Trader Joe's dock ship in Corvallis
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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Trader Joe’s, a nautical-themed grocery store chain made famous along the west coast for its cheap gourmet food and customer-friendly service policies, is opening up a new location in Corvallis on Feb. 19. Before the arrival of the Corvallis store, the nearest Trader Joe’s has been located in Eugene, where it is often packed wall-to-wall with grocery shoppers searching for unique food finds and exotic cuisine. The new store has been highly anticipated not only by those looking for hard-to-find specialty foods, but also by those looking for new employment opportunities.
Trader Joe’s, or “TJ’s” as called by loyal customers, prides itself on being a “neighborhood grocery store” chain, and to keep it in the “neighborhood” means hiring those who live in the community surrounding a store location. TJ’s is unique in that it offers health insurance to those who work 20 hours or more a week, as well as a company-paid retirement plan, paid time off, disability insurance, and employee review periods every three to six months in which workers can receive raises of up to one dollar. Many LBCC students, aware of the generous benefits the company gives its employees, have applied for a position as a “Crew Member.” Says Corvallis store Captain Jason Martin, who is currently in the process of interviewing applicants, “Working at Trader Joe’s also allows me to be active and we are heavily involved in the community, which allows me to mix up my schedule and keep busy, my day is different every day, every hour and I love that. I’m looking forward to serving our neighbors in our upcoming Corvallis location.”
The first Trader Joe’s opened up in Pasadena, California in 1967, where it began developing its trademark tropical atmosphere and reputation for being a store that was both consumer and employee friendly. It wasn’t until 1993 that Trader Joe’s began opening new store locations within California, and another two years later when it expanded its chain into the Pacific Northwest.
Those who are new to Trader Joe’s can expect to find both local products and exotic imported foods on the shelves, as well as Trader Joe’s brand foods, which all contain no trans fats, MSG or genetically modified ingredients and are labeled with simple symbols to guide those with special dietary concerns. There is a high turn-around rate for products that don’t sell well; TJ’s swaps out the bottom ten products with ten new employee-tested products every week, so there is always something new in the aisles. The store works to keep its prices affordable (on its web site Trader Joe’s claims to be sale-free because the store will “cut out the middleman whenever possible and pass [their] savings on to [the consumer] in the form of terrific everyday prices.”) and shoppers can take advantage of the chain’s hassle-free return policy if any product is not to their liking.
Every store is unique in it’s layout, décor, and staff, mainly because Trader Joe’s is so committed to hiring people from all walks of life, from artists to musicians to “everyday Joe’s”, to stock shelves, create signs, and work the floor. Judging by the store’s popularity, TJ’s has made every employee and shopper feel welcome. A recent craigslist ad submitted by the Trader Joe’s company looking for sign artists to work at the Corvallis store describes the Trader Joe’s attitude best: “We can’t wait to meet you.”
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