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However, publicity-shy Trader Joe's is leery of revealing just who makes its products. And so shoppers theorize instead. A feature we ran almost three years ago that speculated on the name-brand companies that produce Trader Joe's products continues to get traffic and comments. Since it was published, TJ's has rolled out tons of new private-label foods, so we thought it was time to take another look at the origins of TJ's favorites.
TJ's Veggie Sticks Potato Snacks Versus Good Health Natural Foods Veggie Stix
Appearance: Both bags are the same size and weight; the Good Health bag is metallic, not transparent.
Taste: These things taste exactly the same, with kind of a McDonald's french fry vibe. Points to the TJ's bag for actually admitting that the damn things are basically potatoes with a bit of ground-up vegetable thrown in for color.
Ingredients: More or less identical, though the Trader Joe's sticks seem to derive their color from tomato powder, spinach powder, and turmeric, while Good Health also uses green pepper, paprika, and celery.
Price: TJ's $1.99, Good Health Natural $4.99
In it together? Oh hell yeah.
TJ's "This Strawberry Walks into a Bar" Cereal Bars Versus Full Circle Strawberry Fruit & Cereal Bars
Appearance: Identical bars seemingly made of woodchips with cereal, um, sweepings sprinkled on top. Boxes are the same size, same weight, and contain the same number of bars.
Taste: Oh God! My mouth is so dry! So very dry! Is this made of woodchips? It's woodchips smeared with jelly, right? TJ's bar is ever-so-slightly sweeter and less dry. This is some nasty business; are you sure you don't want to have some actual cereal for breakfast?
Ingredients: Pretty much identical, though TJ's shuffles the order. Somehow, the TJ's bars each have 10 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and .5 grams of fat more than the Full Circle bars. Yet they do not taste better. How is that?
Price: TJ's, $1.69, Full Circle, $3.99
In it together? Oh yeah.
TJ's Organic Shells and White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Versus Annie's Homegrown Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
Appearance: Oh, I see, Annie's, you tried to confuse us by calling your product Shells & White Cheddar while TJ's is Shells AND White Cheddar! Pretty sneaky! Boxes are the same size, weight, etc. Shells appear to be the same size; cheese powder looks the same.
Taste: So awful. Just awful. Powdery, gritty, cheeselike flavor, powerful stink. TJ's might be a bit saltier and fattier. My five-year-old daughter loved both.
Ingredients: Identical, except that Annie's takes pains to note that its cheese is made from "non-animal enzymes." No rennet, concerned vegetarians! TJ's makes no such claim.
Price: TJ's, $1.29, Annie's, $1.99
In it together? Yep.
Trader Joe San's Soyaki Versus Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki
Appearance: This one's kind of a gimme, because TJ's sold Soy Vay for years. It disappeared ... and then another product in a bottle the same shape and size, using the same colors, appeared in the same place on the shelves in the stores. Huh. Anyhoo, same bottle, seemingly the same stuff inside, tastes the same. Soy Vay looks like it has more sesame seeds, and it's a bit sweeter than TJ's.
Taste: Same. Overly sweet soy sauce, lacking the tang of mirin and boasting hints of sesame. Plus it's salty enough to wake you up in the middle of the night to drink water.
Ingredients: Largely the same. TJ's claims it has ginger purée, while Soy Vay claims "fresh ginger." Big diff.
Price: TJ's, $2.99, Soy Vay, $4.99
In it together? Oh yeah.
TJ's White Baking Chips Versus Ghirardelli Classic White Premium Baking Chips
Appearance: Bags are the same size and weight, yet the Ghirardelli bag is metallic, not transparent. Ghirardelli chips are flatter and more spread out; TJ's are more peaked.
Taste: Totally dissimilar. Ghirardelli's tastes mainly of sour milk, TJ's of vanilla. TJ's chips have a lingering, creamy finish. I'd better try a few more just to be sure of this. Mmm, yeah.
Ingredients: First ingredient in both is sugar. From there they diverge. TJ's second ingredient is cocoa butter, Ghirardelli's is palm oil. The rest of the ingredients are the same.
Price: TJ's, $2.29, Ghirardelli, $3.99
In it together? No, and Ghirardelli should get on the stick and get up to TJ's standard. I've heard rumors that Guittard supplies TJ's with chocolate chips, and the ingredients on Guittard's High Sierra White Cookie Chips seem to be identical to the TJ's chips. But the only way I've yet found Guittard white chips is in bulk, and um, if I buy a 2.2 pound bag of white chips, I am going to be seven pounds heavier once I'm done writing this story.
