Trader Joe’s grocery stores are known for carrying unique products that shoppers simply won’t find elsewhere. Shoppers can find items like Green Tea and Yuzu Spread, Lemon Ginger Cheesecake, Apricot Mango Greek Whole Milk Yogurt, Crunchy Jicama Slaw, and Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste.
But in addition to carrying intriguing products, the store has some policies and practices that range from uncommon to downright unheard of (outside of Trader Joe’s, of course).
In other words: Don’t treat a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s like going to any other grocery store.
Today, I’m going to go over some of the best tips to make the most out of your Trader Joe’s experience. These tricks can help you shop without buyer’s remorse, keep your children entertained, and more. Once you become a Trader Joe’s pro, you may shop there more than you expected.
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Table of Contents
Try These Trader Joe’s Hacks
Grocery shopping is called a lot of things—a chore, an errand, something you have to do—but you’ll rarely hear it called an enjoyable experience. It might be different for you, however, if you follow these Trader Joe’s tips.
1. Ask an Employee How Items Taste
Trader Joe’s stocks its shelves with interesting products that will probably pique your curiosity.
But let’s say you spot a bag of Strawberry Yogurt Flavored Covered Almonds (a favorite of my sister). You probably aren’t sure whether they’ll taste as delicious as they sound.
At Trader Joe’s, you can just ask a staff member.
Employees get to sample the shop’s latest products, making it easy for them to provide recommendations. Also, Trader Joe’s stores purposely ensure there are always plenty of workers around, so don’t feel shy using a few minutes of an employee’s time to ask questions.
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2. You Can Sample (Almost) Anything
An even better option than having a staff member describe a flavor to you is to experience the flavor for yourself.
At Trader Joe’s, that’s a viable option—employees will let you sample nearly anything, with a few logical exceptions. For instance, you can’t try frozen foods that would need to be microwaved or thawed and baking mixes can’t be sampled in their current state. Also, don’t plan on doing any “pregaming” there, either, as you can’t sample alcohol.
And pretty please, don’t overdo it and try to get a meal out of samples. Don’t be the person who ruins this excellent perk for everyone else.
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3. You Can Return Open Items
Perhaps you didn’t have time to try some new items during your shopping trip and decided to take the risk and buy snacks you’ve never tried before. After a rough work week, you kick off your Friday night by opening up a box of Pizza Seasoned Crackers and Pumpkin Spice Chardonnay (yes, these are real products).
Unfortunately, the crackers weren’t all they were, ahem, cracked up to be, and the Chardonnay doesn’t hit the same way a pumpkin spice latte would.
If you bought those items at just about any other supermarket, you’d have to eat the cost of that dining experience. But not at Trader Joe’s. The store has a remarkably lenient return policy—just bring back an item (even if the box is opened) and a receipt, and you’ll likely be allowed to return them. (Depending on your state, you might have to receive a like product in return for alcohol returns.)
Also, you can even get your refund at a different store than where you originally purchased the items
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4. Have Kids Search for the Hidden Animal
Taking children to a grocery store can be a nightmare for parents. Thankfully, most Trader Joe’s locations give kids a fun distraction so adults don’t have to constantly keep them amused.
Every shop has a stuffed animal hidden somewhere for children to find among the shelves and stacks. Different stores have different animals, so kids might be searching for a bear, eagle, or another creature.
Once the child finds the animal, they can point it out to an employee or tell them where they found it. If the child finds the stuffed animal, they earn a prize—candy, fruit, a sticker, or another small item.
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5. Sign Up for the Fearless Flyer
Trader Joe’s free Fearless Flyer is a periodic letter that’s filled with amusing product stories, mouth-watering recipes, podcasts (on the internet version) and contest information. The main goal is to keep customers informed about their products so they know what to snag on their next shopping trip, but as far as store guides go, the Flyer is one of the most entertaining.
You can subscribe to the Flyer here, and it will be sent to your inbox every time there’s a new edition. The company will still occasionally mail a physical copy, and physical copies can also be found in stores.
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6. Stock up on Items You Love (Before They’re Discontinued)
Trader Joe’s is known for discontinuing beloved products—my friends and family have complained about this to me more than once. The store often discontinues items because they’re seasonal, but sometimes they’ll do it because production costs increased or the product wasn’t selling well enough.
If you fall in love with a snack, toothpaste, frozen meal, or anything else, stock up on it—especially if it’s seasonal. Otherwise, you might purchase your last box without actually knowing it until it’s too late.
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7. Don’t Wait for Sales
When you shop at other stores, you might see an item you want but decide to buy it once it goes on sale.
But please don’t hold your breath for a sale at Trader Joe’s. They don’t do sales. They don’t print coupons. They don’t give online discounts. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
So if you come across an item you like, you simply have to decide whether it’s worth the price to keep buying it. (And if it’s a product you’ve never tried, remember what I said above: There’s a good chance you can try it in the store before buying it.)
There is one exception, and that’s manufacturer coupons. Most Trader Joe’s products are store brands. But it does carry other regional and national brands—and if you’re able to find manufacturer coupons for those products, you should still be allowed to use them.
The one exception is manufacturer coupons. While most Trader Joe’s products are store brands, some other brands are carried. If you’re able to find manufacturer coupons for those products, you can use them.
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8. Bring Your Own Grocery Bag
Bringing your own grocery bags to stores is an excellent way to be more sustainable. But the satisfaction of being kind to the planet isn’t the only perk to using your own bags.
Trader Joe’s shoppers who bring their own grocery bags and spend at least $25 can enter to win weekly prizes, such as a $25 gift card. You could buy a lot of tasty goodies with that gift card on your next shopping trip.
The cashiers usually don’t bring this up, so make sure you ask about it when you’re checking out!
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9. Ask About Contests
Trader Joe’s frequently holds contests.
For example, in 2023, they had the Burger Bun-anza Recipe Contest. Customers were challenged to create the best possible burger recipe using seven or fewer Trader Joe’s ingredients (a few ingredients, such as salt and pepper, didn’t count toward the ingredient tally). Contestants crafted their recipes, used them to make burgers, photographed those burgers, wrote captions, and posted the photos on Instagram. The winner received a $200 Trader Joe’s gift card, and two runner-ups earned one $100 gift card apiece.
Other Trader Joe’s contests from the past include a Pizza Party Recipe Contest in spring 2024, and a banana recipe contest in 2023.
Ask an employee at a local Trader Joe’s about any current or upcoming contests. You might be able to have some fun and win a prize.
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10. You Can Request a Location Near You
Do all these tips and tricks make you wish there were a Trader Joe’s location closer to your home? You can fill out a short form to request a Trader Joe’s in your city. While making the request doesn’t guarantee they’ll create one near you, they do factor these requests into their decisions.
Unsure whether there is a location close by? You can check locations here.
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