new york– state of mine

A few reasons why I love Trader Joe’s (the one & only one in Manhattan!….maybe the city should invest in a few more?)

New Yorkers flock to it. Picture this: ninety-degree weather and eager Manhattanites in queue along the side-walk waiting for a cue to enter.  Surely it must be some occasion, like the viewing of a sitcom, or a coveted line at a theme-park?  Close enough.  It’s the line for Trader Joe’s on a Sunday afternoon in Manhattan.  But, it’s totally worth the wait.  Every time I go to Trader Joe’s, I mull over why and how one store could feasibly be so crowded.   It could be 11am, 4pm or 9pm, and almost unfailingly, the environment is the same.  Lines weave through the aisles, you ‘excuse-me-thank-you-pardon-me’ in order to grab the second-to-last low-fat plain yogurt container.  I try to snatch a couple of Granny-Smith apples that remain in the bins while avoiding elbowing the girl on my right.  But inexpensive produce, off-brand health food options, and household essentials offer a winning combination with which no other store is able to compare.

Despite the crowd, the store environment remains surprisingly calm & optimistic. The employees are ever helpful at T.J., seeking out items that you might have missed due to all of the people.  Poles labeled “12 items or less” or “any number of items” mark the end of the line.  One worker will act as a bouncer to the front entrance of the store when it’s reached capacity, while another tell you which cashier number to approach to deter any dilly-dallying in line.
The actual size of the store is small, and with the amount of shoppers, shopping conditions are less than ideal.  Typically, this would make someone an unhappy, irritated shopper.  However, if you have frequented the store, you know what you are getting yourself into by shopping at TJ.  As I understand it, customers at Trader Joe’s have accepted the environment as a part of the store’s charm!  In my experience, fellow shoppers are more than happy to hold your place in line while you grab the stone-wheat crackers you forgot, or an extra store sample.

TJ can even make its way into conversations during a night out: Funny enough, while out Friday night at some dive bar in the East Village, Trader Joe’s came up while I was chatting with an attractive young professional.  He asked me where I went to buy produce and I laid down my devotion to Trader Joes.  He imparted that while a competitor health food store in the vicinity revels in its blemish-free produce displays, they achieve this impeccable appearance because they dispose of all items with imperfections.  Wow, all the more reason to love TJ, I thought…Whether or not this guy spoke the truth, Trader Joes certainly carries apples with blemishes and bruises (probably as a result of the hoards of people that enter and exit everyday).  However, two things are for sure: the items are ideally priced, and are utterly delicious!