FOOD NEWS
Trader Joe's Etiquette Mistakes You Might Be Making
BY Claire Redden
Parking Cart
You should never park your cart at TJ's, as the chain packs tons of things into a smaller-than-average space, and every bit of shelf and fridge real estate is valuable.
Given how small TJ’s is, there isn't a place to put your cart without blocking aisle space or being in someone else's way. Instead, you should keep it on your person at all times.
Grabbing Bread
You shouldn't grab bread from the back of the shelf for a fresher product, as it prohibits the possibility of having fresh bread available everyday for everyone else.
If everyone took bread from the front of the shelf, there'd be mostly fresh bread out every day because those baked the day before wouldn't get bypassed and ultimately go to waste.
Pulling out the shelves to check the back of the stock causes other issues, too. It creates a mess that a worker will have to reorganize, and the shelves often get broken this way.
Frozen Aisle
To avoid creating traffic and blocking others’ way, treat TJ's frozen aisle like a two-lane road, not a one-way one, as it is lined with open freezers on each side.
When you're first approaching, stick to the right-hand side as you walk and browse the options. Once you get to the end, turn around and do the opposite side the same way.