Being vegan, I have to do most of my shopping at specialty-food grocery stores, and the three in my area are Trader Joe's, Henry's/Sprouts/etc., and Whole Foods. When it comes to choices, Whole Foods definitely takes the cake, but the closest one to me is a 20-minute drive and the prices there are noticeably higher than Trader Joe's. Henry's, on the other hand, is about on par when it comes to selection with Trader Joe's, but Henry's marks up their food anywhere from $.50 to $2.00 above Trader Joe's for the same or similar items. Based on this comparison alone, the obvious choice is Trader Joe's, but there's more.
Besides they're great prices, the staff at Trader Joe's is friendly, helpful, and plentiful, quite different from most experiences I've had at any Henry's location. Typically there's usually at least one team member per aisle at any given time who you can't walk past without asking if you need any help finding something, and if you've ever said yes, you'll know what I mean when I say they do it with precision.
Trying to eat healthy? Done. Trader Joe's offers plenty of health foods and alternatives in astounding variety, and it would seem for every one conventional item there is at least one offered as organic.
The only quarrels I have w/ Trader Joe's is because of their selection in the vegan department. Soy cheeses are hard to come by, and though they offer them, they contain the milk derivative casein; while this is okay for those involuntarily lactose intolerant, it closes the door for the rest of us. Other than that, there are a few more novelty things I'd like to see but are unnecessary, though I would love for them to have an open deli/food area similar to whole foods.
All in all, Trader's Joe's is an awesome place and ever since my friend introduced me to it, it's been the only place I do my routine shopping at and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Pros: better-than-average selection, lower prices
Cons: could use a few more items
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