TJ's Organic Tofu Veggie Burgers Versus Wildwood SprouTofu Veggie Burgers
Appearance: C'mon, it's the same. The same! The packaging is suspiciously similar, same weight, etc. The burgers are the same yellowish color of diseased fluid, have the same orange and green flecks. They are the same!
Taste: Same. Yummy. Savory. This is the only tofu burger I can stomach.
Ingredients: Same. Yawn.
Price: TJ's, $2.69, Wildwood, $3.99
In it together? Ya think?
TJ's Organic Joe's O's Pasta Versus Full Circle Rings Pasta
Appearance: Cans are the same size, shape, and weight, but the graphics are markedly different. Pasta rings look the same once out of the can.
Taste: Mushy pasta, bland sauce. Totally Franco-American, maybe a little less salty and sweet and the tiniest hint of garlic. My daughter loved this, too.
Ingredients: Same. And the fact that TJ's clearly also sources its strawberry bars from Full Circle seems meaningful.
Price: TJ's, $1.49, Full Circle, $1.99
In it together? Totally.
TJ's Organic Baked Tofu, Savory Flavor Versus Wildwood Savory Baked SprouTofu
Appearance: Although both kinds of tofu-blocks look the same, with identical color and flecks, the TJ's bar might be the tiniest bit taller.
Taste: Salty, savory sameness. Both have a mustardy-vinegary aftertaste. Nice.
Ingredients: Same, except TJ's throws the word "organic" in front of every word. Organic onion powder, really? That exists? I see.
Price: TJ's, $3.49, Wildwood, $3.99
In it together? Uh huh.
First of all, the manufacturers are the ones that demand secrecy. They can't have their other distributors discovering TJ's is selling THE SAME PRODUCT FOR HALF THEIR PRICE.
TJ's shortbread cookies are Walkers, $5 at the grocery store, $3.49 (down from $3.99) at TJ's. Who would ever go to the grocery store if they knew they could get better (or the same) stuff cheaper at TJ's ?
Also, TJ's...+READ
First of all, the manufacturers are the ones that demand secrecy. They can't have their other distributors discovering TJ's is selling THE SAME PRODUCT FOR HALF THEIR PRICE.
TJ's shortbread cookies are Walkers, $5 at the grocery store, $3.49 (down from $3.99) at TJ's. Who would ever go to the grocery store if they knew they could get better (or the same) stuff cheaper at TJ's ?
Also, TJ's sources locally and they do promote organics. I remember when the grocery stores didn't offer any organics but TJ's not only carries a lot of organics, they are often just .20 more than their non-organic counter. Their prices are also not the same from store to store. The high-rent district stores have higher prices (I shop UCI TJ's and Dover Shores.)
I shop there every day ... I don't drink so I'm not the one with a cart full of alcohol, but I suggest, if you haven't tried TJ's in a while, check them out. I won't go near a regular grocery store now. I can't stand the prices of similar foods and I don't know what I'm getting (I trust TJ's labels.)
YES, too much salt. And, too much plastic in their packaging (tomatoes and grapes in plastic containers). But, you can't win them all. I find better prices and more organic options.
I LOVE the Ethiopian free trade organic coffee so much, I will never go to Starbucks or Peets again. If I meet someone there, I take my own coffee.-COLLAPSE
OK Those of you who know something about private label foods. I just spoke to a representative at TJs who assured me that all the palm oil in their products comes from sustainable sources. That it is NOT from palm oil plantations on cleared rainforest land. However after reading this, it seems that they might not be able to control where the palm oil comes from. Does anybody know if the palm oil...+READ
OK Those of you who know something about private label foods. I just spoke to a representative at TJs who assured me that all the palm oil in their products comes from sustainable sources. That it is NOT from palm oil plantations on cleared rainforest land. However after reading this, it seems that they might not be able to control where the palm oil comes from. Does anybody know if the palm oil in TJs cookies etc comes from a sustainable source as they claim?-COLLAPSE
Well Spicy Anne, since you are in the specialty business you will know that TJs' vendors are REGION SPECIFIC.
As far as I'm concerned, I didn't need this story to be "journalism" but it was amusing and informative. I shop at TJs for lots of things - peanut butter dog biscuits, Irish butter, good Greek yogurt, cheap NZ SB, and will continue to do so. I will not, however, buy Two-Buck Chuck. Never. Ever.
this is fun!
I am actually in the specialty food business. There are only a handful of manufactures that can handle the kind of production that TJ would require to fulfill their needs. Did you know that 75% of all jars of spagetti sauce are made by the same manufacturer? Same with Bar-B-Que sauce and spices. TJ wants to brand just like anyone else and it's worked for them.
About 1/2 of everything I've had at TJ's....tastes awful.
I don't understand the appeal.
