Trader Joe’s

Our favorite store in the area. Trader Joe’s doesn’t care everything we need/​want but the quality is great and staff always helpful and friendly. Also the wine selection and cost per bottle are excellent.

i’m often seen dancing with the staff here.
there is NO OTHER STORE where when i walk in the staff greets me with great enthusiasm… you guys are way better than my family LOL
I LOVE SHOPPING HERE!
just avoid most saturdays… it’s safe after 6
never here on sundays, so i cannot tell you…
ok i’m going to level with you…
you can’t find everything on your list here, but if you learn what this store carries and WHEN you are way better than good to go.
i just want to let you Whole Paycheck Shoppers KNOW that all the employees here have to have a college degree, so please don’t treat them like they are your slaves.
Best:
wine selection and prices… organic choices too!!!
ground grass fed beef
grass fed butter
goat milk yogurt
fresh nuts… really good quality
coffee
tea selection
organic arugula
salad dressing
organic soups
sauces
natural/​safe household products
i don’t eat sugar but they have alot of very nice candies… the dark chocolate peanut butter cups are to die for… i’ve HEARD… from a friend… OH WAIT! i love their organic dark chocolate. mmmmmmm
and of course…
when it’s pumpkin time
expect the un expected.
just don’t sell pumpkin burial plots
much love
crazy lady with the cool dresses

A fine store. Prices are fair but not necessarily cheap. Prepackaged ground pork here is $ 4.99/lb; fresh ground pork at Whole Foods is often on sale for $ 3.99/lb. Many types of produce, such as eggplant, are sold not by weight but by quantity even though they vary tremendously in size.
Major thumbs down to the design of the parking lot. It’s so poorly laid out that drivers often unintentionally cut each other off. I’ve seen some bad tempers here.

Trader Joe’s continue to excel! I love buying my groceries there. I never shop from Harris Teeter or Food Lion even though those stores are closer to my neighbourhood.
The staff is very friendly and always have something to say about the new items at the checkout counter (I mean, they choose to be nice even though they have to carry all those heavy boxes and there are kids and shoppers scooting around everywhere, getting in the way). Staff seems as passionate and excited about the TJ groceries as the shoppers!
There’s free coffee and new items to taste. The riced cauliflower for example — what a novel item to sell! I used to like their veg soup stock sachets but they stopped selling those — now they only have the chicken stock sachets. The snacks are so good tasting, I believe I’ve added 10 lbs credit to TJ snacks! :(
Their prices are low too. I don’t know how they manage all this. I prefer TJs to Aldis…
A very innovative, fun store. Wish they have more branches opening in and around RTP.

Pros: Super friendly staff. Great value on the majority of products.
Cons: Said products are terribly stocked. If you come here on a Monday or Tuesday especially, you will find many empty shelves and a «We’re getting it in tomorrow» excuse. THIS IS NOT A GOOD SYSTEM TO TOLERATE HABITUALLY. Now, I could understand the difficulty of working with so many suppliers (such as at a regular grocery), but Trader Joe’s is their OWN supplier and cannot manage to keep their store well stocked, which leads me to believe this is a managerial problem. I could also understand if it were a question of getting fresh produce because that is hard to control, but I’m talking about dry goods that stay sellable for MONTHS. Cereal, mac and cheese, candy… these should be easy to keep year round! When those shelves are empty the majority of the time that I shop, it might be a sign that the demand outweighs your supply and that you should have a larger intake each week (perhaps at the sake of other items, such as your massive pile of woody-​tasting bananas up front).
The Bottom Line: Trader Joe’s is a specialty grocery store, meaning it’s not a one-​stop shop because it’s simply too small to provide for all your household needs. If I’m going there, it means I’m coming for specific products that I can’t get elsewhere, but if they’re never in stock I won’t bother anymore. You clearly have employees walking around with clipboards taking stock, so why not crunch the numbers to establish patterns and plan accordingly? HAVE RESPECT FOR THE TIME OF YOUR PATRONS WHO WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO SHOP AT YOUR STORE BY MAKING SURE THEY GET WHAT THEY CAME FOR.

I love Trader Joes! Always fun to do food shopping here. I will say there’s some things I prefer to purchase at the regular market, like a lot of the produce, but for the most part trader joes can have everything you need. There’s lots of fruit and vegetables available, though they sometimes don’t look super fresh, like the bananas. The prices are on point and it is not overly expensive to shop here which I like. There is a big selection of vegetables already chopped up in bags that I like to buy. The broccoli and cauliflower are always fresh and tasty. I like the bags of butternut squash as well. The baby zucchini bags are a must also!
Now on to the snacks. Trader joes has such a great selection of snacks, and I like to think most are on the healthier side too. They have a lot of breakfast bar options, chips, popcorn, nuts, and dried fruit. The hummus dips are delicious as well — especially the Mediterranean hummus. I love the Greek yogurt guacamole dip as well. This item is a must if you’re in the mood for guacamole! There’s lots of cheeses to choose from also. The frozen foods are great here. Trader joes has the best selection of frozen food items, from vegetables to fish, rice, quinoa, Indian food, pizzas, and Chinese dishes. My favorites in the frozen food are the shiitake mushroom chicken, orange chicken, Japanese fried rice, and quinoa.
They always give out samples here too so try some of their speciality juices and a snack while you shop! Also check out the wine selection — so cheap! One downside to this location is that it is always so crowded. Sometimes there’s really not enough room to even more your cart. Go during a weekday if you can as I imagine it may be less crowded then.

