this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2024
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Grocery chain Trader Joe’s is joining Elon Musk’s SpaceX in arguing that the US labor board, which is prosecuting cases against both companies, is unconstitutional.

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[–] [email protected] 100 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (6 children)

I know I'm in the minority likely, but Trader Joes is shit it isn't because it can't survive unionization. Just because your chips are organic doesn't make buying it from overly outgoing cashiers any healthier. Prepackaged junk food is prepackaged junk food and they sell a ton of it. Frozen dinners are still sodium bombs even though they don't have "preservatives". That said, fuck these two anti-union shitstains of companies.

[–] [email protected] 77 points 9 months ago (2 children)

They can survive it. Every company can survive it. They just don't want to give up their dictatorship.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 9 months ago

I shop at union grocery stores. The boutique chains see this as a something to exploit instead of a feature. Many union chains are local too, most boutique ones are national.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

"WHO RUNS BARTERTOWN?!"

[–] [email protected] 19 points 9 months ago (7 children)

I don't understand the trader Joe's love. It's a grocery store with a poor selection of fruits, vegetables, and fresh meats. They have a decent wine and beer selection. It's basically half frozen stuff, it's maybe higher quality than other places, but it's just frozen shit.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I was so disappointed the first time I went to Trader Joe's. It had been so hyped up and people made it sound like a mini Jungle Jim's. Then it opened and it was just a more expensive Aldi.

Edited to remove a mistyped word.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

For those that don't live near Cincinnati, Jungle Jim's is an international grocery store that's amazing for foodies. It's massive, and it has everything from international meats and cheeses to alcohol to fruits to sweets to hot sauces. It's really a unique experience when it comes to grocery shopping.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

It was better back in the early 2000s, in my opinion for two main reasons. First, the prices and quality were better. Second, and biggest of all, they carried a wide variety of products that had a limited presence in many American supermarkets, namely vegan/vegetarian meals, organic crap, and eclectic snacks. Most major grocers have caught up with demand and now they don't stand out all that much.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

The hype is definitely not worth it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's usually just cheaper groceries but with a smaller selection

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It wasn't cheaper in my experience, kroger and meijer managed to be the same or cheaper on all the things I commonly bought.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

I haven't been to a TJs in a while, but I remember I would go there for maybe one or two specific things that I couldn't get anywhere else. They were delicious.

But you know what? I don't even remember what they were anymore, that's how important TJs is over any other grocery store.

Fuck them for being anti union. Guess they'll continue not getting my money.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Cheap vegan and vegetarian junk food that actually tastes good

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I mean they make good cookie butter

But that's about it imo

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Come on, the quality of food at Trader Joe's is FAR better than the brands you find at a Safeway.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago

Most of the food at Trader Joe's is just white label with fancy packaging. It's the same food you find at a Safeway.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (2 children)

There are a few specific items that Trader Joe's is notable for... but ditto for Safeway, Hannaford's, Food Lion, Star, Superstore, and SaveOn - I think two decades ago Trader Joe's was a trailblazer in high quality offerings but they've slowly compromised for profits and competitors have realized that high quality offerings are valued by consumers - not just price.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That's exactly my experience. We loved Trader Joe's in the early 2000s. Now there isn't much there we can't find elsewhere, and the quality isn't as good as what it once was. What IS exclusive to them is often artificially scarce to drive up price and demand. Looking at you, ube mochi pancake mix.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

I have to admit to experiencing the same. I have fond memories from my undergrad years when I lived a few blocks from one and basically based my diet around them. Maybe they’re not the same anymore.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Interesting. Maybe I’m holding on to nostalgia.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

It's absolutely not, and it's almost certainly grown, picked, packed, and shipped by the same slave labor.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

The no preservatives label needs better regulation. Every food that has it is loaded with either salt or sugar. The reason that they are loaded with salt and/or sugar is because salt and sugar are two of the oldest and most used preservatives. And that's my soapbox, thanks for listening.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

The other one that pisses me off is no added nitrates (except for all the nitrates in the additives we added). Just be honest, companies. It's really not hard to not be total shitbags.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The anti-unionization stuff makes me sad. They're really the only ones around here who carry vegetarian/vegan options. If I go to the chain store next door the prices are quite a bit more expensive, and all they have is a small corner of the refrigerated section of vegetarian options of questionable expiration.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

They have a lot of prepackaged junk but they do have good prices on bananas, blueberries and nuts. They also have a decent super high fiber, low sugar bran cereal.

I forgot to mention the little Persian cucumbers. They don’t always have them in stock at the co-op.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

But going forward, I’ll get my fruit from more ethical stores

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Dont tell anyone but you can just pull them off trees and its free, nature wont even stop you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I get as much as I can from the farmer’s market but where I live there will never be a banana season

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

I'm also of the opinion that produce is seasonal and should be treated that way. Some times of the year we shouldn't have bananas, blueberries, etc. They don't care where we get the good priced fruits from. Could be Peru or Vietnam, they don't care as long as they are on the shelves for consumers to buy. That ain't how we survive a climate crisis.