OK, I admit I go there....but it's just to gawk at the pretty women in taste-bud martyrdom.
disappointed that Chow published something this sensationalist and unimportant.
TJ's small quiche are obviously made by Nancy's--same size, crust and general ingredients. But TJ's are in 2 flavors not available as Nancys, and I adore the Mexicani.
TJ's is nothing more than a liquor store - look how much floor space dedicated to selling booze at TJ and what you have is merely a fake "healthy" marketing front for alcohol sales. Buy "healthy" snacks at TJ and overlook most of your shopping cart is full of liquor. Jokes on you. Just like a restaurant, the real profit margins are in the booze they sell you and not the food you eat.
Sensationalize much? Is the writer of this article like 18 years old or something? It's not a huge expose to reveal that food mfgs make food for many different private labels. It's too expensive a process to have a zillion food mfgs. It's the same thing in cosmetics. There are only about 6 cosmetic manufacturers and they sell to all the cosmetic brands. The brands are the ones who market...check...+READ
Sensationalize much? Is the writer of this article like 18 years old or something? It's not a huge expose to reveal that food mfgs make food for many different private labels. It's too expensive a process to have a zillion food mfgs. It's the same thing in cosmetics. There are only about 6 cosmetic manufacturers and they sell to all the cosmetic brands. The brands are the ones who market...check your labels it will say "distributed by". It's often the same thing in shoe mfg, too. Trader Joe's rocks no matter who makes their products. They choose wisely and price appropriately.-COLLAPSE
if you know anything about private label manufacturing, you know that big, name brand companies make much of the "house brand" products in this country. great "crack journalism" there.
More like....WHO owns it? German company, I believe. Stuff that stays on the shelf for a year? eeek.
Who cares? Who would eat any of this stuff? Yuck.
It sounds like you're trying to be angry at TJ's for selling other manufacturer's products under one of the Trader names, but all I see is lower prices at TJ's. What's not good about that? Or is your point that the original manufacturer has overpriced their product?
This topic is more "buyer be aware" than "buyer beware," and knowing where their product comes from just dumbs-down the hype of their hipster image. Is the similarity of the products and their packaging an indication that they're out to dupe us? As long as they carry quality name brands of products (let alone their damn chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels), they'll get my money.
C'mon people every company does this. As any employee of a high end accessories company, i can unequivocally say we make both branded and non-branded products, ie generic. same factory, same materials, but a different tag. everyone does it.
Our TJ's is actually relatively up-front about this. When I asked about a vanished conditioner that I liked, they said "Well, we don't actually manufacture that, so if you can find a similar-looking bottle and the conditioner seems similar, it's probably the same thing." (The conditioner had been gone for a couple of years by that point, so no one remembered it.)
All (that I know of) grocery stores do this. The Kroger brand is simply a product purchased from another manufacturer with their label slapped on. GE makes private-label lightbulbs (I know this because GE was a client of mine for years). It's really not shocking or even news.
I don't buy everything at TJ but I do shop there A LOT and would choose it before Safeway on any given day. Bananas are 19 cents each. I can get healthy cereals, organic frozen fruit and veggies, pastas & sauces, olive oil, wine, organic free range hen eggs etc for cheap. Natural peanut butter for about $3! The fresh produce can be hit and miss so we go to the farmers market often. When you live...+READ
I don't buy everything at TJ but I do shop there A LOT and would choose it before Safeway on any given day. Bananas are 19 cents each. I can get healthy cereals, organic frozen fruit and veggies, pastas & sauces, olive oil, wine, organic free range hen eggs etc for cheap. Natural peanut butter for about $3! The fresh produce can be hit and miss so we go to the farmers market often. When you live in San Francisco or the bay area - you don't have many discount options. And even if there was a Walmart here, what on earth would I buy there from the grocery aisles?? I've heard that TJ's frozen wild fish comes from questionable sources, but will research it further.-COLLAPSE
Aldi's label soup is from Campbell's, and since they share the same owners as TJ's, I would expect the same with their soups too.
So basically we're talking discount house of organic or gourmet food brands, not house brands at all. What is wrong with being honest about it? Guess it's the deal they made with these guys, but you don't see Marshall's or TJ Maxx cutting out the names of designer clothes and slamming their name on them. Seems dishonest. What's the big deal?
You can take a cooler full of ice to transport frozen foods. A half cooler to transport dairy.
FWIW, there are restaurants and caterers who also supply TJ. One was a wonderful restaurant in L.A. named Sabor, who supplied TJ's Chile Rellenos (I believe) a few years ago. Eventually they closed the restaurant to concentrate on this. Or so I was told.
