The Viral Trader Joe's Hack Customers Really Shouldn't Be Using

Trader Joe's is known for its impossibly small parking lots and incredibly delicious snack foods. However, the crunchy grocery store chain made waves on TikTok for a different reason: A clever drawer hack that some claim makes products easier to reach. While the tip is cool, we're here to encourage you to leave it to the professionals, i.e. Trader Joe's employees, who are likely the only ones who will need to be reaching that far into the drawers to begin with.

The hack which was initially posted by TikTok user, @_lovejeff_, to much fanfare reveals that some of the shelves Trader Joe's keeps their inventory on are actually drawers on metal tracks that easily slide out with the slightest push. His reasoning behind this hack is that it makes items easier to reach, so you don't have to go digging in the back. But that logic quickly falls apart when you realize that Trader Joe's usually does a good job of keeping their shelves stocked with food, which means there is no need to push out the drawers to reach the back. Additionally, Trader Joe's keeps their shelves organized by product, so again, there's no need to reach beyond what's stacked neatly at the front of the shelf because it's all the same stuff behind it.

Trader Joe's employees who saw the viral TikTok video were quick to point out that this wasn't as much of a hack as it's a design feature to make the shelves easier to stock. The problem with having customers pop out the shelves on their own is that it can actually make the fairly narrow aisles more hazardous — especially if customers don't take the time to make sure the shelves are securely popped back in. Employees and Trader Joe's customers alike took to the comments to emphasize the point that Trader Joe's meticulous stocking schedule nullifies any need for this "hack."

So do everyone a favor, and do not test out the drawers' range of motion at your local Trader Joe's. You're not likely to get in trouble for it, but it's not good grocery store etiquette. Instead, apply your hacking knowhow for Trader Joe's snacks. We have a great list of 19 Trader Joe's food-based hacks you should try at least once for inspiration.