Why is Trader Joe's so popular?

[@OurChangingClimate]

Do you shop at Trader Joe’s? If you don’t live in the U.S. what value store do you shop at? How does it compare? Also if your interested in the business and marketing side of Trader Joe’s, go check out Polymatter’s video he released today: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqvSdpxojZ2Ld9k

[@9009vishnu]

Lidl

[@brokkoliomg6103]

In Germany and some other European countries, and as I heard also starting to spread in the US, we have two major competitors: Lidl and Aldi. (There are more, but let me focus on this.) As I heard Aldi has something to do with Trader Joe's. Maybe TJ is a subsidiary of Aldi? Or they're cooperating? I don't know. But we have TJ labeled products at Aldi. So I guess they're kinda similar, but I think they might be ahead of TJ in some aspects. I'm not sure tho.

[@seppicapaul]

I thought it was a bit strange that 2 of my favorite KZbin educational creators came out with a video on Trader Joe's on the same day. Happy surprise to see both creators covering Trader Joe's. Keep up the good work 👍🏼

[@fuzybear15]

Just to let you know, there is a difference between "expiration date" and "best before date". Expiration is used for medicine, vitamins, and supplements. Best before is used in everything else you put in your mouth, but you can consume it after this date, to a point.

[@fredrickht8922]

We in Norway don’t really have a cheap store to go to. We do have Coop and europrice but they’re more of a everything store

[@KJSvitko]

All companies need to try to become more sustainable. Solar energy, electric vehicles, eliminate single use plastic, recycle everything, don't over wrap goods,

[@jjunior48]

Kenz300 x trader joe’s makes it look pretty easy too like what’s the problem guys

[@jjunior48]

Pandaboi Id much rather the companies do it themselves so the free marketeers don’t get their jimmies all rustled ya know?

[@jjunior48]

Pandaboi yeah i don’t disagree that it causes some problems it’s just very obviously a pain in the ass to get regulations of any kind through - that’s really all i’m saying. it would just be easier if every company was like trader joe’s

[@jjunior48]

Pandaboi yeah idk man i’m kinda cynical about it all to be honest bc congress sucks just as much as some companies do in terms of unwillingness to change

[@AmelieZh]

The whole supply chain need a revamp

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

I worked for a company that manufactured many Trader Joe's products. While this company did have sustainability programs in place, they were not a Paragon by any means. Still, I feel that TJs does try more so than other retailers - even if those choices are driven by consumer demand.

[@mdmustafaahmed3376]

What's the name of the company you worked for

[@mauricioweber8879]

good enough for a start... don´t you think?

[@jonsand3833]

Choices are supposed to be driven by consumer demand, why would something happen if there was no demand for it?

[@cantthinkofaname5046]

@@jonsand3833 cost cutting, most people want workers to have the bare minimum to live, but companies have power

[@onorebakasama]

​@Jon Sand Advertising. That's why. Advertising creates demand where there otherwise wouldn't be any, especially for useless products. Likewise, supply is not always met by demand; that supply is often artificially suppressed because the ruling class wants to push a different product.

[@nerdporkspass1m1st78]

I was JUST going to your channel after watching PolyMatter’s, what the hell.

[@OurChangingClimate]

It was a little collaboration :)

[@nerdporkspass1m1st78]

WHAT??? Wow, entertainment consumerism is just wild. That’s so cool, thanks!

[@papasscooperiaworker3649]

@@nerdporkspass1m1st78 wait wdym entertaining consumerism

[@sgill2541]

@@papasscooperiaworker3649 I think she's referring to the youtube algorithm?

[@XxwalaweixX]

*"RECYCLE"* a.k.a sent it to 3rd world country by shipping

[@kgb4187]

Shipping from 3rd world countries is expensive. Shipping to them is cheap. What do you think happens to the ships after they unload their cargo in America, where nothing is made? The containers are going back empty, so they fill them up with garbage to be recycled.

[@Paleo-dy2nm]

I thought you were writing a poem at first Your friendly neighborhood store Stocked with snack and meals galore Staff ask you how your day is going when you walk in the door and even off to help you find that package of chocolate chips you've been.........looking for

[@Robbythegod]

Me too! I was thinking 'help you find that packet of chocolate chips that you adore'

[@anniebabannie]

THANK YOU for this - the packaging issue has been the main reason I try to avoid Trader Joes. I didn't know about the reduction of food waste though, that's really impressive.

[@2avcrm]

The Eco Swap several TJs in Portland OR list how much they donate monthly and annually on their walks near the checkout. I would imagine that this is a pretty common practice, but haven’t been in too many outside my city

[@anniebabannie]

@@2avcrm way cool!