Relevant to this article: I posted about a month ago that TJ's gingerbread mix last year was delicious but this year is different. Somebody else happened to have a box of last year's and posted the ingredients at the request of a food professional, who then identified the source (Dassant, available online). Nice teamwork.
A trip to Trader Joe's saves me a bundle over what I pay at local grocery store. It's worth it for olives, teriyaki sauce, olive oil, dijon mustard, assorted nuts, baking flour and I'm not even talking about frozen products (which because I drive 2 hours to get there is almost impossible). FYI Trader Joe's organic low fat yogurt is manufactured by Stonyfield in NH. It's the only private label...+READ
A trip to Trader Joe's saves me a bundle over what I pay at local grocery store. It's worth it for olives, teriyaki sauce, olive oil, dijon mustard, assorted nuts, baking flour and I'm not even talking about frozen products (which because I drive 2 hours to get there is almost impossible). FYI Trader Joe's organic low fat yogurt is manufactured by Stonyfield in NH. It's the only private label Stonyfield produces.-COLLAPSE
I simply do not understand the appeal of TJ's.
Trader Joes rocks overall, but they do go through phases since they change foods alot that I can go in and be like ehh ok this is ok...and other days, like last night there were a ton of things I wanted to try.
Who eats packaged food?
Trader Joe's really used to be good... but I'm talking waaay back (c. 1990?) on the West Coast when the company was selling good, and mostly wholesome products, and great nuts and cheeses for less. Well, they still sell nuts, but what we've noticed in the past 10 years or so is that a.) many of the nuts and snack foods are distinctly rancid, suggesting they buy outdated products and repackage,...+READ
Trader Joe's really used to be good... but I'm talking waaay back (c. 1990?) on the West Coast when the company was selling good, and mostly wholesome products, and great nuts and cheeses for less. Well, they still sell nuts, but what we've noticed in the past 10 years or so is that a.) many of the nuts and snack foods are distinctly rancid, suggesting they buy outdated products and repackage, b.) their cheese quality is lower and lower every year as the price goes higher. c.) there are many more garbage-y pre-fab foods now that no one should eat, d.) their produce has gone way downhill in quality and is shipped from all over the globe, e.) in general, their prices STINK now. Here's a for-instance: I used to buy a 32 ounce bottle of grade B NOT-organic maple syrup from there for 9.99 not long ago. Last time I checked, their Grade B Maple syrup was 18.99! An ORGANIC bottle of grade B at the very expensive Whole Foods was then 16.99. I haven't set foot in there since. You know it's a bad sign when Whole Foods is cheaper than TJs when the quality has dipped so low...-COLLAPSE
People where I live-a few of them-long to have TJ's open here-they have No Clue how good we have it without the kind of junk TJ's sells.
All of these "foods" sound absolutely vile. How they have the nerve to call anything on this list organic is little short of criminal. Fab review, though. I feel like you have suffered to eat this over-salted, over-sugared, under-hydrated muck so that we don't have to. Hell, I'm thirsty just reading the review.
chefwendy, thanks so much for that helpful info.
kansaskate, thanks so much for that articulate information.
To Chef Wendy in Canada: Many thanks for TJ's delicious frozen Apple Blossom pastries, made in Canada and sold for twice the TJ price by a big-name chain supermarket in Chicago.
I am a Research Chef. I have developed some of those products you are investigating. While your comment that some of their Private Label products are made by the competitor Brand Manufacturer is not wrong. It is not entirely right either. Very few of the big name Brands like to make Private label. They don't like the idea of canabalizing their own product and they don't have the space to add the...+READ
I am a Research Chef. I have developed some of those products you are investigating. While your comment that some of their Private Label products are made by the competitor Brand Manufacturer is not wrong. It is not entirely right either. Very few of the big name Brands like to make Private label. They don't like the idea of canabalizing their own product and they don't have the space to add the business in. There are , however, a great many companies whose names you will never hear, I work for one of themcurrently. We produce Private Label product as a Contract manufacturer. We are also a Co-manufacturer. That means that when the Big Brands want to make something new and they either don't have the space or they don't want to take the full risk, they come to us. Sometimes when you are buying a product from the Krafts or Heinz's or GM's of the world, you are buying something made by one of us unknowns.
Having developed product for Traders in the past. I can tell you that their standards are among the highest in the industry. The list of ingredients they won't allow is pages long (it's on their web site and they mean it!) All retailers who sell Private Label are dealing with the various manufacturers out there who remain unknown to the consumer but very well known to the retailer. The inference (perhaps I'm being defensive) that these products are of a lesser quality couldn't be farther from the truth in many cases. But we are at the mercy of our customer. If they ask for a cheap and cheerful product with all sorts of weird sounding ingredients, then that's what we give them. Happily, more and more of our customers are asking for clean decks, lower fat and sodium, etc. Traders is one of them and as long as their standards stay so high I will continue praying they open some stores in Canada. Where, by the way, a great deal of U.S. Private Label product is made.
