la.foodblogging

Dear Trader Joe’s,

For years, you have been the grocery store I loved. While I have had to shop elsewhere for certain items you don’t carry, I always came back to you. You always have fresh, organic produces - a little pricey but still cheaper than Whole Foods - and a quirkiness in all your stores that just made shopping fun. Please understand that I truly have enjoyed our times together, but there is now another who has crept into my grocery shopping life.

Tesco, a very well-known British retailer (also 3rd largest retailer in the world), has opened up a chain of grocery stores, Fresh & Easy, here on the west coast. So far there are only 6 stores in Southern California but more are coming. (The website link has a “Where We Are” tab that shows the current stores and where they will be opening.) The one I went to just opened a little over a week ago. It lacks your zany sense of style, but it is very clean with a friendly staff. I was happy to find this store has a combination of healthy, organic produces and the regular brand name stuff I get at mainstream markets (e.g., Amy’s frozen meals, Sun Chips, and non-food related items like Herbal Essences shampoo). Trader Joe’s, the fact that you don’t offer these items is the very reason why I had to shop at other stores in addition to yours. Fresh & Easy wins here by offering me some convenience. Also, the prices here are more reasonable. I mean, a pint of Ben & Jerry ice cream for $2.98 here is cheaper than in other grocery stores who only offer that price during a sale.

Even your strength of fresh foods is challenged by Fresh & Easy. First of all, I noticed that practically everything I picked up with the Fresh & Easy label has no preservatives or artificial flavors. It may sound silly, but I like purchasing items where I can pronounce everything listed in the ingredients. While there are Trader Joe’s labeled foods that contain no preservatives or artificial flavors, it seems like there are less and less of them each year. How fresh is it if you have to stick a whole lot of preservatives in them? Also, I love how Fresh & Easy package the produces. Instead of using non-biodegradable styrofoam like many chains, Fresh & Easy uses plastic, which can be reused or recycled. In addition, everything is labeled with a count (or weight) number and expiration date. (Please note the expiration date for most of the items I saw are within a week because there are no preservatives used.) It doesn’t matter if it’s produce like bell peppers, ready-made food like chicken breast strips, or even dessert like a fudge brownie or chocolate lava cake, everything is clearly labeled. Don’t even get me started on the bakery section. While I have enjoyed La Brea Bakery’s breads at your stores, I now prefer Fresh & Easy’s artisan breads, which are baked fresh just for them.

The only slight inconvenience about Fresh & Easy is the self-check out lane. To use a coupon, a staff member has to come over and log in and scan your coupon for you. Aside from that, I’m very happy with Fresh & Easy. They even have a very nice reusable plastic tote bag to bring back for future shopping experiences with them. When it tears, they will give us a new one. While I like the Trader Joe’s canvas shopping bag, when that tears, you won’t give me a brand new one. Trader Joe’s, you will always be the first grocery store I loved, but it’s time for me to start doing the bulk of my shopping at a new store. To show we can still be friends, I’ll stop by every once in a while to make a purchase at one of your stores.

Best wishes,

Pauline

By Pauline (see more of her posts).