Trader Joe's, the hip, wholesome food store with 15 locations in the Chicago area, said Friday it will phase out foods imported from China amid concerns that standards on "organic" products from the country aren't as stringent as they should be.
Alison Mochizuki, spokeswoman for the Monrovia, Calif.-based grocer, e-mailed a statement saying the grocer will phase out single-ingredient products from mainland China by Jan. 1.
"We feel confident that all of our products from China meet the same high quality standards that we set for all of our products," the statement read. "However, our customers have voiced their concerns about products from this region and we have listened.
"We will continue to source products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products."
Trader Joe's is owned by German billionaires Karl and Theo Albrecht, who also own the Aldi food chain.
The change apparently does not affect products containing multiple ingredients, of which some may be from China. Mochizuki declined to comment further.
Whole Foods has no plans to stop selling single-ingredient products from China, which make up "a very small percentage" of the grocer's private label products, spokeswoman Kate Klotz said in a prepared statement. The company has processes in place to ensure quality, she said.
Trader Joe's move follows criticism of what's perceived as gaps in the system for verifying organic imports.
China has been faced with a number of exporting scandals recently. In addition to lead-laden kiddie jewelry and toys, Chinese manufacturers have been blamed for selling pet food tainted with the industrial chemical melamine and for exporting contaminated toothpaste. China also famously exports counterfeit consumer goods, from fake designer handbags to phony computer software.Chicago Sun-Times
FAQs
Trader Joe's is owned by German billionaires Karl and Theo Albrecht, who also own the Aldi food chain. The change apparently does not affect products containing multiple ingredients, of which some may be from China.
Why does Trader Joe's discontinued popular products? ›
The No. 1 reason items are discontinued, the company explained in a 2022 episode of the Inside Trader Joe's podcast, is low sales volume.
What is Trader Joe's called in China? ›
Instead of being sold under the “Trader Joe's” label, ethnic foods have different culturally stereotypical names replacing Joe: Trader Ming for Chinese, Trader Joe San for Japanese, and Trader Jóse for Mexican.
Is Trader Joe's doing well financially? ›
Trader Joe's's revenue is $13.3 billion.
Trader Joe's has 50,000 employees, and the revenue per employee ratio is $266,000. Trader Joe's peak revenue was $13.3B in 2022.
Who owns Who owns Trader Joe's? ›
Who owns Trader Joe's today? ›
They've both owned by the same people. According to Reader's Digest, Trader Joe's founder Joe Coulombe sold his business to Theo Albrecht in 1979, officially making the Albrecht family the proud owners of both prosperous markets.
Who is Trader Joe's biggest competitor? ›
Trader Joe's's alternatives and competitors. See how Trader Joe's compares to similar products. Trader Joe's's top competitors include Tres Lecheria, Thrive Market, and Whole Foods Market.
What has Trader Joes discontinued recently? ›
Queso cheese dip. Trader Joe's decided to discontinue its queso cheese dip in 2021. It was a low-calorie cheese dip option that also happened to be vegan. The dip was offered in a 12-ounce jar, and you could use it on your tortilla chips, tacos, or other salty or savory food selections.
Why are shelves empty at Trader Joe's? ›
Trader Joe's employees cited warehouse labor issues, supply chain coordination, and trucking issues from slowed deliveries and lack of drivers.
What does Trader Joe's call their employees? ›
Crew. As a member of the Crew, you do a little of everything—and handle a lot. So does everyone along with you. From running the register, to stocking shelves, to creating a beautiful display; all while making sure that every customer has a fun, friendly and informative shopping experience.
1. Mates and merchants. Instead of calling their workers employees, Trader Joe's has nautical titles for positions. crew members are entry-level workers. Merchants are crew members who've received recognition for stellar customer service.
What kind of people shop at Trader Joe's? ›
The grocer has relatively high customer turnover, though it adds more new customers than it loses. Trader Joe's average customer is a married person in an urban area who is 25 to 44 years old, earning $80,000.
What is the average age of Trader Joes employees? ›
What is the average age of employees at Trader Joe's? The most common age range of Trader Joe's employees is 20-30 years.
Are Trader Joe's employees happy? ›
One employee in Chicago named Austin said work feels like “hanging out with friends for eight hours,” while another feels as though his boss encourages him and his colleagues to “keep being weird.” In fact, people are so happy at their Trader Joe's jobs, 20 percent of employees have worked there for 10 years or more.
Who is Trader Joe's target customer? ›
Trader Joe's targets singles, couples, and small families
As for demographics, data from Simmons National Consumer Surveys reveals that more than 22% of Trader Joe's shoppers have a graduate school degree (vs. less than 10% of all U.S. adults), while a further 28% are college graduates (vs.
Is Trader Joe's owned by another company? ›
In 1979 Aldi Nord acquired all Trader Joe's in the United States, but continued to let them “operate independently.” On the other hand, Aldi Süd is the parent company of Trader Joe's in Europe and Aldi locations in the United States.
When did Trader Joe's get bought? ›
In 1979, Coulombe sold Trader Joe's to the family of Theo Albrecht, then the owner of the Aldi grocery chain in Europe. (Aldi in the United States is separately owned by the family of Theo Albrecht's brother Karl.)
Who is behind Trader Joes list? ›
Natasha Fischer, who's 33 years old and lives in LA, started the account over 10 years ago. She spends hours each week shopping, sourcing, cooking, and photographing products from TJ's, and posting them to her wildly popular Instagram.
Does Whole Foods get its food from China? ›
Whole Foods is the undisputed leader in organic foods. and promotes locally grown. but the I team has found that much of. Whole Foods organics are imported from China.
