After hearing so much online hoopla about Trader Joe's, my guy and I stopped by one while we were in the city. I have never been to one of these stores, but I read enough online to remember to bring my own shopping bag and be prepared for crowds.
It was in fact so crowded inside I couldn't take any photos of the interior, although I did get a few shots of the pretty artificial pond they had by the store.
Trader Joe's is basically a boutique market, with a lot of their own branded products. There wasn't a big selection of anything, and some of the products seemed a little sketchy to me in how they were packaged and touted. I think people with college degrees are being played here. Most of the prices were a bit too high for my liking, too, especially on the fresh fruits and vegetables, which were twice and three times what I pay at my local market. That said, it was an interesting experience, and the employees were all super nice. I wish some other markets would train their staff to be as welcoming and helpful.
I wasn't interesting in spending a lot of money, but I found some bargains: two pounds of pasta, a bag of white truffle flavored potato chips (sinfully delicious), a half loaf of ciabatta bread (quite nice), and a sack of sesame snacks. My total bill was $9.25. If you have one of these markets near you, it might be worth checking out to see if you can get some bargains. Otherwise (especially if you're on a budget) you might stick to cheaper markets.
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