Happy Thanksgiving!-COLLAPSE
One other clue is that if both products are kosher, look for the symbol of the organization that certifies it. That's how I figure that the supermarket raisin and bran flakes cereal is Post Raisin bran. Where do you think supermarkets get their stuff???
I looove TJ's soy icecream! It's cherry chocolate chip. Sooo delicious and good for me since I'm allergic to dairy! Yum.
The best chocolate ice cream I've ever had anywhere is TJ's brand. I actually think that Double Rainbow in San Francisco makes it, because it tastes exactly the same as the Double Rainbow Chocolate Ice Cream TJ's USED to sell.
Enjoyed this, thanks! Breezy read.
I love TJ's products, but won't eat the baked goods.
I used to work next to a bakery that made Trader Joe's bread for my area - disgusting place: no screens on the window, no refrigeration, wooden counters (nice, but can't be sanitized so who knows what lurks), no soap in the entire place, for dishes or hands. In TJ's one day I met someone who told me she was TJ's bread buyer, and I asked if she...+READ
I love TJ's products, but won't eat the baked goods.
I used to work next to a bakery that made Trader Joe's bread for my area - disgusting place: no screens on the window, no refrigeration, wooden counters (nice, but can't be sanitized so who knows what lurks), no soap in the entire place, for dishes or hands. In TJ's one day I met someone who told me she was TJ's bread buyer, and I asked if she had actually visited to see the bread made, and she nodded 'no'-COLLAPSE
It's not food, but TJ's Midsummer Night's Cream is ABSOLUTELY Nature's Gate, at half the price. I am not complaining. Also, I think their cultured soy (I'm eating a peach one right now) is Silk, also a lot cheaper.
Did anyone notice how snarky and smug the author is? Bad hair day? Uh huh, totally. The thing I notice is that TraderJoe's serves quality brands of often organic foods, at substantially lower prices than nthe identical branded goods. Anything shabby about that, ya think?
Did anybody else notice that the photos on the fronts of the cereal bar boxes are identical? The name-brand guys just cropped theirs more.
RE: One to add to the list: TJ's Seaweed Snacks = SeaSnax Brand
I'm not sure about this one. SeaSnax brand tastes a whole lot different (better) to me.
I know someone who used to provide chocolate mousse cake to TJ's, so some of the fresh/frozen product is locally sourced.
I don't think the article was trying to "out" Trader Joes more than they were just trying to pinpoint who the original manufacturers of the items were.
One to add to the list: TJ's Seaweed Snacks = SeaSnax Brand
enjoyed the article. i believe that Guittard was selling their white chocolate chips in bags at the chocolate show in ny this year again. i definitely bought them last year. sorry :)
You really have made a pitch for T.J.'s, as they have done the consumer a great service by keeping the costs WAY down through their private labeling. They have said all along that they go direct to the manufacturer and cut out the middle man. You proved their claims! They pay for everything in CASH and have no debt load, so they can take cash discounts and pass the savings onto the consumer. Long...+READ
You really have made a pitch for T.J.'s, as they have done the consumer a great service by keeping the costs WAY down through their private labeling. They have said all along that they go direct to the manufacturer and cut out the middle man. You proved their claims! They pay for everything in CASH and have no debt load, so they can take cash discounts and pass the savings onto the consumer. Long live TJ's...I think I'll mosey on down the road right now as you've made me hungry. I always shop TJ's! They're like family there...fun place to shop. See ya!-COLLAPSE
This is the STUPIDEST article I ever read. I have read many a TJ newsletter and frequent their website. They never claimed they "made" the products. Far from it! They always talk about how they search the world over to find the best products and by putting their name on it it saves you money. I have known that FOREVER!! (Sometimes when I shop in a regular store I will spot something that looks a...+READ
This is the STUPIDEST article I ever read. I have read many a TJ newsletter and frequent their website. They never claimed they "made" the products. Far from it! They always talk about how they search the world over to find the best products and by putting their name on it it saves you money. I have known that FOREVER!! (Sometimes when I shop in a regular store I will spot something that looks a lot like a TJ item and I will wonder if it is the same. It is kind of a game I play)
What I love about TJ is that their tasting team is awesome. They choose really good products. I know if TJ has their name on it 9/10 I will love it.-COLLAPSE
Love all of the fuss about Trader Joe's "secrecy" about where they source their products, marketing plans, how they decide where and when to open a new store. People, they're a privately held company!!!! They have every right to keep that information "private". Actually, many of the companies that privately package food products have clauses that prevent grocery store from making public the...+READ
Love all of the fuss about Trader Joe's "secrecy" about where they source their products, marketing plans, how they decide where and when to open a new store. People, they're a privately held company!!!! They have every right to keep that information "private". Actually, many of the companies that privately package food products have clauses that prevent grocery store from making public the source. Would Annie's really want Safeway and Albertson's knowing that they're selling the same product to Trader Joe's for much less. Not everything at Trader's is dirt cheap but many things are far, far less that at the chain grocery stores. Keep it up Trader Joe's !!!-COLLAPSE
For most products, there are only a handful of factories where models for several different brands are produced. Some of this is because Company A buys up Company B. In other cases, it's because both A and B outsource to the same manufacturer. And sometimes A will make something for B with B's name on it. Clothing, appliances, electronics... and yes, even food.
