Simple Ways To Improve Your Shopping Trip At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is a must shopping spot for so many of us in Grand Rapids. You always find great bargains, some really good specialty items, reasonable wine selection and prices, I could go on.

And another reason for liking to shop at Trader Joe's. It is the employees. They are trained so well that they have a great reputation for being friendly, helpful, and conversational. You just feel good when you leave the store because of the experience.

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👇 BELOW: COULD THESE BE THE BEST ITEMS AT TRADER JOE'S? 👇

However, those friendly employees do have a few frustrations about us customers. And if we shoppers could be a bit more helpful, everyone would be happier.

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WHAT DO TRADER JOE'S EMPLOYEES FIND FRUSTRATING?

The Daily Meal.com wrote about current and former employees stressing that their lives would be less stressful if customers would only:

"1. Bring Your Reusable Shopping Bag to the Store
Shop with a cart but have your reusable bag for the clerk to put your groceries in
2. Don't Wait to ask about an item until you get to the checkout
There are employees throughout the store and they are ready to help. Ask them!
3. Return your cart to the cart corral
The key word here is LAZY! It's not too much to ask to return the cart instead of just walking away from it.
4. Please offer to help bag your groceries if you're able
It is not always necessary, but it can be a big help if you offer to help bag your own groceries at checkout.
5. Don't take your groceries out of the cart at checkout
Shoppers are trying to be helpful, but, at Trader Joe's they have their own system that can get you out of the store fast, so let them take you groceries out.
6. Don't ignore the employees
Stop the phone conversations and respond to the employees. They want your experience to be a good one.
7. Not get upset if an item is out of stock
Employees on the floor or a checkout don't have any control of what is on the shelf. They are more than happy to find an alternative.
8. Stop putting an item you don't want back in the wrong place
If you decide you don't want an item and you can't remember where you found it, take it to the register when checking out and they will make sure it gets returned to the proper place."

Happy and fun shopping!

Are These the Best Products at Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. That was the first time I had ever heard the words Trader Joe's a few years ago. My friend was raving about this stuff. The store sounded intriguing. I read more about Trader Joe's and I thought it was a health food store with a bunch of products I would never put in my mouth. This place did not sound appealing to a super-picky, Midwest-comfort food-eating gal.

My doctor suggested I monitor my sodium intake, which led me to Google 'low sodium foods." An article about the topic featuring Trader Joe's low sodium products popped up in my search. The included list was long and a lot of the food sounded like something I'd actually eat. But, was it going to taste good?

I've been having to visit Rochester, MN every few months and told Google to take me to Trader Joe's. I was picturing a huge store, like a warehouse club, with a modern look. I was way off. In Rochester, Trader Joe's is located in a strip mall with a couple of other businesses. It didn't look like a fancy, hip, Gen Z kinda joint, which is what I had in my head. It seemed small. As a matter of fact, it looked old, like it had been there a while.

I was greeted with a massive display of fresh flowers. I had no idea fresh flowers were a Trader Joe's staple. As I walked through, I carefully read the labels of several products to suffice my special, low sodium diet. I had a cartful of products to try and my bill was under $80. Not only were there several products I was willing to try at Trader Joe's, they were reasonably priced. The Trader Joe's business model is based on no frills so they can provide the best products for a low price. I like that idea. I don't need fancy, I just want low prices.

I am now a Trader Joe's convert and I know what all the hype is about. Here are some of my favorite products.

P.S. Cookie butter did not make the list.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown