# Trader Joe's - Whole Foods



## goodfood (Sep 3, 2017)

When visiting in US have always found TJ to be good source for ingredients. Now see Whole Foods starting big ads re pricing, no artificial additives, etc. Whenever I went there I found pricing to be totally exxorbitant.

Has anyone started to get a handle on how this 'competition' is going to develop in these 'Amazon days?'


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## skilletlicker (Sep 3, 2017)

Too soon to tell in my opinion. I'm not even sure who they plan to compete with. Hoping they don't stay exclusively in the boutique grocery market but take on Wal-Mart as well.


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## goodfood (Sep 3, 2017)

> " but take on Wal-Mart as well"



Doesn't US have enough Lay's and Frito's?  

A couple of years ago I paced off some 10-12 meters (30-40 ft) of 'chip'' shelf space - in some market in Calif.


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## skilletlicker (Sep 3, 2017)

goodfood said:


> Doesn't US have enough Lay's and Frito's?
> 
> A couple of years ago I paced off some 10-12 meters (30-40 ft) of 'chip'' shelf space - in some market in Calif.



Don't know what Lays and Fritos have to do with it. By taking on Wal-Mart I meant selling milk, eggs, carrots, and ground beef at price points competitive with Wal-Mart. Amazon could certainly afford it even if they lost money for a while. I'd take even money on them doing just that.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 3, 2017)

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are two totally different types of markets, but I have never seen the attraction for either. 

Whole foods gets away with their exorbitant prices because they subtly pander to people with too much disposal income, making them feel like they are special because they can afford to shop there. 

Trader Joe's, on the other hand, has an almost cult-like following that treat a shopping trip more like a pilgrimage to Mecca, but at least they do have a few things you can't find anywhere else. 

As far as I am concerned, neither place is worth going out of your way to shop, and as they are both out of my way, I don't shop there.


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## roadfix (Sep 3, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Trader Joe's, on the other hand, has an almost cult-like following that treat a shopping trip more like a pilgrimage to Mecca...



  Yeah, there's a lot of truth to that.    

The only reason I frequent TJ's is because they have several locations all very close and conveniently located to my home and work.    If I had to drive 5 miles out of my way to get to TJ's I wouldn't even bother.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 3, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are two totally different types of markets, but I have never seen the attraction for either.
> 
> Whole foods gets away with their exorbitant prices because they subtly pander to people with too much disposal income, making them feel like they are special because they can afford to shop there.
> 
> ...


Did you write this, SLoB? [emoji38]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/huppke/ct-amazon-whole-foods-huppke-20170825-story.html


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## goodfood (Sep 3, 2017)

The comment about Lay's and Frito's was sarcasm that Walmart sells snacks, candy and some protein and carbos so that you are permitted to have 'dessert.' 

Let Aldi's compete with WM -  

TJ's has offered better quality items at good prices - their ready-to-eat stuff wins no prizes  nor does anyone else's for that matter.


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## skilletlicker (Sep 3, 2017)

So you started this thread to disguise a thinly veiled insult as witticism? Who is this "you" with dessert permission?


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## goodfood (Sep 3, 2017)

Hah? Come again.    (?)

Read "you" - as the generic 
'one'


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## CraigC (Sep 3, 2017)

goodfood said:


> *The comment about Lay's and Frito's was sarcasm that Walmart sells snacks, candy and some protein and carbos so that you are permitted to have 'dessert.'*



You must watch a lot of "Chopped" to assume any of those items are used in dessert. Not in our homemade desserts. We don't shop at Aldi, Wally World or Trader Joe's. We only go into Whole Foods and/or Fresh Market for items we can't find elsewhere.


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## Just Cooking (Sep 3, 2017)

Jeannie reads the weekly grocery ads and shops for things she wants to, wherever..
I cook so, I shop meal ingredients at Trader Joe's... TJ's is consistently lower or equal in pricing to the chains ( Safeway, Lucky's, Raley's) near me.. To me, the best thing about shopping at TJ's are the stores themselves (clean and fun atmosphere) and the employees ( have yet to see a "too busy to bother" clerk) .

Ross


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## goodfood (Sep 3, 2017)

I didn't mean THOSE items necessarily go into 'desserts' - just that WM only works with check-list 'protein and carbos' - and one can then say bring on the dessert  - which may well be whatever has replaced 'twinkies.'


