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Trader Joes has a very loyal customer base, sometimes described as fanatical. Based on their continuing expansion ( http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp
by Amadou 13y ago
Trader Joes has a very loyal customer base, sometimes described as fanatical. Based on their continuing expansion ( http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp ) they appear to be very successful. They are owned by Aldi Nord.
In my case it wasn't really that I was attracted to shopping at Trader Joes, so much as the bullshit at all the other grocery stores pushed me away. For example, a couple of them now have advertising videos (with loud audio) running right in your face as you stand in the checkout line. That sent my aggravation level through the roof. The very last time I was in one of those stores I literally abandoned my cart in the line and walked out because of it. I simply could not take it.
Trader Joes isn't perfect, but they don't come across as contemptuous the way the extreme bullshitters do. I think there is at least a lesson here about the "arms race" of marketing bullshit.
For decades, maybe centuries, stores have run sales. They are a level of bullshit, it adds to the cognitive load by making customers decide to buy now or wait for a possible sale in the future. But it's low-level enough that few people are annoyed by weekly sales.
It is only in the recent ~20 years that we've seen a major escalation of bullshit at grocery stores. Technology has enabled things like loyalty cards, targeted marketing, individualized flyers in the mail, purchase-specific coupons on check-out, blaring videos through-out the store, etc. This marketing bullshit may well be feeding itself. But the greater the bullshit, the more obvious to the customers just how much better opting out would be. At some point it becomes obvious to the majority of customers that "the only winning move is not to play."
At least I hope so because that end game means the real bullshitters get punished for it, rather than rewarded as hcarvalhoalves postulated.
- gingerlime 13y agoThanks for the detailed info. By the name alone I assumed it was some kind of a hardware store :) Slightly on a tangent, but it makes me wondering if things like screens with audio in-store is exactly the kind of marketing spiel that backfires. Short-term, if you put one, I bet it could increase sale. The novelty, the attention grabbing potential etc. But this is a very short-term, short-sighted win, because when it becomes prevalent everywhere, it's just a nuisance and probably decreases sales. (just my non-scientific, half rant random thoughts on the subject). In any case, I'm glad to hear there are some successful alternatives out there, that realize the potential of not jumping on the marketing bandwagon.
- cmccabe 13y agoI shop at Trader Joe's because there is one very near my house, and the produce is much, much better than anything you'd get at Safeway, Target, Wal*Mart, Giant Eagle, etc. Cutting open a bell pepper to find mold inside is not an experience I want to have again. Nor is buying bagged spinach and realizing that it's already turning brown and soggy. Let's not over-idealize the situation. Trader Joe's does advertise (they keep sending me paper mail) and they do put things on sale from time to time. Thankfully, they don't have any loyalty card bullshit-- that kind of thing is always a big pain. TJ's also carries a fairly limited selection of items compared to most stores. But it turns out that having a limited selection of items that are not shit is preferable to being a giant warehouse of questionable items.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- cmccabe 13y agoI live in the bay area, and I wouldn't buy anything from Safeway that wasn't already in a can or a jar when they got it. And sometimes not even that. In 2012, Consumer reports did a study where only a few "extra virgin olive oils" turned out to actually be extra virgin. Trader Joes has them; Safeway does not. http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/04/would-the-real-olive-oil-please-stand-up/ http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/04/would-the-real-olive-... Simiarly, would you buy honey from Safeway? It's not actually pure honey. The FDA doesn't enforce any standards as to what can be labelled honey (although they do provide a grade which tells you what color it is) http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/#.UiuislFgoVQ http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-... Trader Joe's has real honey. Spinach I buy from TJ's keeps for two weeks, but spinach I buy from Target is already wilted after a few days. I don't know if there's anyone out there measuring produce quality, so I can't give you a link. Sometimes, it really is about having a better product, not about marketing, positioning, or other bullshit. (And I guess now we're back on topic?)
- Amadou 13y ago> and they do put things on sale from time to time I think you are mistaken. From their FAQ: "Sale" is a four-letter word to us. We have low prices, every day. No coupons, no membership cards, no discounts. You won't find any glitzy promotions or couponing wars at our stores. If it makes you feel any better, think of it as all our items are on sale, day in and day out. http://www.traderjoes.com/about/general-faq.asp http://www.traderjoes.com/about/general-faq.asp