[@LeahandLevi]

Nice to have some positive stories out there Charlie thanks for sharing!

[@mikaxms]

A VPN isn’t gonna help against fishing e-mails.

[@Sivah_Akash]

Makes me think whether the advantage of having daily shipping to reduce food waste outweighs the advantage of having less frequent shipments to reduce emissions, even if smaller vehicles are being used daily. Seems like a LCA would have to be done to be sure.

[@Koeki2332]

In Belgium we have a big supermarket called Colruyt. And they don't have a storage in their store (literally 0 space), Every product gets shipped right into the store. They manage their logistic so good they expect how much produce will be bought so it won't run out or stay on the shelves. Great video!

[@elyzium]

Did they survive the corona time with all the logistical problems...? Did they?

[@Twilight22853]

I'm wondering if you could do a video on organics? Like do they play such as large of a role in sustainability as we think they do? Thanks! Your videos are wonderful!

[@jonathaneby9485]

Shopped at Trader Joe's once. Saw the plastic, couldn't use my own bags. Couldn't understand the labeling. Never been back since.

[@niklas8523]

Before watching your video: Trader joes is one of the best grocery companies and employers, it‘s originally from germany where its called Aldi-Nord. I don‘t expect the biggest grocery store in europe to be local and sustainable, it‘s just too cheap even compared to other discounters

[@JustineJustified]

Leon & Trader Joe’s is originally from California and was bought by Aldi-Nord in 1979.

[@beasttitanofficial3768]

I really thought that intro was gonna be a poem lol

[@QuestForEco]

That's a very informative video! Good to know. Thank you 😀

[@OurChangingClimate]

Thanks!

[@stalkatelyn]

Great video! Thanks for enlightening us:)

[@conormulqueen9522]

Wow, your videos are soooo good! I recently watched your first and you have improved in quality and content. Keep up the good work!

[@JoeBlow-fp5ng]

Trader Joe's always reminded me of the J. Peterman business from Seinfeld...flowery merchandise descriptions meant to convey exotic imagery and quirkiness but behind the manufactured facade it's just another food seller. At least they don't seem to gouge customers on price like Whole Foods and other so-called "premium" grocery stores. Traders Joe's is little different than ALDI in practice ( i.e. smallish stores with fewer variety of products on offer) but with a somewhat whimsical nautical theme.

[@builder3654]

Did you and poly matter work on the same subject lol? You both put out the videos on the same subject. Good video tho! 👍

[@OurChangingClimate]

We sure did!!!

[@Baxtexx]

I saw that too. I was thinking it couldn't be a coincidence. 😛

[@bcan5512]

That was a cool transition @ 6:20

[@gmt5664]

Hawaii people love TJs because it's so cheap compared to our groceries

[@mohammedabobakr6549]

OCC's next video: Should you eat?

[@nicolasrevilla1538]

Great info, one question, why they should lead instead of listening? I believe that thinking you are the smart guy in the room makes you stop listening

[@luxrus8100]

You may have wanted to title the video something along the lines of "What is the environmental impact of trader joe's" bc it looks very similar to the polymatter video on the surface despite being completely different and fantastic on its own.

[@ethimself5064]

I don't live in the USA, and I simply have watch the flyers and I also have a Godden triangle where there are 2 health food store, one being a bulk food eller, a large Pharmacy store a quality grocery store/Safeway and a high quality meat shop. I wish we had Trader Joe's in Canada

[@wylde39]

Your voice is so soothing.

[@FightingTorque411]

1) Given the lack of storage capacity and the streamlined nature of its food delivery pipeline, does this leave Trader Joe's particularly vulnerable to instances of panic-buying, such as we've seen (in the UK at least) under coronavirus? 2) If I can see that a company is *doing* significant actions against climate change, such as minimising packaging and food waste, I'm less concerned about what they are or are not *saying*. Does Trader Joe's not show its affirmative work sufficiently that it doesn't need a trite mission statement telling us?

[@OurChangingClimate]

Good questions! 1. Yes, definitely. When I was working at TJ's there was a bad winter storm on the east coast of the U.S. and we couldn't get certain produce for a couple of days. There were definitely large gaps in the shelves. 2. I think yes and no for this. Just because they are putting in the work on the packaging side doesn't mean they are doing so on the emissions or sourcing front. I don't think affirmative work in one area of a company's actions should give them a free pass to do whatever they'd like in other areas.

[@FightingTorque411]

@@OurChangingClimate Good answers! Thank you for a swift and informative response, and for your videos in general - please keep 'em coming!