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 3, 2017)

roadfix said:


> If I had to drive 5 miles out of my way to get to TJ's I wouldn't even bother.


For me it's more like 15 miles, so I never go there.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 3, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> Did you write this, SLoB? [emoji38]
> 
> Amazon lowering Whole Foods prices will hurt those who think they&apos;re better than you - Chicago Tribune


No, but I am sure I could have. 

I have never shopped at Whole Foods, but there is one next to Panera Bakery where I buy my bread and when parking is scarce I have to walk by Whole Foods to get my bread. I peeked in one time and saw they had Hatch chiles for $1.99 a pound. The next day I saw Hatch chiles at my local groshree store for 99¢ a pound, and since Hatch Chiles only come from one place, Hatch, NM, they had to be the same chiles, and I am sure they got from New Mexico to California in the same way, so how does John Mackey justify the outrageous price? If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 3, 2017)

Just Cooking said:


> Jeannie reads the weekly grocery ads and shops for things she wants to, wherever..
> I cook so, I shop meal ingredients at Trader Joe's... TJ's is consistently lower or equal in pricing to the chains ( Safeway, Lucky's, Raley's) near me.. To me, the best thing about shopping at TJ's are the stores themselves (clean and fun atmosphere) and the employees ( have yet to see a "too busy to bother" clerk) .
> 
> Ross



Try your Smart & Final Store in Seaside.


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## Cheryl J (Sep 3, 2017)

Just Cooking said:


> Jeannie reads the weekly grocery ads and shops for things she wants to, wherever..
> I cook so, I shop meal ingredients at Trader Joe's... *TJ's is consistently lower or equal in pricing to the chains ( Safeway, Lucky's, Raley's) near me.. To me, the best thing about shopping at TJ's are the stores themselves (clean and fun atmosphere) and the employees ( have yet to see a "too busy to bother" clerk) .*
> 
> Ross



This. ^ 

Since the closest TJ's is about 100 miles away, it's a real treat for me to shop there. There are so many things that I *really* like and stock up on when I'm able to get down there.  I LOVE their cheese section, for one. 

I shop TJ's maybe once or twice a year, love them, stock up when I do get there, and am not the least bit affected by those who feel otherwise.  To each their own.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 3, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> No, but I am sure I could have.
> 
> I have never shopped at Whole Foods, but there is one next to Panera Bakery where I buy my bread and when parking is scarce I have to walk by Whole Foods to get my bread. I peeked in one time and saw they had Hatch chiles for $1.99 a pound. The next day I saw Hatch chiles at my local groshree store for 99¢ a pound, and since Hatch Chiles only come from one place, Hatch, NM, they had to be the same chiles, and I am sure they got from New Mexico to California in the same way, so how does John Mackey justify the outrageous price? If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.


I have walked through a Whole Foods once. I was not tempted by much and the prices were ridiculous, so I left empty-handed and never went back. 

The closest Trader Joe's to me is across the street from Whole Foods (a half hour away in a very busy part of Virginia Beach, with a toll each way). Their fresh food section is very small and doesn't have much that I can't find in my local Kroger. We don't eat a lot of prepared snacks, so no need for that stuff. 

Btw, goodfood, maybe it's been a while since you've been in a Walmart, but their produce section is large and pretty nice. They have an organic food section (doesn't impress me, but some people like it) and good meat. We only get pet food and a few other things there since the Kroger opened nearby, but it's not the worst place in the world to shop.


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## Just Cooking (Sep 3, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Try your Smart & Final Store in Seaside.




We frequent S&F... Theirs is one of the ads in which Jeannie checks for sale items weekly...

Ross


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## Just Cooking (Sep 3, 2017)

Cheryl J said:


> This. ^
> 
> Since the closest TJ's is about 100 miles away, it's a real treat for me to shop there. There are so many things that I *really* like and stock up on when I'm able to get down there. * I LOVE their cheese section*, for one.
> 
> I shop TJ's maybe once or twice a year, love them, stock up when I do get there, and am not the least bit affected by those who feel otherwise.  *To each their own*.


   Uh huh...    

Ross


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## goodfood (Sep 3, 2017)

> Btw, goodfood, maybe it's been a while since you've been in a Walmart, but their produce section is large and pretty nice.



Couple of years - and I'm sure they vary by location.

Off the top of my head I think of peanut butter with only peanuts, no-sugar TJ mayo, wild rice, maple syrup - among many products I could never think of finding in WM. Could find in WF but at double prices.

