If you're as obsessed with Trader Joe's as we are, you know it's a pretty secretive company. From the owners to the suppliers, the company doesn't reveal a lot about itself. But a few Trader Joe's employees recently came out and dished on 13 of the store's best kept secrets, including how to get a ton of free samples!
You Can Try Anything In The Store
And we mean ANYTHING! Just tell an employee that you want to try something and they will open up the package and give you a sample. Even wine, depending on the laws in that state.
Trader Joe’s Donates All Of Its Unsold Food
Products that don't look the prettiest, like a bent box or an apple with a brown spot, are donated to local organizations. Everything that isn't sold, including flowers and produce, is given away.
The Employees Communicate With Morse Code
Well, sort of. Those check-out bells don't just look cool, it's a special employee-only code since the stores do not have an intercom system. One ring calls for an employee to come help out at the register. Two rings means a customer has a question and three rings asks for a manager.
The Stores Are Always Overstaffed On Purpose
How does Trader Joe's have such amazing customer service? They always overstaff the stores to make sure there are enough people covering the registers and enough people on the floor to answer customer questions.
You Can Return Anything
Trader Joe's has a no questions asked return policy. You don't like it? You don't want it? Even if you already opened it, you can return it.
Every Store Has Custom-Made Art
Every store employs an artist, or two, or three, to create all those fabulous chalk illustrations. Their only job is to create art work around the store. Occasionally they man the register.
The Employees Get To Try Everything First
The employee breakroom is stocked with every new product. Someone is even assigned to cook the new food so employees will be able to recommend new items to customers.
Special Prizes
A lot of the Trader Joe's locations have a toy hidden somewhere in the store for kids to find. If you find a toy, bring it to the register and you'll get a prize!
The Hidden Lobster
Every single Trader Joe's location has a plastic lobster displayed somewhere in the store. No one knows why it's a lobster. Have you ever seen it?
Score All The Samples You Want
Forget Disney World. Trader Joe's demo station is the happiest place on Earth. According to two employees, if you hang around the demo station a little before closing, the employees try to clear everything out so you can basically eat all you want.
There Is A Small, Elite Team With The Best Job Ever
Trader Joe's employs a few Senior Buyers with the awesome task of traveling the world, looking for new products to carry. Where do we sign up?
How Is Everything So Cheap?
If you've even wandered down an aisle and wondered how everything was so cheap, you're not alone. Trader Joe's has deals with suppliers directly so they don't have to go through distributers to get the products on the shelves, making everything cheaper.
Don’t Expect Any Special Deals
All of their products are marked down to the cheapest possible price so you won't find any Trader Joe's coupons, sales or special deals. Even the famous Fearless Flyer doesn't contain any coupons, just information about new products.