But here's the catch: They often...+READ
For most products, there are only a handful of factories where models for several different brands are produced. Some of this is because Company A buys up Company B. In other cases, it's because both A and B outsource to the same manufacturer. And sometimes A will make something for B with B's name on it. Clothing, appliances, electronics... and yes, even food.
But here's the catch: They often **but not always** have different specs for different brands. So while $10 farm store jeans and $100 designer jeans might be made by the same workers at the same sewing machines in the same factory, that doesn't mean the denim, thread and zippers are of the same quality or that the patterns are identical. (And it certainly doesn't mean they've got the same overhead when it comes to advertising, retail stores, corporate payroll, etc).
An item from TJ may or may not be identical to a name brand item. And unless you've read the sourcing contract for every single TJ item, you don't know if they are even allowed to say what other brands are produced in the same processing plant.-COLLAPSE
Still trying to figure out what your point is here - maybe you can clarify... Are you praising TJ's for their ability to source essentially the same products and get them to the shelf for so much greater value? Or are you criticising them for not divulging what companies producs their stuff? Because, if we set you personal taste preferences aside, I think what TJ's has figured out how to do is...+READ
Still trying to figure out what your point is here - maybe you can clarify... Are you praising TJ's for their ability to source essentially the same products and get them to the shelf for so much greater value? Or are you criticising them for not divulging what companies producs their stuff? Because, if we set you personal taste preferences aside, I think what TJ's has figured out how to do is admirable!-COLLAPSE
Childhood memory that has stuck with me for 30 years and influenced every grocery store purchasing decision since:
School field trip to the Sugarland sugar refinery; The exact same sugar on identical processing lines. One going into the Imperial pure cane sugar bags, the other going into the generic bags. Exactly the same at the same time. I've bought mostly generic ever since. It's only when...+READ
Childhood memory that has stuck with me for 30 years and influenced every grocery store purchasing decision since:
School field trip to the Sugarland sugar refinery; The exact same sugar on identical processing lines. One going into the Imperial pure cane sugar bags, the other going into the generic bags. Exactly the same at the same time. I've bought mostly generic ever since. It's only when the quality is clearly different or deficient that I've bought the national brand. Joyce is reight to check both the ingredients as well as the taste, texture and quality. Nice article except, I don't have a Trader Joe's in town. :( and most of the items listed I wouldn't buy on a dare. Well, perhaps the spaghetti o's. I too have a small child in the house.-COLLAPSE
Yeah, interesting, but I was interested in hearing about whether their shrimp from thailand is laced with antibiotics, etc. Expose-style.
my comment is on periphery of this discussion: a lot of tj's packaging in not recyclable. that really bothers me, and it surprises me that people who are near fanatics about buying organic don't seem to notice this.