[@brokkoliomg6103]

I'm always fucked up about why there isn't solar on these clear store roofs. Everyone should do that. Why don't we do that? Maybe another video idea for you? Idk

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Good to know

[@Koeki2332]

Maybe a nice video idea would be talking about vertical farming (title: are vertical farms the future?). I think you can find a lot of interesting stories about it!

[@Koeki2332]

And maybe another nice video suggestion is to investigate ethical banks like Triodos (I'm sure there are more) who claim to only invest in good companies, wether or not they are actually ethical.

[@jasonlaboy]

I'm sorry I had to laugh at "Scandinavian swimmers" I don't even know why 😂

[@420-z9m3y]

Wait, Trader Joe's is supposed to be friendly?! The one I went to one time had the few people there all glare at me, some whispering to each other whether or not I was going to steal anything (and readying their phones to call 911 I suppose). And that was just a few minutes after I entered the store. Granted, it was located in a rather rural area, so that might've impacted it or something. I don't know.

[@Obiwancolenobi]

I've been to multiple Trader Joe's up and down the west coast and have never seen anything like that... Maybe a reflection on how you present yourself? :p

[@amberdoula5500]

I love this video! I always trust your research. Thank you Would love your view on local food co ops

[@leolauchere2408]

I'm very impressed that they don't sell anything GMO. Don't know why it isn't talked about more!

[@zamphzibaha]

Thanks for another great video

[@maso25bos]

Maybe you've answered this before... but what's really better, plastic grocery bags or paper ones?

[@lily-zv2fb]

Reusable one made by upcycling cloth or clothes

[@gematooth1477]

Do you think it's ever possible for large companies to be environmentally friendly? I mean, the only way they can get that large is by putting profit before anything else... thoughts?

[@tec4303]

Some feedback on the video: giving us numbers like 12345 pounds of packaging saved is not helpful. It just makes me think something like "I guess that's impressive". Something like they reduced their packaging by 10% by weight or at least they abolished packaging for 20 of their 200 products would be easier to make sense of.

[@lazergurka-smerlin6561]

Had no idea you two would collab

[@andy9735]

Making decisions based on customer opinion rather than what is ethical. At the end of the day, it nearly always boils down to money.

[@AnaPodcastDaily]

First time I’m stumbling on this Channel and can’t figure out if it’s a one man kinda thing or a production co? Would love to see a video like this on wasteful feminine hygiene products vs alternatives & also a video on diapers if there’s any females on the production team.

[@lsd812]

I went to Aldi yesterday.

[@operatorinsane6530]

We’re I live there’s a Whole Foods right across fro Trader Joe’s

[@marlonelias]

I prefer the Farmers Market

[@garyha2650]

They were making shelf labels indicate gluten free. FDA made them stop. I want a universal gluten free symbol on packages, easy to spot.

[@blitzkrieg7826]

this is a cool vid.

[@deawinter]

Me starting this video: please don’t make me feel bad about Trader Joe’s. Please I just ask for this one thing. Me at the end: oh thank god

[@mickylene]

Please do Barons next? :)

[@marianoalippi5226]

This video is perfect, making money in a ethical way, it is fun.

[@andimhappy]

What is this and why are suddenly two videos about it in my subscription tab?

[@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999]

My "radical" rules for retail establishments would no doubt make me the enemy of any good self-serving greed-centered corporatist- - 100 location limit nationwide, 10 per state -MANDATORY donation to the community of ALL UNSOLD INVENTORY, unless actually rotted. No exceptions. Failure to comply is finable and a heavy misdemeanor. Second infraction is a felony and heavy fine. -One day a week everything is 90% off. Everything. -Homeless "cards" will be issued to indigent locals. This card will allow them to shop for free if they need to. Like I said, radical, at least by current standards, but every bit necessary in my book, and I'll be fighting for these in my state for as long as it takes.

[@torpid]

First time I ever heard of this

[@KarolaTea]