WM good for work pants, underwear, socks, shoes, etc. - but I don't eat those.


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## Addie (Sep 4, 2017)

I don't feel that I need TJ or Whole Foods. The food I buy at my Market Basket is brought in fresh every day. As a rule Spike and I try to shop there as soon as they open. There is always a huge Semi truck backed up at the unloading dock and another waiting its turn. And this happens every day. You ask any employee for help or where a certain item is located, they not only tell you where it is, but will go and get it for you. My only complaint is that the store is so huge. If I didn't have Spike to help me, it could easily take me more than an hour to do my monthly shopping. The only two aisles of their 36 ones I don't even go into are the ones for chips and snacks and the soda, drink aisle. 

At checkout, there is a bagger for every single one. There is a bagger when it is slow, whose main job is to wheel your full cart out to your car. And he also helps you unload it into your car. 

There are reasons Market Basket is taking customers away from the other two big grocery stores in New England. Their aisles are always full, and they have a full staff that is constantly stocking the shelves. Their produce is always fresh. A fast turnover on those item. Their help is so polite and all are bilingual. And they do have the lowest prices around. 

So I don't need TJ's or Whole Foods. I don't need to impress anyone with the food I buy. And I am able to buy twice the amount at MB than I would at the other two stores.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 4, 2017)

I've never been to a Whole Foods store but I would like to pay them a visit.  

I have a Trader Joe's within five miles of my home and I do go in and shop from time to time.  I consider the money that I spend in Trader Joe's to be more in the category of entertainment than food.  I just get a kick out of the store and it's interesting offerings.


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## goodfood (Sep 4, 2017)

Have found the TJ '2 dollar a bottle' wine to be perfectly OK. I am sure I am now kicked out of any Wine Connoisseur club but don't have a gold-plated WC either.


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## tenspeed (Sep 4, 2017)

It's interesting that people are loyal to a particular food store or won't patronize another.  I'm lucky in that within a 5 mile radius I have just about everything imaginable, except a Whole Foods.  Five supermarkets, two specialty seafood stores, Walmarts, a Super Target, Trader Joes, a really good produce market, a meat market, an Asian market, an Italian market, etc.  I regularly patronize a number of them, as each has items /  prices different from others.  If I leave the house I'll pass at least one of the supermarkets, and if I don't start the car, there's always the bike.

  But back on Trader Joes, I think they are unique in a lot of ways.  For the items they carry, the quality and prices are typically quite good.  They carry some items not easy to find elsewhere.  Their wines are usually rated very good at their price point.  The cheese selection is terrific.  Their cut flowers are the cheapest anywhere.  And the staff takes happy pills before their shift starts.


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## larry_stewart (Sep 5, 2017)

I shop at both TJ and Whole Foods, not on a regular basis or for my main grocery shopping run, but to pick up certain items that I know no other local market carries.  I agree that WF is pricey.  These days many major grocery stores do carry a wide variety of different items to cater to almost every dietary need.  But I fond TJ and WF to have a wider variety of not so recognizable brands and products to choose from.  Sure it comes at a price, but its nice to have a selection to choose from, rather than being stuck with the only item a store carries that fits your needs.  Being a vegetarian, I find these stores to have a different selection.  That being said, most of our shopping is done at the local big chain grocer.   Depending on whats on the menu, I will hit multiple other markets depending on what I may need.  I love grocery shopping, so I don't mind bouncing around from store to store , as long as its an off time and I can avoid the lines and crowds.


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## goodfood (Sep 5, 2017)

As for 'pricey' -- I have found TJ fine for 'ingredient' iems - never but and ready or semi-ready stuffnso don't know about those.


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## jennyema (Sep 5, 2017)

goodfood said:


> Have found the TJ '2 dollar a bottle' wine to be perfectly OK. I am sure I am now kicked out of any Wine Connoisseur club but don't have a gold-plated WC either.


 
Its been quite some time since Two Buck Chuck has literally been $2

It was fine back in the day but today's version is pretty foul, IMO


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## jennyema (Sep 5, 2017)

I work 3 minutes away from the country's largest WF (or so it was), so I go there once in awhile.  Dry beans, grain, rice, weird molecular gastronomy stuff, meat if I have to.  Never fish (it sucks and is expensive) and the produce is expensive and not that great.  Cheese is good but pricy.  Wine and liquor is not bad.