I used to sell to the local TJ's in Northern California. They always had to use their own packaging, it was part of the sales contract - agreement. We had no problem with it because they marketed the items very well and increased our sales volume, plus the contract was their idea, the agreed to purchase X amount of items consistently; @ the (slightly over cost and not too much less than a low...+READ
I used to sell to the local TJ's in Northern California. They always had to use their own packaging, it was part of the sales contract - agreement. We had no problem with it because they marketed the items very well and increased our sales volume, plus the contract was their idea, the agreed to purchase X amount of items consistently; @ the (slightly over cost and not too much less than a low retail) price for a minimum of 12 months/24 months depending upon the product. They were very good at negotiating,in both price paid and when they would pay it! The agreement was net 45 to 60 days after invoice (instead of the normal net 30 days).-COLLAPSE
I love Trader Joe's. I get lots of stuff at my farmer's market, but I buy the rest at TJs. I used to work next to an upscale pasta sauce factory which I was happy to see started shipping out TJ's label sauce to TJ's! I would snicker when I saw it on the shelf, because I knew just where it was coming from. And it was pretty good, too! If TJ's can bring me good quality food at a cheap price, I'm...+READ
I love Trader Joe's. I get lots of stuff at my farmer's market, but I buy the rest at TJs. I used to work next to an upscale pasta sauce factory which I was happy to see started shipping out TJ's label sauce to TJ's! I would snicker when I saw it on the shelf, because I knew just where it was coming from. And it was pretty good, too! If TJ's can bring me good quality food at a cheap price, I'm pretty happy.-COLLAPSE
nice comparisons, but why the "Exposed" title. Much ado about the reasons we shop there in the first place. Not a big surprise, though it is always fun to theorize about who makes what for TJ's. The parent corporation is the largest grocer in Europe, I believe, so they can exert enormous price point pressure on their suppliers. They drive a very hard bargain, indeed. They get their terms, or the...+READ
nice comparisons, but why the "Exposed" title. Much ado about the reasons we shop there in the first place. Not a big surprise, though it is always fun to theorize about who makes what for TJ's. The parent corporation is the largest grocer in Europe, I believe, so they can exert enormous price point pressure on their suppliers. They drive a very hard bargain, indeed. They get their terms, or the supplier doen't play, period.-COLLAPSE
I don't know if maybe people are thinking TJs advertises as being something they're not, but this article seemed kindof funny to me... like the idea of the article is that they're 'busted,' but it turns out they're selling stuff that's available at other stores, but for way cheaper -- isn't that another reason to love TJs?
I stopped shopping at TJs because of the packaging. It's so wasteful and almost everything is wrapped. Stick to your local farmer's market!
I stopped shopping at TJ's because I don't know where the food is coming from anymore....in these days of greenwashing and fake organic, to know that the butter is from Straus and not Horizon matters to me.
I just LOVE TJ'S .... My counter/cupboard/refrigerator are full of their products. The quality and prices are great, regardless of who makes those products. I will not move to a city that does not have a TJ's ... right now I'm very lucky to be within walking distance. One of the things I love about TJ's is that many of their products are 'unique', can't really find them elsewhere.
I've done a mound of comparison shopping in the ingredients dept. and sizes. While comparing different brands of the same product most of the time the only difference is ... the price. Notice the price differences in this author's list??? Where would you shop???
All the brands of a certain food hardly vary at all in ingredients, not even in package sizes. About as much variation between brands...+READ
I've done a mound of comparison shopping in the ingredients dept. and sizes. While comparing different brands of the same product most of the time the only difference is ... the price. Notice the price differences in this author's list??? Where would you shop???
All the brands of a certain food hardly vary at all in ingredients, not even in package sizes. About as much variation between brands as this author has described here. So if I took her "Unscientific" and "Syllogistic" approach in comparing ALL products I would come away with this conclusion - "All foods are made by one company." Yes TJ outsources the making of their products, but obviously with control over what goes into them. But making direct claims as to who makes the products by this type of comparing ... let's just say I wouldn't hire her to conduct experiments in a science lab.-COLLAPSE
How in the world did she go through one of my favorite grocery stores and pick that many things that I think are repulsive? Not one good thing in her list, and Trader Joe's has some rather good items and a lot of great deals that are priced well.
Well, since 30 years, Trader Joes is really Aldi-West (Aldi being
the biggest supermarket chain in the world based in Germany)
Joe sold it to them a long time ago. So, the strudel is from some
factory in Hamburg, the roasted pepper dip, is from Bulgaria
(very good product)
There are some excellent dolmas in a jar (not a can) from
Turkey, not Greece.
Problem for Joes is the "transformed"...+READ
Well, since 30 years, Trader Joes is really Aldi-West (Aldi being
the biggest supermarket chain in the world based in Germany)
Joe sold it to them a long time ago. So, the strudel is from some
factory in Hamburg, the roasted pepper dip, is from Bulgaria
(very good product)
There are some excellent dolmas in a jar (not a can) from
Turkey, not Greece.
Problem for Joes is the "transformed" U.S. brand names that get turned into
"Trader Joe" labels. "Portlock Wild Smoked Salmon" is long gone
now we have generic Joes "Wild Smoked Salmon" who makes that ? the Joes
salt works in Corona California (desert lands)?
Like everywhere you better pick and choose carefully or
you will get burned.-COLLAPSE
Anyone know who TJ's sourced it's freeze-dried rambutan from? I'm still jonesing for that stuff and it's been out of the store for about a year.
Did anyone else notice that the boxes of Strawberry Cereal bars are actually using the exact same photograph, just cropped differently?
Whosyerkitty: unless you're allergic to pinon nuts, go to Trader Joe's and buy "New Mexico Pinon Coffee," which most TJ's carry, and a coffee grinder if you don't have one.
