FOOD NEWS
Stop Making These Mistakes When Shopping At Trader Joe's
BY SIERRA WINTERS
The Fearless Flyer
Released every few months, the Fearless Flyer is packed with new and seasonal products and tasty pairings. You can receive an electronic version to your email.
Buying Produce
Trader Joe's is great for trends, but it's not the best for produce. While you can get away with sturdier fruits and veg, delicate options are best avoided.
Since Trader Joe's partners directly with selected suppliers, it's difficult for the chain to change suppliers when quality suffers, so if you buy produce, use it quickly.
Ignoring Recipe Contests
Trader Joe's maintains a robust social media presence, where you can find the chain's recurring recipe contests that have mouthwatering results.
Contestants must use five to seven Trader Joe's products that fit within the theme. Winning recipes — like July's Brooklyn babka ice cream pie — are featured on their website.
Forgetting The Raffle
Many Trader Joe's locations host a weekly raffle that you can enter if you bring your own grocery bags and spend at least $25 per purchase.
The winner receives a $25 gift card, and in the process, you can build up your reusable bag collection — the artwork on the bags is different from what you'll find at other stores.
Timing
The downside of Trader Joe's seemingly ubiquitous popularity is that the stores can get pretty crowded, especially if you shop at peak hours.
A store manager on Reddit lists Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the least busy days to shop and suggests shopping as soon as they open to avoid crowds.