I have maybe 4 TJ's within 5 miles and have zero use for them.  There's literally nothing in them except one particular snack cracker that interests me.


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## goodfood (Sep 5, 2017)

Sorry to hear about wine. For me, it's often a case of it just not having anything 'wrong' - rarely ever looking for 'bouqet' etc. But if 'foull' that's another question


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## jennyema (Sep 5, 2017)

goodfood said:


> Sorry to hear about wine. For me, it's often a case of it just not having anything 'wrong' - rarely ever looking for 'bouqet' etc. But if 'foull' that's another question


 
I bought it to cook with a few years ago and threw it away ...

I haven't tried it since.  Maybe its better...

They did have a "big" bottle of some kind of cab that we liked.  It was about $10.  But not worth a separate trip.


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## goodfood (Sep 5, 2017)

Wine I had was a bit over 2 a bottle in Calif - in '15. I've had beautiful wines in France, Italy and Spain - someone else paying - so think I know what is good - but for my pocket and tastes - I'm OK with a wine if has nothing that is bad ( I could tell you about an Algerian red they used to sell in Finland :-( )-

I also had TJ wines in Ann Arbor for 3 - and they were good enough.

It may very well be they have different 'sources' - same label.


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## roadfix (Sep 5, 2017)

Addie said:


> So I don't need TJ's or Whole Foods. I don't need to impress anyone with the food I buy.



Hmm...   I've never thought about it from that angle.   But I don't think people shop at these places to impress others.

A friend I regularly invite to dinner at my home brought with her over 3 pounds of flap meat from WF yesterday for Labor Day BBQ.   She shops at WF regularly so she always brings something from there every time I invite her.
But while unwrapping the butcher paper (with big WF logos printed all over..) I noticed she paid a whopping $14.99/pound for this.  And I thought to myself I've got basically the same meat sitting in my freezer which I purchased at Ralph's for $4.99/pound.     Anyway, as expected, the carne asada turned out no different from any other carne asada I've done.
The $2.99/pound loin back ribs from Ralph's which I also did at the same time also turned out very good.


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## Addie (Sep 5, 2017)

larry_stewart said:


> I shop at both TJ and Whole Foods, not on a regular basis or for my main grocery shopping run, but to pick up certain items that I know no other local market carries.  I agree that WF is pricey.  These days many major grocery stores do carry a wide variety of different items to cater to almost every dietary need.  But I fond TJ and WF to have a wider variety of not so recognizable brands and products to choose from.  Sure it comes at a price, but its nice to have a selection to choose from, rather than being stuck with the only item a store carries that fits your needs.  Being a vegetarian, I find these stores to have a different selection.  That being said, most of our shopping is done at the local big chain grocer.   Depending on whats on the menu, I will hit multiple other markets depending on what I may need.  I love grocery shopping,* so I don't mind bouncing around from store to store *, as long as its an off time and I can avoid the lines and crowds.



Larry, when my kids were small, I always had one in the carriage. I would put the baby in the carriage, another kid on each side holding on to the side bars of the carriage and head down the square to do my shopping. At that time it was safe to leave the baby in the carriage sleeping and park the carriage outside the store. If the baby woke up and started to cry, someone would come along, find the bottle and give it to the baby. If the baby didn't stop crying they would stick their head in the store door and yell out that a baby was crying. There was always several babies outside in their carriage. All the mothers would head out and check their infant. It was just the neighborly thing we all did. Back into the store, finish my shopping there, head for the produce store, same thing, next came the meat store, head next off to Woolworth's, etc. I loved shopping like that. All my packages would fit into the bottom of the carriage. And because my kids behaved they also knew that they could get a treat in Woolworth's when we were all done. Usually a large scoop of ice cream for each of them. They felt so important giving their order to the waitress behind the counter. And they got to sit with the grownups. On the swivel chairs. 

So shopping was always a pleasant adventure for me and my kids. Whenever they are traveling down Memory Lane, they still talk about their special treat at Woolworth's.


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## jennyema (Sep 5, 2017)

roadfix said:


> Hmm... I've never thought about it from that angle. But I don't think people shop at these places to impress others.
> 
> A friend I regularly invite to dinner at my home brought with her over 3 pounds of flap meat from WF yesterday for Labor Day BBQ. She shops at WF regularly so she always brings something from there every time I invite her.
> But while unwrapping the butcher paper (with big WF logos printed all over..) I noticed she paid a whopping $14.99/pound for this. And I thought to myself I've got basically the same meat sitting in my freezer which I purchased at Ralph's for $4.99/pound. Anyway, as expected, the carne asada turned out no different from any other carne asada I've done.
> The $2.99/pound loin back ribs from Ralph's which I also did at the same time also turned out very good.