I always thought Trader Joe's was an Aldi own-brand XD Tbf, I'm not sure if the Trader Joe's products they sell are connected to the American store chain. ...quick Google, apparently they're owned by the same people. That makes sense then. Huh, 500 stores doesn't seem all that much considering how large the US is. So Trader Joe's is a regular store but the shelves are unpainted wood to make it look rustic? I'm honestly not very impressed by what they do, seems pretty standard to me. I buy a lot of food, esp fresh veg, at organic stores. There's a couple organic supermarket chains here, I just go to whichever one is closest. I don't think they necessarily want to go for the "neighbourhood" vibe, more just for the "we're a supermarket where you can get everything you need, but also eco" (although 'normal' supermarkets in Germany are quite different from America, namely smaller and mostly limited to food & hygiene.) The majority of their fresh produce is unpackaged, and many of them have installed bulk bins in the past few years. There is another 'chain' called 'Reformhaus'. I think all their stores are completely vegetarian. But each of them is run somewhat independently, so they can differ quite a bit. There's some that sell all the regular groceries incl. fresh produce, and others that only sell herbs, cosmetics and health products. Those shops tend to be way smaller. Also, non-chain stores exist, but they're few and far between unfortunately. So far all the unpacked stores I know are non-chain tho :)

[@notdvniel]

uploaded the same time as polymatter

[@eashansaju8106]

You're the First to say it

[@likeadino8580]

They planned it

[@makebreakrepeat]

oof, I worked that shift at TJ's too... mind numbing is right

[@crisdathroatgod444]

Polymatter just posted a video about trader joes

[@OurChangingClimate]

we planned it that way :)

[@bertkruupke2006]

nice video :)

[@marianoalippi5226]

You can make a video about Monsanto and the benefits of organic food and you can explain why Monsanto is bad I know that the products they produce is cancerigenous.

[@madisdreek5398]

nice

[@DovidM]

How does ExpressVPN protect you from hacking? Like other companies, ExpressVPN is overselling the supposed advantages,

[@likeadino8580]

He got sponsored

[@ulyssesk7325]

its disrespectful cause it withers away faster, but you can dissolve plastic chemical and reuse it.

[@ulyssesk7325]

you can even grow ice crystals who dont damage the fruits

[@MrJonyyMD]

My ex loved this store. Me? Not much The store near her home was small and not many things were available

[@zwiebelface185]

I am not even living in America why am I watching it.

[@mano778]

who's joe

[@jeffie7648]

a little more decency than Walmart, a little less pretentiousness than Whole Foods.

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

TJ needs to step up. first shopped TJ 1994.

[@mauricioweber8879]

charlie, you are quite short on trust- aren´t you?

[@pokemonfreaky100]

Never heard of it lol

[@manisha3971]

This people really need to learn from indian vegetables market about package .I don't get why this developed nation pack few vegetable in plastic.get get it in kgs openly like in india or asian nations

[@LogicGated]

Theres so much wastage in supermarkets.

[@CodeLeeCarter]

and after the pandemic, I'd not be surprised if bricks n mortar will die-out, people will want their food protected from the elements. People touching food and putting it back, a virus could land on the product?... Stores will have to change gears here to survive.

[@andrewmalcev]

All the business in the world has only one goal - profit. The rest is the circumstances and adaptation to local society. If you pack in plastic - you’re bad. If you don’t- you’re bad, you don’t obey hygiene. This video delivered zero ideas on how TJ is bad. If you start from yourself- don’t drive, just walk and all that jazz...

[@lynnjacobs9885]

No, please no! Don't take away our Trader Joe's! . . . . (14 minutes later) . . . . OK. I guess it's still OK.

[@redfern_mike]

What the fuck is trader joes?

[@bkalnap]

This channel is incredibly well made. Great work!

[@OurChangingClimate]

Thanks!

[@simonw.6720]

Wow, what inspiration.

[@mauricioweber8879]

that´s true ! thumbs up

[@tyleverty]

Target's packaging needs to go next.

[@llamaliammm]

Not all tho. Some food r kept fresher with packaging

[@seanaaron7888]

It's funny and ironic that only those well off can afford healthy, ethically produced food.

[@KamiltheCamel]

That's not really true. People who are poorer have a much smaller impact on the world. Richer people pollute way more.

[@seanaaron7888]

@@KamiltheCamel Of course I agree completely... this is part of the irony.

[@seanaaron7888]

@@scumparasite2014 Thankfully I have space to yes but many people do not. In fact I live close to a city center and I'd say most people cannot grow their own food.

[@kgcat]

@@fredthegamerschrarder7716 pessimism isnt gonna solve anything lol if the planet is 'already dead' why dont we all just give up and kill ourselves? lol

[@jacquesantoineportal]

A VPN will not protect you from email phishing. And it is ONLY useful when you connect to public wifi. Otherwise it has absolutely no value.

[@markozabic2255]

Polymatter did a same video on trader joes and you both uploaded it at the same time

[@OurChangingClimate]

All part of the plan :)

[@shotelco]

@@OurChangingClimate What plan? Disparage TJ's for not publicly releasing their energy & emissions plan (assuming they even have one), we...as *consumers* of your products may want to understand what is the strategy, who all is involved {PolyMatter/Wendover/pay-walled venture backed branded streaming}, what exactly is your Social Responsibility and ethics Governance practices...if any.

