“It probably comes down to what you buy there, but I’m surprised to see those two listed as comparable or interchangeable.”
I think they play to different strengths and niches. Since many times they are in very close proximity to each other, I don’t think the two companies, which are very careful about where they place their stores, see each other as huge competitors. I’d pick WF but I think a lot of that is because I tend to cook from scratch.
I think WF has the best produce in my area. Living in Northern New England, we don’t have the best produce out of our short growing season. It certainly isn’t California from that aspect.
I still do the bulk of my shopping at more traditional grocery stores which, fortunately, has a very good seafood dept with lots of local items as well as lots of local produce in the summer and early fall.
As far as grocery store bakeries go, WF does a very good job, IMO, focusing on real ingredients and no preservatives.
I will say I like TJ more than WF. Went to WF once and the sticker shock was enough. Didn’t buy anything. I think the organic (whatever that really means) is the definition of price gouging. There are a few things I like there such as the rice but that is about it
I get a few items at Whole Foods that I cant get anywhere else. Their Balsamic Vinagarette fresh batch dressing ( sold in refrigerator case), their Parmesan crusted tilapia and their Challah rolls. I also get a lot of gluten free items for my daughter with Celiac which they buy from a bakery about 40 min from me. The WF is six minutes from me so amuch better option.
I’d say 95% of my purchases at WF and TJ are because of celiac and having gluten free items that are better than elsewhere, same for EarthFare. Or they are unique to those stores like Whole Foods GF Bakehouse items
Preference for one over the other - or for none at all potentially - could simply be due to price.
Some of the items I buy at TJ’s stretch my dollar and some I buy just because I think they are superior. Or both - price and good quality.
I rarely, rarely go into a WF - but the closest one to me is across the street from the TJ"s 50 minutes away. What products do WF have that can satisfy the thrifty-to-a-degree shopper??? I mean, the produce may be very good but if you can’t afford the prices, you can’t afford the prices for your family.
@abasket I don’t believe WF is geared toward the thrifty shopper but I do shop WF occasionally and I do pay attention to their weekly sales items. Back in my early years of adulthood, we had a very tight budget and I’d plan meals around what was on sale that week, a habit I still follow often even though I no longer need to.
Here’s are a few items that I find to be good value (combo of price and quality) at WF this week (as a Prime member):
Bell & Evans whole chickens for $1.69/pound
Organic raspberries or blackberries 2/$5
And I don’t eat boxed mac and cheese but if my family did this is a good value as well: Annie’s buy one, get one free $2.19 each).
@doschicos - that is so funny, but my habits are similar. Don’t necessarily need to now, but retain thrifty shopping habits. The only thing I go to WF for now is the Bell and Evans chicken when it’s on sale. It’s so predictable that whenever my family sees a WF bag they comment, “Oh, is chicken on sale again?”
From your Costco thread it appears you’re not a fan of your Costco, but here Costco has the best combination of premium meat at a really good price for beef, pork, seafood and lamb. But their weak point is chicken. Not super high quality, not air chilled and not great pricing. So I stock up on the Bell and Evans chicken at WF.
We’ve been shopping at TJ for years, but only every few weeks or so for items my wife wants from there. Our girls love the frozen Indian entrees, and the peppermint cookies are awesome.
It’s been a long-standing joke in our house that you need to eat the food very quickly after opening their packaged items. And any time one of us eats a stale cookie or cracker, it’s inevitably a TJ purchase. We attribute the phenomena to the result of fewer preservatives, although that doesn’t make it taste any better if it’s missed its window.
So another +1 to Trader Joe’s…IMO…prices are stable - no need to wait for a sale- tea at $2.99 is ALWAYS $2.99/box. Sliced almonds at $3.99 are always $3.99 - unless of course the price is raised.
Of course this doesn’t apply to produce or flowers…but largely the stable items.
But produce at TJs does fluctuate and pales in comparison to WF. It all depends on what you shop for and how you shop. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of good deals when you find them.
Another example: Last week, WF had Rao’s 24 ounce marinara on sale. I love the stuff but it is super pricey. Depending on the store in my area it sells for $6.99-8.99 a jar. The WF sale price was $4.99 so I stocked up. Now, a thrifty shopper probably won’t even buy it at the sale price but since I love it, I bought a whole bunch to stash in my pantry. So, I don’t shop there regularly but I’ll shop the good deals, get my mangos and pineapple, and snag a few veggie samosas for lunch (which are 20x better than TJ’s frozen ones ).
And that marinara will pale in comparison to Rao’s. Again, it gets back to why I posted this thread in the first place - in MY opinion, the general quality level of many TJs products is not to my taste. For me, value is price AND quality. If I don’t like it, it doesn’t matter if it is cheap. I’ve tried too many duds. YMMV.
I make my own marinara. Have been in WF maybe a half dozen times (it is walking distance from Trader Joe inour town… if there were sidewalks. I buy French cultured butter at TJ, occasional ice cream; cheeses (including burrata — yum!) their roast turkey which is far better than deli turkey (though it is undated and doesn’t keep that long); pasta for less than Costco, berries, flowers. I like several of their frozen hors d’oeuvres. I buy meat, seafood, and produce at Costco or the supermarket.
When I first shopped at TJ, I didn’t think much of it; but I have found more and more things to buy there.
I don’t agree! My closest TJ’s is in a huge renovated Naval training center - the store is at one end of a 1000 foot long parking lot. The part nearest to the store can be problematic - although I almost always find an empty space. If that part is full, the rest of the lot has plenty of room. There are four other TJ’s close enough that I’ve been to all of them - not as easy to park, but problems are mainly on weekends. I don’t think I’ve really run into rude drivers - well, no ruder than any other parking lot.
I let DH worry about going to WF since he likes it for several items. Those parking lots are bad.
Between TJ, WF, Costco and other markets, I shop them all. There is no one shoe fits all. I buy a lot of Spanish rice, chicken pot stickers and curry fish over rice at TJ, I don’t like their bread, meat and vegetables. I’ve tried all their coffees, now I have ventured into other sources and brands.
@doschicos I agree that the Rao’s marinara is great. I saw that sale at WF but I had walked there so didn’t buy any. I also stock up. In my area WF sells Mary’s chickens. I guess the brands are regional. I like the beef at WF. The ground beef is ground in the store and makes great burgers. The meats at TJ aren’t a great price and the quality isn’t any better than Vons. We eat a lot of chicken and I’m very picky. I go to Gelson’s mainly for the chicken.
I think that WF is expensive for some items but other items are reasonable. I like the 365 brand Rancheria beans and I think they are $1.39 a can. A lot of the local produce is comparable to the farmers market in price. Like @doschicos I check the sale prices before I go in.
I have two TJ stores equal distance from my house. i prefer the parking lot at one of them but have made the mistake of going on a Sunday afternoon when every university student seems to be shopping with lines to the back of the store. Our WF is a small store and the parking is pretty tight. I go to the gym next door and a lot of time just walk over if I’m getting a few things.
A item I like at both TJ and WF is pizza dough. I prefer the taste of the WF dough but both are good.
Totally OT, roasting your own bean is the best way to a decent cup of coffee. I get green coffee beans and roast on my own. It beats every best coffee in town. Easily.
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