NM Pinon Coffee is much better beans than the TJ's coffee.
Unfortunately, Seattle's Best and Caribou aren't available everywhere, like the Southwest.
Yes, Whole Foods is evil and grossly overpriced.
So does Safeway, Albertson's, probably Hole Foods (ditto on the evil, evil; $18/lb for meat? Really? Is it from a unicorn?), et al. What is a mystery to me (and I do love Joe's, rest assured) is where they get that GAWD-AWFUL coffee, although the packaging is cool. Buy it for the can and fill it with Seattle's Best or Caribou.
Yeah what's the point? I love Trader Joe's. I will take them ANY day over Whole Foods! Evil, evil!! (I miss you, Wild Oats!) And I love my new reusable red shopping bag from Trader Joe's that is also MADE IN THE USA. Don't see that too often!
Well, you can tell I wrote my comment in a rush.
Now tell us, how does Trader Joe's sell things for so cheap?
Seriously, the gotcha tone is unnecessary. Everyone knows TJ slaps its label on products from other sources. But I enjoyed the comparison pairs.
The real question is: who is the TJ wine ( not the $2 Chuck, the other stuff) bought from?
So who cares? We all know that this is a quite common practice, but they're giving us the same thing at a better price. Points for TJ's. What's your point, Chow?
"Fortune" magazine had an excellent, extensive story on TJ's in the last couple months; also reveals some of the sources. Really good read, affirms how good the company is.
Ha! Didn't know that about Double Rainbow! Strauss I had heard about but I didn't want to put that in this piece because TJ's uses a different supplier for its East Coast stores -- I *think* it's Dannon but I might be wrong about that. Anyway, since we're national (even though we are in SF), I didn't want to put that one in. BTW, Acme Bread supplies to TJ's at least in SF. That giant half-circle...+READ
Ha! Didn't know that about Double Rainbow! Strauss I had heard about but I didn't want to put that in this piece because TJ's uses a different supplier for its East Coast stores -- I *think* it's Dannon but I might be wrong about that. Anyway, since we're national (even though we are in SF), I didn't want to put that one in. BTW, Acme Bread supplies to TJ's at least in SF. That giant half-circle loaf? It's from Acme.-COLLAPSE
A few others.... Stacy's pita chips and TJs pita chips. Double Rainbow Ice Cream and TJs super premium ice cream (i think double rainbow also supplies costco's ice cream). Strauss Yogurt and the European Style TJs Yogurt.
hershmire, agree, that's why I shop at Trader Joe's. They have the convenience foods I want, and fewer additives.
As Noramunro said, it's not a huge conspiracy by Trader Joe's. They manufacturers don't want too word to get out that they're selling essentially the same product for half the price. They are all mostly happy to do so, however, since TJ's guarantees thousands upon thousands of dollars in sales. TJ's has a massive private distribution system. If you're a small-time food manufacturer, getting...+READ
As Noramunro said, it's not a huge conspiracy by Trader Joe's. They manufacturers don't want too word to get out that they're selling essentially the same product for half the price. They are all mostly happy to do so, however, since TJ's guarantees thousands upon thousands of dollars in sales. TJ's has a massive private distribution system. If you're a small-time food manufacturer, getting picked up by them means instant nation-wide exposure and lots of cash.
The big difference is TJ's versions of products do not have any artificial preservatives. Good in that the food is more "natural," bad in that everything is loaded with salt. Next time you stop by a store, check out the sodium content on the nutrition facts table. Most items supply 30-100% of your daily needs.-COLLAPSE
Sarcasm is a delicate art. This is not a delicate article.
I wonder if it's TJ's suppliers rather than TJ itself that encourages the secrecy because of the lower prices for the TJ's products -- if you can buy the TJ's veggie sticks for $1.99, or the name brand for $4.99, that's a no-brainer. Assuming of course you want to buy veggie sticks.
There's similar 'secrecy' elsewhere in retail -- think of the 'famous maker' clothing at places like Marshall's,...+READ
I wonder if it's TJ's suppliers rather than TJ itself that encourages the secrecy because of the lower prices for the TJ's products -- if you can buy the TJ's veggie sticks for $1.99, or the name brand for $4.99, that's a no-brainer. Assuming of course you want to buy veggie sticks.
There's similar 'secrecy' elsewhere in retail -- think of the 'famous maker' clothing at places like Marshall's, or the car dealers who can't/won't advertise their prices, sometimes at the behest of the manufacturers.-COLLAPSE
Great article, funny, fun to read. Interesting TJ's goes to so much trouble to "hide" their sources - with their products at a significantly cheaper price point, I'll go buy them from TJ's (if I would buy them anyway, that is)...