Is Trader Joes produce subpar

DdBob

DdBob

Dogue in teh desert
I think it's fairly well know that their produce is fast to turn bad, subpar to begin with and quite frankly....meh. I don't shop there much but I go on binges a couple times a year. I found that everything produce I buy from them seems to spoil quickly and quite frankly it's just kinda bleh. I recently bought some oranges and then the following week some tangerines. The oranges were navel but were more like Valencia, kind overly fiberous and sour. The Tangerines had seeds...lots of them. I also bough some Jicama...spopiled in a few days despite the date.

Apples turning soft or bruised. celery not as good as others.
everything in bulk too with little variety.

What is your experience?
 
It’s been fine when I’ve bought it, except for peaches, but peaches suck everywhere most of the time. But I usually get my produce at the local Kroger chain because it’s so inexpensive.
 
Nobody in their right mind goes to TJs for produce. You go for the frozen food, nuts, dried fruit, and things like that. They only have produce to reinforce the illusion that they’re a real grocery store…

FWIW - this time of the year about 80% of the produce we buy is from farmers markets.
 
I'd wager that TJs buys the bulk of their produce from the same companies as other grocery stores but may have slower turn-over of inventory due to them being TJs and people only grabbing one off things out of convenience, produce-wise
 
bsman said:
Nobody in their right mind goes to TJs for produce. You go for the frozen food, nuts, dried fruit, and things like that. They only have produce to reinforce the illusion that they’re a real grocery store…

FWIW - this time of the year about 80% of the produce we buy is from farmers markets.
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We are coming into prime tomato season and the second round of asparagus though.
 
we get most our stuff from aldi and it seems fine. the corner liquor store has local corn grown just down the road that is amazing but only lasts for a few weeks. once a year there is a semi truck that comes up from GA with peaches, we always load up.
 
bsman said:
Nobody in their right mind goes to TJs for produce. You go for the frozen food, nuts, dried fruit, and things like that. They only have produce to reinforce the illusion that they’re a real grocery store…

FWIW - this time of the year about 80% of the produce we buy is from farmers markets.
Click to expand...
This. (plus cheese and cheap wine and chocolate)
 
bsman said:
Nobody in their right mind goes to TJs for produce. You go for the frozen food, nuts, dried fruit, and things like that. They only have produce to reinforce the illusion that they’re a real grocery store…

FWIW - this time of the year about 80% of the produce we buy is from farmers markets.
Click to expand...
I hate going to more than one store ...one is bad enough for grocery shopping. I rotate between Sprouts , the best produce here and suprisingly competitive meat prices but everything else is expensive....whole foods, the local low cost place called Food city up the street (local chain that is mainly in hispanic areas) ocasionally Costco and Trader Joes even less but in binges (I went four weeks in a row) and Albertsons.
The only time I go to two is if I go to Costco or sometimes when I go to one of the regular store like Albertsons or food city .
 
Bananas are great at TJ's cheapest around by far (even cheaper than the huge bunches at Costco). Best places around here for produce is Asian grocery stores especially Indian Cash and Carry. High turnover and a lot of people that are vegetarian make it so
 
DdBob said:
I hate going to more than one store ...one is bad enough for grocery shopping. I rotate between Sprouts , the best produce here and suprisingly competitive meat prices but everything else is expensive....whole foods, the local low cost place called Food city up the street (local chain that is mainly in hispanic areas) ocasionally Costco and Trader Joes even less but in binges (I went four weeks in a row) and Albertsons.
The only time I go to two is if I go to Costco or sometimes when I go to one of the regular store like Albertsons or food city .
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I was going to say we don't shop at Trader Joes because there are none around here. Then I saw this post, don't have any of the other stores you mentioned either.
 
Bob411 said:
I was going to say we don't shop at Trader Joes because there are none around here. Then I saw this post, don't have any of the other stores you mentioned either.
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Costco is probably nearby but they are usually only in bigger cities. Alberstons is west coast i believe and They are parent companyt of Safeway these days...whole foods ....again cities and Sprouts is like a cross between Whole Foods and a farmers market, they are based out of Colorado i think...Food city is purely AZ. it's owned by the Bashes (again AZ) and they have three tiers...Bashes is the middle ground and Food city is situatuated as the "economy" level and generally only around areas that have hispanic population, they carry tons of mexico based stuff and then they have a high end store called AJ's which I've never been to but apparently you can buy two items there and you'll only get like 40 cents change on a 100 dollar bill. the one here is located in the ritzy foothills and i think the others are in Scottsdale (a ritzy part of Phoenix) , etc
 
Bob411 said:
I was going to say we don't shop at Trader Joes because there are none around here. Then I saw this post, don't have any of the other stores you mentioned either.
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Move to a place that isn't nowhere:

"But according to the Freakonomics podcast, an analysis by AggData found that Trader Joe's stores are located in counties where the household median income is about $10,000 higher than the average median income."

"Households in Kempton, IL have a median annual income of $52,083, which is less than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $49,464 in 2018, which represents a 5.29% annual growth."
 
bsman said:
Move to a place that isn't nowhere:

"But according to the Freakonomics podcast, an analysis by AggData found that Trader Joe's stores are located in counties where the household median income is about $10,000 higher than the average median income."

"Households in Kempton, IL have a median annual income of $52,083, which is less than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $49,464 in 2018, which represents a 5.29% annual growth."
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Tucson's median income is 45, 227 household and 25,272 single.....we have about 4 trader joes here. We also have a massive homeless population that is growing and rent that is out of control. people alover moving here because Tucson was well known as a low cost place to live until a couple years ago.....
tucson median income
*edit* I see these were 2020 numbers
 
The closest trader joes to my new spot is ~1.5 hours drive :embarrassed:

edit: ahh, and local median household income is ~$36k
 
Closest is 1.7 miles from my house but I've only been there maybe 3 times in the last 6 years

edit: it's always crazy crowded and we do 99% of our grocery shopping at WinCo, an employee owned regional (OR & SW WA) chain that has great prices. If I want something that they don't have, I go to a nearby New Seasons, which is also local.
 
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And DO NOT buy Trader Joes Sriracha.


It’s watered down and half the spice of Huy Fong
 
I've also noticed they seem to like to try and pass off stuff one day from the best buy date such as tortillas, yogurt, etc. First time I went a few weeks ago I bought some tortillas and two days later they were moldy. Whole foods is also guilty of this so I've taken to making sure I really check the date or now I just immediatly go for the packages on the bottom of the stock.

Back to Albertsons this week.

Besides median income I think TJ's might also place stores in University towns
 
DdBob said:
I've also noticed they seem to like to try and pass off stuff one day from the best buy date such as tortillas, yogurt, etc. First time I went a few weeks ago I bought some tortillas and two days later they were moldy. Whole foods is also guilty of this so I've taken to making sure I really check the date or now I just immediatly go for the packages on the bottom of the stock.

Back to Albertsons this week.

Besides median income I think TJ's might also place stores in University towns
Click to expand...

https://www.google.com/maps/place/A...c3918be4cd5ceaa!8m2!3d41.956875!4d-87.8051919
 
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