Life lessons learned while shopping
One can learn a lot by shopping at Trader Joe’s, and I’m not talking about the difference between tofu and tempeh or which seasonal items are in stock. I’m referring to life skills and reminders of humanity that shine brightly at this gem of an establishment. Though I live in Haywood County, I’m in Asheville a couple of times each week and on at least one of those occasions, I visit Trader Joe’s.
During my last trip, I’d been perseverating on or worrying about something during the 30-minute drive. We moms tend to do that often, but I noticed after my trip to Trader Joe’s, I felt lighter and happier — my woes from an hour earlier significantly diminished. This experience led me to think about why Trader Joe’s always serves as an antidote to my angst.
First of all, there are no self-checkouts. As a society, we’re isolating ourselves more and more, retreating into shells or attaching to devices, and moving away from a sense of community. At big box or chain grocery stores, the self-checkout kiosks are expanding instead of shrinking, but at Trader Joe’s, no such thing exists. The company prides itself on excellent customer service, so whether you’re in the mood or not, you will be chitchatting with your cashier.
Before so much technology and human-assisted contraptions, like self-checkout kiosks, we had no choice but to move through a line and interact with actual human beings to purchase our groceries. I remember back in the day I would have talk in length with the person next to me in line, and other times, I would browse a magazine from cover to cover before it was my turn to check out and then think to myself,“I didn’t even have to buy that and I read the entire thing.” Now, that was a fun silver lining to waiting in a long line. Whether it’s the sense of nostalgia or the fact that the cashiers are kind and energetic, I love the fact that Trader Joe’s fosters interaction among people instead of supporting the individualistic, self-sufficient nature of most grocery stores.
Secondly, Trader Joe’s helps us practice patience — a virtue that’s rapidly fading in modern culture. In addition to waiting in lines to buy your goods, all Trader Joe’s parking lots are small, and often full upon arrival, especially during peak hours such as lunchtime or around 5 p.m. One must sit and wait until the next parking spot becomes available. It’s not that I enjoy this per se, but it does make me plan accordingly and schedule ample time for my Trader Joe’s runs, and it helps me embrace patience, something I’ve struggled with since girlhood.
Additionally, Trader Joe’s requires you to be creative. I’ve heard people jokingly say that Trader Joe’s “has everything but nothing at the same time.” To that point, they have a unique array of items, much different from the brands one typically sees in an Ingles or Walmart, but once you get the hang of it, you realize they mostly have everything you can want, especially incredible staples items like grains, pasta, bread, dairy, snack items and produce.
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Trader Joe’s intentionally stays small. I read that most stores are between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet, compared to big stores, which are 50,000+ square feet. By staying small, they can maintain the neighborhood vibe and save money on operating costs which trickles down to lower prices on groceries. Not only do I like saving money, but my husband will tell you that I’m a small-batch grocery shopper. It’s an ongoing joke in our household. I do not like buying more groceries than that which can fit in one of the small carts or preferably a basket. While I recognize this requires me to visit the grocery store more often, I’d rather do that than spend hours at a time filling up a cart, which I find overwhelming. Trader Joe’s is inherently small batch shopping at its finest — more like a European market than an American grocery store.
I was introduced to Trader Joe’s decades ago when my sister lived in San Diego, and I’ve been a fan ever since. It’s truly one of my favorite places to shop. When I walk into a big box store, I can feel my spirit deflate, but when I enter the doors of Trader Joe’s, undoubtedly full of fresh flowers and smiling faces, my mood improves and my soul whispers “Thank you.”
(Susanna Shetley is a writer and editor who lives in Haywood County. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
