From its wildly unique product selection to friendly cashiers, there are a myriad of things that shoppers adore about Trader Joe’s. However, even though its popularity has continued to skyrocket in 2024, fans are growing increasingly frustrated with Trader Joe’s “hellish” shopping experience.
Earlier this week, a customer took to Reddit to complain about the stress and congestion they typically deal with during Trader Joe’s runs.
“I love the products and variety and unique seasonal options, especially their floral section. But shopping there is most often a hellish experience,” the shopper wrote. “It’s a very small space with a large amount of people that are rude and pushy and seem to have no knowledge of personal space. And I don’t know if it’s just my town, but there are NO consistently quiet times to shop. It’s almost always a frenzy.”
This shopper is far from the only one who feels this way. The post has already racked up a whopping 1,700 comments from other customers, many of whom were just as critical of the Trader Joe’s shopping experience. Crowded stores, cramped aisles, long checkout lines, hectic parking lots, and a lack of consideration from other visitors were among the most common complaints.
“I have to take a deep breath before going inside. It’s extremely overwhelming. I had a lady run over my toe with a cart cause an announcement was made for samples. Not even an apology,” one Redditor commented.
“The people who work there are usually pretty great. However, they always, always choose the worst locations with the least amount of parking. The stores are always too small and aisles are narrow,” another wrote.
To be clear, these issues don’t seem to impact all Trader Joe’s locations. Some commenters noted that certain stores are much more laid back and enjoyable to visit in comparison to other locations.
“My old TJ’s was horrible. My new one is great. Never that busy at all,” another said.
However, others have become so fed up with the Trader Joe’s shopping experience that they’ve either stopped going altogether or limited their shopping trips to certain times of day. Redditors recommend stopping by your local Trader Joe’s soon after opening or shortly before closing time for the best chance of avoiding big crowds. Alternatively, shoppers suggest asking an employee about the best times to stop by.
“Talk to the managers, ask them when the slow times are. They’ll give you the best times to come and shop. They want you there during the slow times too! Win/win,” a Redditor noted.
Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to our queries for comment on the complaints.
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Zoe Strozewski