 
I only shop at WF for meat if I have to buy other stuff there.  Its good for the most part but WAAAY to expensive

The best meat ever is from our little butcher on the Cape.  Guys like him deserve our business.


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## goodfood (Sep 5, 2017)

All this discussion points to what I always found -- "WF = EXORBITANT pricing." Doesn't seem compatible with AMZ - unless Bezos planning a 'revolution' of sorts.


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## jennyema (Sep 5, 2017)

goodfood said:


> All this discussion points to what I always found -- "WF = EXORBITANT pricing." Doesn't seem compatible with AMZ - unless Bezos planning a 'revolution' of sorts.


 

The revolution is well under way.

I shopped there last Thursday and prices for a lot of things had been lowered.  Also lots of sale items.


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 5, 2017)

jennyema said:


> I work 3 minutes away from the country's largest WF (or so it was), so I go there once in awhile.  Dry beans, grain, rice, weird molecular gastronomy stuff, meat if I have to.  Never fish (it sucks and is expensive) and the produce is expensive and not that great.  Cheese is good but pricy.  Wine and liquor is not bad.
> 
> I have maybe 4 TJ's within 5 miles and have zero use for them.  There's literally nothing in them except one particular snack cracker that interests me.



This pretty much sums up my feelings as well. 

I occasionally shop at WF because it's across the street from where I work and super convenient to swing in and grab something to take home if I know there's nothing much in the fridge. However, I'll also add that if it weren't in a convenient location, I probably wouldn't shop there often. Because... well... prices. I'm hoping Amazon turns that around.

I also eat lunch at WF once or twice a week because they do have a pretty nice selection of hot foods, soups, and a salad bar -- and the price is reasonable. Certainly cheaper than eating in other restaurants around that part of town (fast food aside).

TJ's is a different story. There's one about 1/4 mile from my office, but it has more down sides than positives - at least for me. To begin with, it's really hard to get in and out of. There's one entrance for parking, and it's always clogged up because it's situated in such a way that everyone going in or out has to wait for pedestrians coming out of the store. So there's always kind of a permanent bottleneck. 

I could overlook that, though, if I actually liked shopping there. But I've been there twice now, and it was the same story both times: I walk in, grab a basket, and then sort of meander about looking at things, but not putting anything in the basket. The produce and meat selections are sort of okay, but nothing I can't get at the little grocer down the street from where I live (and usually at a better price). They have a lot of jarred and canned items, but I'm not familiar with the brands - plus I just don't buy a lot of those things anyway. So then I put the basket away and leave without buying anything. Like I said, twice I've done that.

TJ's wine is ok at best. I drink wine daily, so I'll be the first to admit I'm kind of picky. I don't think I'm a snob, though, and there's a difference between that and being picky. I actually drink a lot of $10-20 wines. But what I've found with TJ's is that the quality is very inconsistent. There has been some I've liked, but others have been all over the map. The one example I can think of is with their Charles Shaw Chardonnay. I bought a bottle one time, and thought it was pretty good. Much better than you would expect for the price. So I went back a couple months later and bought 3 more bottles of the same wine. This time it was absolute crap, and nothing like the first bottle I had bought. I did use it for cooking, but it wasn't anything I enjoyed drinking.

There's a Total Wine next door to the TJ's that's close to me. They have some down sides, too, but honestly I'd rather shop there for wine.


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## jennyema (Sep 8, 2017)

goodfood said:


> Wine I had was a bit over 2 a bottle in Calif - in '15. I've had beautiful wines in France, Italy and Spain - someone else paying - so think I know what is good - but for my pocket and tastes - I'm OK with a wine if has nothing that is bad ( I could tell you about an Algerian red they used to sell in Finland :-( )-
> 
> I also had TJ wines in Ann Arbor for 3 - and they were good enough.
> 
> It may very well be they have different 'sources' - same label.