Stocking up on wine at TJ’s since 2010! Trader Joe’s is inexpensive and has everything from great produce to a handful of household goods and a great cheese and meats selection. Trader Joe’s for me is not a grocery store I visit weekly, but I place that I stock up on a few items monthly. They definitely don’t have everything I need, but they DO have some fun and interesting items. You can always find a small mix of spices, nuts and dried fruits, good selection of coffee, beer, cheap flowers, dairy products and frozen foods: I love their mochi ice cream!
The majority of the products sold at TJ’s are their own products and there’s usually an employee walking the store with a huge sign that says «how can I help you?!» You’ll typically find not only food samples, but also wine tastings and they make the store kid friendly by putting out tiny kid shopping carts and a snack box. The biggest downside of Trader Joe’s is the size and business of the store. It’s popular, so even if you show up at 10am on a weekday, you’ll be in for the crowds (weekends are almost unmanageable). The added fact that Durham does not have it’s own store adds to the business – Chapel Hill get the CH and Durham crowd currently! That fact coupled with the fact that they don’t stock all your essential kitchen needs, makes TJ’s a place I go to only stock up on specialty products, but not my weekly grocery list.

It’s a smaller Trader Joe’s due to its location, and that makes shopping here on the weekends a nightmare. Since it’s the only Trader Joe’s for miles, and since the majority of Chapel Hill-​ians fit the mold of people who enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s, this place is a madhouse on the weekends.
Starting with parking, the lot is small, so you’ll either wait forever just to find a spot, or have to make the trek from Boston Market or Starbucks. No big deal on a sunny day. On a rainy day, good luck.
Forget about using a cart if you want to navigate at faster than 1 foot per minute. Or if you don’t want to feel like you’re in they way about 95% of the time.
Once you are ready to check out, be prepared to wait at least 20 minutes in line, even though all the check out lines are manned. Since the place is so busy, it inevitably affects the mood of the employees. So don’t be surprised if they are short with you — as mentioned above, weekends are crazy here.
I mean, if you really insist on shopping at Trader Joe’s, I guess you have no choice. As for me, I’ll pass on coming here on a weekend in the future. Not worth it. It’s too small, too crowded, and it kind of affects everyone’s mood.

I love Trader Joes! I feel like this might be a little bigger than the others in the triangle but it could just be the lay out.

The produce and flowers and wine are cheap, the frozen meals are tasty and perfect for those lazy days (aka every day in my apartment), and who doesn’t love cookie butter (crazy people, that’s who). But let’s talk about what keeps me coming back: the outrageously attractive sales associates that work here. If any of you are reading this, feel free to hit me up because I am single and ready to mingle.
I mean, they’re also incredibly friendly, though I did once see a cashier wearing a tattoo choker necklace with a yin yang charm and felt super old. Those trends are from my childhood. I regrettably wore a tattoo choker or two in my time as well as several pieces of cheap jewelry festooned with yin yang charms, all purchased from mall kiosks. I wore yin yang earrings in my seventh grade school portrait, and for some reason I can remember my brother’s friend Luke asking me if they were stussy. I don’t think they were. In some ways, I’m glad the ‘90s are back. You can look for me this fall in flannel shirts, denim cut offs, ripped up back tights, and doc martens. I saw janeane garafalo wear it in a stand up special on Comedy Central, and it’s a very good look for me. A+ aesthetic. I got a lot of likes when I posted a bathroom selfie in that very look. Fortunately flannels are very forgiving and figure flattering because trader joe’s keeps putting cookie butter in everything and I keep buying it. Cookie butter ice cream? Cookie butter cheesecake? Cookie butter cream cheese, are you trying to kill me??? Well, death by cookie butter is a good way to go.
And I bet you didn’t think I was going to get this review back on topic, huh?

Best Trader Joe’s I’ve been to since leaving California. It’s well organized, clean, and the employees were extremely nice. The aisles are a bit more cramped than I’m used to but they’re a smaller store. Plus if cramped aisles equal more space for yummy products? It’s all good with me. Trader Joe’s just has the most delicious food without breaking the bank (if you can stick with your grocery list and not get tempted to throw a bunch of extras in the cart since EVERYTHING looks delish!) I will definitely return.

