's prices. Stop & Shop's price for shredded cheddar cheese and French vanilla ice cream were actually lower than the same TJ's products. For black beans, both stores offered them for the same price. Cheese and produce are two departments where Trader Joe's may not always have a clear price advantage. Getty Images Additionally, the produce department at Trader Joe's is almost entirely sold by package or by item, as opposed to by weight, with prices that rarely fluctuate, meaning that there might be better produce deals to be found at conventional retailers for fruits and vegetables that are priced by weight rather than the piece. (When spotted, I will always buy a .99 cent avocado at any retailer.) I would also note that weekly sales specials, which were not necessarily factored in here, can also offer a conventional retailer a price advantage over Trader Joe's on certain items from week to week. Despite these possibilities for occasional better savings in some departments, however, the math is clear: Trader Joe's has some of the best overall prices, even where basic groceries are concerned. More stories where we do the math
New York Times
11-06-2025
- New York Times
Tiny Love Stories: ‘I'm So Aware of Our Age Gap '
An Arrow to Amsterdam Traveling Berlin solo, I download a dating app to find someone in the famously queer city. Waiting at a cafe, I text: 'all black, striped bag, blond head.' Maren embraces me with ease. We talk for hours, but I'm so aware of our age gap that I never make a move. As I travel through Europe, her texts keep coming — sweet, intimate, funny. Finally, she sends a map with arrows pointing back to Berlin. I send an arrow pointing to Amsterdam, my final stop before returning to California. Two beautiful Dutch days have led to two deeply romantic years. — Abigail Severance Visions of My Father Rounding the snack aisle at Trader Joe's, I see them examining scones: a woman around my age, mid-50s, and her father, in his 80s. Stooped yet still tall, with surfer-blond hair, he resembles my dad, gone a quarter of a century. It's only through others that I can imagine what he'd be like now. 'Those cranberry orange scones are the best,' I say. They thank me for the tip. Later in the parking lot, I watch as she gently guides him into the car. I let my tears fall, grateful for a glimpse of another daughter's love. — Joelle Fraser Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
