America’s quirkiest grocery store is a strange little universe of its own. Part grocery store, part cult, Trader Joe’s always smells like a mix of eucalyptus and granola. The employees wear Hawaiian shirts like armor and somehow stay perky even when the line wraps around the frozen aisle.
But behind the bells and the $2.99 wine, there’s a lot customers don’t see — tiny hacks, unspoken rules, and tricks only the crew knows.
Here are eight Trader Joe’s secrets employees actually wish you knew before your next trip.
The Return Policy Is Non-Existent
The return policy at Trader Joe’s isn’t exactly a secret, but the fact that it’s basically nonexistent might surprise some newbies. You can bring a half-eaten item to the store and get a full refund — cash or card — without a receipt. You don’t even have to bring the item back — they’ll take your word for it. Just remember the product code so that an employee can look up the item.
“You can bring back anything you want to,” a TJ’s employee revealed on Reddit. “If you didn’t like it, if it spoiled a day early — it really doesn’t bother us. We just don’t care about your story unless it’s an issue with the product that could have affected multiple units.”
One thing a Trader Joe’s employee might raise an eyebrow at is when you try to return alcohol — for obvious reasons.
You Can Try Anything Before You Buy
Before the start of the pandemic in 2020, the grocer had a “Try Before You Buy” policy. It was pretty self-explanatory — you could basically try anything in the store, except, you know, the obvious things like raw meat and eggs. For everything else, you just asked a crew member to sample it, and they’d crack open the package for you.
This policy remains in effect, although it varies by location. You can always ask at your local Joe’s if the store is still allowing this.
Manufacturers’ Coupons Can Be Used on Non-Private-Label Products
Trader Joe’s doesn’t do coupons. It doesn’t do sales, loyalty cards, or any of the usual grocery store gimmicks. But there’s one thing the grocer accepts: manufacturer coupons. Those are the ones made by the brands themselves. You can use them on products like GT’s Kombucha, Health-Ade, Stumptown coffee, Clif Bars, or Partake cookies, just not on Trader Joe’s label items.
You Can Have as Many Samples as You Want
As long as you’re not obviously making a meal out of it, sample-givers will be more than happy to give you as many samples as you want. To get the most out of them, your best bet is to go near closing time. “If you’re there at the end of the night and we’re just trying to clean everything out, you can probably stand there for 10 minutes and eat,” a crew member told Thrillist.
Crew Members Are Encouraged to Give Away Items to Customers
If you are a regular at Joe’s, you might have been pleasantly surprised with free flowers on a particularly bad day. That’s because Trader Joe’s employees are trained and encouraged to give away little gifts, like candies or flowers, to cheer up moody customers or reward enthusiastic shoppers. That said, if you manipulate this, the crew members will know, and you will end up empty-handed.
“Had a couple come in saying Tiktok said Trader Joe’s gives away free birthday bouquets,” one Trader Joe’s employee said on Reddit. “I’m all for giving things away, but you can’t just walk in off the street and expect free stuff.”
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Check Out the Fearless Flyer
Trader Joe’s doesn’t have sales because everything you see there is already at its lowest price point. What it does have is the Fearless Flyer — the newsletter-slash-comic-book-slash-catalog that comes out only eight times a year — where you’ll see what’s new, what’s seasonal, and what’s disappearing soon.
Trader Joe’s Employees Are Treated Well
Trader Joe’s employees aren’t faking politeness. Many genuinely like where they work — and it’s because they’re treated well. “Benefits are great! It’s a 20% discount on groceries, health, vision, and dental (and a free gym membership),” one crew member said on Reddit. “The company is just really cool. Easy to advance within the company if you’re a go-getter.”
Kids Can Find a Hidden Mascot for Free Treats
Many Trader Joe’s stores hide stuffed animals somewhere in the aisles. Kids who find it can tell a crew member at checkout and get a free treat — usually a lollipop or sticker. Each store picks its own mascot, so the hunt changes from place to place.
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More Trader Joe’s content:
- Trader Joe’s Popular Cheeses, Ranked — I went to my local Trader Joe’s and bought 15 popular cheeses. Here’s what I would buy again.
- 10 Popular Trader Joe’s Wraps and Sandwiches, Ranked — Read on to find out which sandwiches at the grocery chain are worth your money?
- Best Things to Buy from Trader Joe’s if You Live Alone — Grocery shopping when you live alone can be quite a hassle. Here are the items that actually make sense.