[@scotthullinger4684]

Trader Joe's is popular because they sell quality products of the sort which consumers prefer, all offered at a sensible price. It's odd that their products almost seem "politically correct" - but that's the very least of what makes Trader Joe's successful.

[@Dyna1One]

So now I still don’t really know why it’s popular and what kind of a grocery store it is other than they kinda listen and they don’t like to waste food.. is it like a cheaper, bulk store like cost co is or more focused higher quality or what or these big walmart/target stores I’m not from the States and didn’t see one when I was there

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

That email will still come to you even with a VPN. VPN just hides your identity from your ISP, but the VPN service can still see your stuff if they wanted to. You must “blindly” trust that the VPN service will act morally. For somebody who wants “transparency,” you sure are easygoing about trusting a VPN service.

[@nolategame6367]

Hey, he's not a tech expert, and he took a sponsorship. He's probably not aware of the issues with them

[@TheFeldhamster]

@@nolategame6367 it should be said, though, because other people who are also not tech savvy will think a VPN makes you immune to phishing emails. It does NOT.

[@nolategame6367]

@@TheFeldhamster yes. That should be said, 100%. But i think what he did was an innocent mistake

[@jazzjohn2]

Just quit shopping at the TJ's down the block. They will not offer ordering and pickup during this Coronavirus period. They closed the store for a few days when one of their employees tested positive. There were no announcements of any details of their response. Did they have all the exposed employees tested? If not, I would not enter the store and that's why I'm avoiding it.

[@nice-hm7lg]

These videos are sooo cool!! I think a small way to make these significantly more impactful would be to leave a link in the description to a prewritten email to trader Joes (look up "linkto:" urls) that urges them to make further changes in support of the environment! You could even include a link to this video in it.. :) Thank you so much for this channel!!

[@andydutton455]

I think they are trying.

[@ktsterlin9304]

One of the main factors I look for in a grocery store is how large the produce and unpackaged bulk sections is to the rest of the aisles. Trader Joe’s has a ridiculously tiny produce section and their bulk section is already packaged but they still pass the bulk pricing on the the customer, which is nice. I go to Sprouts. The store is mostly produce and the bulk section. Not sure how they stack up aside from my observations but they are significantly more affordable for produce. I get 15-20 apples every time I go grocery shopping and paying for each apple at TJs is crazy expensive compared to the by the pound pricing everywhere else.

[@TheHuntermj]

People won't stand for the removal of packaging, if TJs put everything in bulk bins then the average consumer is going to purchase it elsewhere

[@oliviapace2523]

Can you do Whole Foods next?

[@timothybracken1728]

this video is gold

[@bilguana11]

TJs just got snowflaked.

[@BabFayazi]

Thanks for useful and thoughtful information ☘️

[@deargodwhyme]

The argument "...even Amazon has a publicly accessible climate action plan..." is not a valid comparison. Amazon is orders of magnitude larger and participates in an endless number of business categories. A more valid comparison would be to regional chain corporations of similar store counts or footprint (Fresh Market, Sprouts, Publix, Giant, etc). A cursory search yields minimal plans exist in the industry in terms of climate action plans or environmental footprint analysis. The general public tends to be completely blind to how thin margins are in service sectors like food/hospitality/restaurants overall. TJ's prices are still low enough where they might be able to get away with marking up some products to cover the cost of better messaging their initiatives.

[@Lucky_9705]

Sustainability is important in any major business. As the global population grows, the demand for cleaner energy and net zero emissions will inevitably rise. While the future might seem scary at first, especially since these moves will require us to make drastic changes and trade offs in our livelihoods, it will ultimately pay off for brighter years to come.

[@aclg7087]

They are following the German-neighborhood-store model.

[@mariusborgarbui3211]

ACLG Since 1979 Trader’s Joe has been owned by a German company.

[@Tom-xy9gb]

A white people store.

[@niamarwaha4060]

insightful!

[@nessafemina7969]

I’m so early for once

[@teddyfurstman1997]

We shop at Trader Joe's a few times. We mostly shop at Stop & Shop (Formerly Waldbaums) and Key Food.

[@willvanmoss6664]

I used to shop at Trader Joe’s only because it’s cheap and decent quality! Unfortunately they use so much plastic and as I’m trying to reduce my plastic waste to an absolute minimum it became hard to buy anything there that was not in the produce section! They could easily change a lot of their package to paper or glass but they just don’t...