A good read.  I just saw it today.  Might make you think twice....


https://vinepair.com/articles/trade...=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=site


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## Just Cooking (Sep 8, 2017)

jennyema said:


> A good read.  I just saw it today.  Might make you think twice....
> 
> 
> https://vinepair.com/articles/trade...=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=site




That is certainly interesting and no big surprise... The San Joaquin Valley has been producing altered wines for decades.. As a 21 year old beverage store clerk, I sold enough Gallo wines to float a battleship.. 

The bottom line is.. If consumers buy it and seem to like it, that's all that is really necessary for those wine brands to prosper.. 

Ross


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 8, 2017)

Addie said:


> At checkout, there is a bagger for every single one. There is a bagger when it is slow, whose main job is to wheel your full cart out to your car. And he also helps you unload it into your car.



you find me a store where the bagger also comes home with you, schleps the groceries into the house, and puts them away in the pantry and refrigerator and I will shop there all the time. For me that is the worst part of grocery shopping.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 9, 2017)

I like shopping at Aldi partly because I get to bag my own groceries. Mind you I shop later in the day (mid-afternoon) so I'm getting the high school kids who bag, but they'll put my carefully chosen tomatoes on the bottom of the bag, or my soft rolls in with potatoes that like to cuddle up to them and form nice dents. Argh! Inevitably, I end up re-packing as soon as I leave the register area.



Addie said:


> '''At checkout, there is a bagger for every single one. There is a bagger when it is slow, whose main job is to wheel your full cart out to your car. And he also helps you unload it into your car...


I've never seen that service at my Market Basket. Then again, I don't see many shoppers in your age range shopping at my MB. It might be an area thing. 

I really miss my Buehlers store back home. When they bagged your groceries at the register, they would put them into plastic tubs - two bags per tub. The tubs were numbered, and the bagger gave you large, plastic cards with the same number printed on them. You went to your car, drove under the pick-up canopy, and handed the cards to the outside bagger. He/she would retrieve your tub(s), and put your bags into the trunk, back seat - wherever you wanted the placed. I've never seen any store up here in with the same service. I really liked that service...


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## Andy M. (Sep 9, 2017)

When I was a kid, one of the local market chains used to do the bins delivered to your car.  I haven't seen that in 60 years around here.

When we do grocery shopping we bring reusable bags and SO hovers over the bagger and directs his every action.  She constantly reminds them not to make the bags too heavy even though I've told her it doesn't't matter to me how heavy they are as I carry more than one at a time.


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## Just Cooking (Sep 9, 2017)

Our neighbor is an 82 year old widow.. She shops every Thursday (I don't think she should be driving) and I look for her to get home so I can bring in her groceries.. I am amazed with how heavy her bags are.. When we shop I load the bags evenly.. I'm surprised that her stores don't use more care, considering she is tiny and frail..

Ross


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## Addie (Sep 9, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> you find me a store where the bagger also comes home with you, schleps the groceries into the house, and puts them away in the pantry and refrigerator and I will shop there all the time. For me that is the worst part of grocery shopping.



Than you want my son Spike. He unloads the car, brings everything right upstairs to my apartment and puts all the food away. In the right place. I have the most  difficult job of all. "GO SIT DOWN AND WATCH TV. GET OUT OF MY WAY!" He can yell all he wants  to as long as he is doing all the work. So that's just  what I do. A quick "thank you son" and he is gone. But he doesn't have to yell at me anymore to get out of his way. I got the message the first couple of times he did that. I hold the door open while he brings in the carriage. And then I sit down real fast. I also hold the door when he is leaving with the cart and saves me a trip downstairs with it. The hardest part of shopping for me, is putting the items in my cart.


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## skilletlicker (Sep 9, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> When I was a kid, one of the local market chains used to do the bins delivered to your car.  I haven't seen that in 60 years around here.
> 
> When we do grocery shopping we bring reusable bags and SO hovers over the bagger and directs his every action.  She constantly reminds them not to make the bags too heavy even though I've told her it doesn't't matter to me how heavy they are as I carry more than one at a time.



I usually walk to the grocery store, about 1 mile, with a backpack and a large tote bag and tell the cashier or bagger, if there is one, to put the groceries into a cart unbagged. When the cashier and I are finished, I load the pack and tote to protect the groceries and my back.

Was in the local Whole Foods neighborhood a few days ago. Was going to go in but decided to give them more time to make their changes. I'm a prime member and an occasional prime pantry user. There are good buys but you have to be careful to avoid paying too much, sometimes way too much. I expect Whole Foods will end up the same way.


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