Trader Joe’s is absolutely my favorite grocery chain and this is my favorite location in the area. This place is a foodie paradise and a cheaper alternative to whole foods. Basically all the trendy foodstuffs and ingredients can be found here, including lots of snacks and such that you always wish your grocery store had but didn’t. In case you have never been to a Trader Joe’s, about 90% of the products in the store are made by Trader Joe’s. I like to buy my produce here (their organics are very reasonably priced and they have kale sprouts!) cooking ingredients (can’t beat their prices on spices, oils, pasta, tomato sauces etc… and their canned coconut milk and cream are both great!), and frozen foods (don’t judge, I know frozen foods are bad in general but the ones here are just so awesome how can I resist?). The cheeses here are another highpoint. They have a huge selection of cheeses, pretty much anything you could possibly want and they are a steal, much cheaper than other places for the quality. Can’t forget to mention their awesome snacks from kale chips to wasabi peas, and a variety of tortilla chips, and salsas on top of that, there is absolutely something for everyone. Their nuts and trail mixes are the best, I swear I got several coworkers addicted to their coconut cashews and going to Trader Joe’s just to get them, they are the best! Actually I don’t know anyone that started going to Trader Joe’s and didn’t get hooked on one of their products. One of the reasons I love this place is you can find healthier alternatives to some of your favorite products that are filled with bad ingredients. Case in point their steak sauce taste better than A-​1, and it doesn’t have HFCS and all that other artificial stuff in it. On top of everything else the staff is the best! Everyone is always super friendly, funny, and will go way out of their way to help you. I mean where else do employees come up to you as your walking towards the checkout and ask if your ready to checkout? Well here they do all the time and you hardly ever have to wait in line anyway even though the store is almost always insanely busy. So if your ever in the Durham/​Chapel Hill Area you should definitely stop by here.

I shop TJ’s for the rock bottom prices on high quality products and excellent customer service. My gripes are that the store and parking lot are always crowded. Their lack of organic selections often results in me having to go to WF to supplement my grocery order. If the selection of organics improved, I would totally give them 4 stars.

I love coming to TJ’s, except on the weekends when it’s really crowded! Stopping by during the week is the best option if you don’t want to play dodge em carts with the rest of the shoppers.
The prices are excellent and the selection is too. Did you know that TJ is the brother of the guy that owns Aldi’s? It’s true! The atmosphere is as laid back here too, but in a much more playful way from the employees attire to well, just about everything!
The frozen foods and snacks are favorite areas for the varied choices. I especially love coming here during the Christmas holiday season for some delicious gifts and snacks to have on hand.
Now come on and build one in Durham! We’ve been patiently waiting long enough!

My first time to Trader Joes and I had a great experience. It was packed with people and I must have been walking around starry eyed and bewildered by the tremendous variety of exotic items because I had at least 3 employees offer help to me. When looking for «silken tofu», I had an employee help me find the closest thing and he assured me that if it wasn’t right, I could just tell the cashier on my next visit and they would give me my money back. When a cashier rang the bell twice, I saw a staff member jump up from stocking shelves and run to the front to assist. I have never seen people so happy to work in a grocery store. Wow!!! This place is great. I will be back.

Great location! On the ¹⁵⁄₅₀₁ side entrance of Eastgate. Nice to have an alternative to the nearby Whole Foods and Food Lion. Anyone that shops here knows that it’s like a store where there’s a party going on. Picked up a nice bouquet of flowers for under $ 10. In and out in under 5 minutes.

Cool:
1. Great prices!
2. Helpful, friendly staff.
3. Plenty of parking.
Bah:
1. No location available in Durham!
2. Small store = limited choices i.e. small meat selection.
3. On rainy days, the shopping baskets are nicely dry because they’re located under the awning, but the shopping carts (which are typically used more often by shoppers) are not protected from the rain.

Love this store everywhere and chapel hill is no different. On the smaller size but staff is friendly and they have everything you’d need — except I can’t find gum! Good prices. Easy parking and in a good location. Flowers are low sometimes. Clean and easy breezy.

Trader Joe’s: where flannel-​wearing neohipsters, sweatsuited college students, and health-​conscious mothers can come together in peace for a great shopping experience. The supply is always good, serving up everything from store brand oyster crackers (GREAT airplane snack, by the way) to a seriously massive-​looking wine selection. The employees are helpful, friendly, and hardworking, and somehow know how to navigate the store even at its busiest.
There’s something to remember, though. This branch is SMALL. It has a good selection, again, but the aisles are relatively thin. If you show up with the post-​work crowd, you’ll have some trouble navigating with that big cart. Use a basket, bring a friend with extra arms, whatever works for you, but be aware that this place gets BUSY. (In fact, that – and the small selection of sourdough bread – is why I’m knocking a star off of the rating. It’s like swimming upstream in a river of college students.)

I can’t say enough good things about Trader Joe’s. They have a good selection of healthier foods and lower prices than Whole Foods.
I got married recently and bought all of the wedding wine from Trader Joe’s. We saved SO much money doing it that way! By the way, if you need help with wine, ask for Terry. He’s awesome!
All employees are always super friendly and helpful.