Trader Joe's

h5mind = whole foods plant. h5mind must be a Whole Foods plant, because in 15 years of shopping Trader Joe's in CA, and few more here in NC, I've NEVER encountered the problems he did. While I do think they are a bit over rated in the value category, they have a number of exceptional products that no other retailer can touch for the price. See for yourself!…

Great Concept, Poor Execution. Being an ex-Californian myself, I was initially a big fan of the new Cary Trader Joe's. Quirky brands, surfer ambience, low priced organics make for a hip business model. However, after numerous negative experiences with questionable food quality, our family no longer shops there. It began innocently enough with a few bags of putrid fruit, quickly returned. Next came problems with chicken and beef being spoiled right out of the package. Then the wheat bread that came packed with a load of fungus gnats, which turned our house into the Amityville horror. The final straw came in the form of T.J.'s Organic Cereal Bars. Our entire family of four became so sick after eating them that it knocked us out of comission for two days. Headache, nausea and throwing up are never fun in the best of circumstances, but what really burned us was the store management's indifference to our plight. We even wrote corporate in California. We were likewide brushed off, albeit in a hipper fashion. We have since discovered our experience is not unique. To reiterate, these problems only cropped up after shopping there for months, so there's no way to know whether these problems stem from poor quality control or contamination at the suppliers, most of whom are overseas. Proceed at your own risk.…

Trader Joes isn't for everyone.. Especially those of us who don't like to be around out-of-control children who don't know how to act because their parents are not watching them or teaching them how to behave in public. This store gets REALLY crowded and there is plenty of opportunity for rudeness and annoyance without adding spoiled brats to the equation. I have yet to visit this particular store, and I'm there at least once a week, without observing carts being tipped over or run into other customers, displays being knocked over, products dropped on the floor, and/or tantrums being thrown. This is a Cary problem though, not Trader Joe's fault.

With that off my chest: I was beside myself with happiness when I found out Trader Joe's was coming to the triangle. They had been a road trip destination of mine for two decades, at least. The food is great and the prices are amazing. I can't fill my bag with organic or specialty foods at Fresh Market or Wellspring without feeling guilty about the cost. I am always amazed at how little I've spent at TJ's. Take your time and go aisle to aisle. It gets extremely crowded so patience is necessary to get through the store and the checkout with your sanity intact at the best of times. Now that it's as close as a Harris Teeter or a Food Lion, I'm able to buy more perishables in addition to the pantry supplies that traveled and kept well.…