The popular grocery store is loved by many for its fresh and frozen food, but for me, it means something more.
By Hanna Van Den Einde
As a child, my mom would take me to Trader Joe’s on special occasions. While sitting in the front of the red wire cart, I was mesmerized by the colorful boxes and the signs with unique writing on them.
My grandpa loved the vanilla Joe-Joe’s, Trader Joe’s attempt to recreate the Oreo. Every Christmas, we would show up to my grandparent’s house with gifts in hand and a box of Joe-Joe’s for my grandpa, who lived from Willmar, far from any Trader Joe’s. His face lit up when he them, but he didn’t eat them right away. I would sit next to him on the couch and we would share the cookies. He ate them straight out of the box, talking to me about Greek mythology and what I was doing in school. The moments were warm and sweet for me.
It pains me to say this, but I was never a big fan of the Joe-Joe’s. I thought they tasted like cardboard. I wondered why anyone would eat vanilla sandwich cookies when chocolate ones were much better. But I never had the heart to tell him this.
But a few days after my Grandpa died in September 2021, there I was in Trade Joe’s reaching for a box of Joe-Joe’s. I sat in my car eating them and listening to music, thinking about all the times we would sit on the couch eating those cardboard cookies.
Trader Joe’s is loved by many and was popularized due to their unique marketing strategy that pulls consumers in. The company even has a podcast, called “Inside Trader Joe’s,” where the hosts discuss topics such as new products, hacks and the reasoning behind discontinuing certain products.
The grocery chain was started in 1967 in Pasadena, California by Joe Coulombe. The store exploded in popularity, and now has over 500 stores across 42 states in America. It is loved by many for their frozen meals, fresh fruits and vegetables and unique products all at a low cost. The company generates around $16.5 billion in annual sales.
In recent years, the store has become beloved among younger people and has gained a cult-like following. Their unique marketing strategy entices customers to come back to the store without even realizing that the store’s marketing tactics have worked seamlessly on them.
Ashley Peters, a fourth-year student at the University of Minnesota, said she prefers Trader Joe’s over other grocery stores.
“I’ve found that Trader Joe’s is cheaper than other grocery chains, like Target, which allows me to get healthy food on a budget,” Peters said. “I also really like how it’s decorated because it makes grocery shopping more fun.”
For college students, Trader Joe’s provides a unique setting to get healthy food and try new products at a low price. As a college student, I prefer Trader Joe’s over other chains for the same reason as Peters. The store makes shopping for food feel exciting and lively, as opposed to other grocery stores that make the activity feel like a chore. Walking into the store feels like it fits seamlessly into the ritual of life.
During my first-year of college, I lived in the dorms and didn’t have a ton of variety for food, especially when it came to snacks. My roommate and I would hop on the lightrail and take it the the U.S. bank stadium stop, and then we would walk a few blocks to pick up snacks from the Trader Joe’s on the corner.
Often when we did this, we would pick up a variety of cheeses and crackers. We would bring them back to our dorm room and create a make-shift charcuterie board on paper plates, which we had also bought from Trader Joe’s.
However, other times, the grocery store felt like a lifeline for me to break out of the ritual of life.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit in the middle of my first year at college, putting a premature ending to the make-shift charcuterie board nights. I moved out of the dorms and back in with my parents. Like everyone else, I was isolated from everyone except my family.
My mom was the only one who left the house to get groceries or other essentials. When restrictions had finally loosened up, I jumped at the opportunity to go grocery shopping with her. I begged her to go to Trader Joe’s and she agreed.
We waited in line, standing on red markers shaped like flowers, six feet apart from other customers outside the store. I felt so excited to be somewhere other than home. I was thrilled when we finally entered the store. We walked cautiously around the aisles, trying not to get too close to people or touch things we didn’t need.
It’s been nearly three years since my first Trader Joe’s trip after isolation. The truth is, Trader Joe’s marketing strategy worked seamlessly on me. On the occasions that I do go to the popular grocer, little memories call out to me through the products that sit on the shelves. These memories bring me joy, but I will not be buying another box of cardboard cookies.