Or buy THIS for the gift exchange and hope she gets it:
**darned typos! Fixed them.
12 Likes
This!!! This is what I would do!
1 Like
You should ABSOLUTELY make another TJ’s gift bag full of goodies because anyone in their right mind would want it!
Seriously it’s such a great idea - you can do a theme or whatever strikes you.
I agree with some posts above that their non-food items - cleaners, beauty products, are also great if you didn’t want to give food.
4 Likes
Thank you everyone. You made me laugh at the ridiculousness of this woman. Sigh. You all are good for my soul.
I may make a bag of TJ’s things and just put a little sign in there - “These are from Trader Joe’s. They are Not from Dollar Tree.” If nothing else, me and the two colleagues who had to listen to the complainer would get a kick out of it…
10 Likes
My first thought was a combination of two other suggestions … do another TJ basket and enlist your friends into fighting for it!
6 Likes
I would love the trader joe’s gift bag!
2 Likes
I’m a single person household and buy a bunch of bananas every week and eat them. Sometimes I need more before the end of the week. I even buy the 3# bag at costco and eat whatever I can and peel and freeze the rest for smoothies.
I guess I’m part monkey.i love bananas
4 Likes
I’d be happy with a Trader’s Joe’s gift bag as well and if I wasn’t thrilled with EVERYTHING, I’d find someone who wanted whatever I didn’t and wouldn’t make a huge fuss or stink about it. The whole point of grab bags is just to have something random that someone thought might appeal—it’s not necessarily THE thing you wanted—you can go ahead and buy that for yourself or have a significant other or someone buy it for you off your wish list. Just so many entitled and grumbly people in some places!
4 Likes
I stole the TJ gift bag at the last exchange I went to. I had 3 gifts stolen from me so for sure I got to keep whatever I got or stole from someone that last time.
I think it had spices, a chocolate orange and a few dish towels. Did I need any of it? No but I then regifted it to my daughter’s boyfriend with some other BBQ spices and things. I ‘lost’ a pearl bracelet, 2 hand painted wine goblets, and something else that I liked. I think BF liked the regift better than he would have liked the pearl bracelet.
4 Likes
Several people on this forum liked the Acquired podcast on Costco. A few weeks ago, there was a similar podcast about the history of Trader Joe’s that I found interesting – Trader Joe’s: The Complete History and Strategy (3.5 hours). There is also a transcript at the same link above. The intro is quoted below:
Trader Joe’s breaks every rule of modern retail. They don’t do e-commerce. They don’t do delivery. No sales, coupons, or loyalty programs. They only stock 4,000 SKUs versus 50,000+ at normal supermarkets. Their parking lots are famously terrible and they’re constantly out of your favorite items. Shoppers brave long lines and cramped aisles while overly-friendly employees in Hawaiian shirts try to chat them up. Everything about the Trader Joe’s experience seems designed to drive modern consumers away. And yet they generate $2,000+ per square foot in sales — double their nearest competitor in Whole Foods and nearly 4x the industry average — and Americans are obsessed with them. How on earth did a company that so steadfastly refuses to participate in the 21st century build the most beloved grocery chain in America?
Today we tell the full story: how “Trader” Joe Coulombe started out cloning 7-Elevens in 1960s Los Angeles, pivoted to slinging hard liquor, discovered the enormous market opportunities for California wine and health food before anyone else, and ultimately built perhaps the most counter-positioned business we’ve ever studied on Acquired by doing almost everything differently than the supermarket-CPG industrial complex. Tune in for a wild voyage on the high seas of grocery retail!
7 Likes
Thank you! I read the Costco transcript–fascinating! Although Costco got a not-super-great report in The New Yorker a few weeks ago.
I’m looking forward to reading about TJ.
Just stepping in to add a new favorite food item….SIMIT! Yummy frozen Turkish bagel shaped sesame bread in the freezer case. Just thaw and toast for a few minutes. That and the Horseradish Pub cheese is delish. YUM!
1 Like
All the pub cheeses are CRACK in the best way. 
That is one item that Aldi carries that I believe is the same at TJ’s.
I see this thread has been around for a long time, but as someone who is gluten and dairy-free, I’d love to add that TJ’s has the BEST gluten and dairy-free English muffins, pancakes, and waffles. Other things I like tend to get discontinued, so I hope these are forever items.
2 Likes
I’m going to look for these. With one grandchild needing family gatherings to be dairy and egg free I’m always searching for breakfast items.
Dried egg whites in the English Muffins, and whole egg powder in the pancakes, but I think the waffles are safe.
Just ran into these for $10. We once were sent a half dozen as a gift and they were delicious but I’ve never felt like paying shipping to get more. I hope the ones they sent to TJ are as good.
6 Likes
How many in that package?? $10 is a steal if 4 or more. Would make the perfect hostess gift!
1 Like
There are four. From the give when I press down, I think they’re relatively ripe. There’s no sell by or use by date anywhere.
3 Likes
