On many occasions, a trip to the grocery store might be as humdrum as your average trip to the bank, dentist or gas station.
Not the case with Trader Joe's, the privately held grocery chain that offers deep discounts and a litany of cult-favorite items. Customers pore over the chain's colorful flower selections (how do they stay so fresh for so long?), inventive ice cream flavors, and extensive collection of quality wines.
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Of course, the biggest draw for TJs (as it's affectionately referred to by proud patrons) is the cost factor. Trader Joe's, which is owned by peer discount grocery chain Aldi, sources spillover and overflow from other retail chains, repackages the items, and offers them at cost-effective prices.
You'll be hard pressed to find anything with a recognizable name brand; most of the stuff is simply labeled "Trader Joe's."
Since the store sells directly from suppliers and doesn't charge them a thing, the cost isn't passed on to the consumer.
People love Trader Joe's for its budget-friendly offerings, but they also love it for its seasonal stuff. Every fall, pumpkin-flavored items start to creep onto shelves until the entire store is clothed in a sort of orangey hue. For a lot of shoppers, it's the best time of the year.
Trader Joe's rings in the fall season
This year is no different. Trader Joe's is bringing back a total of 146 seasonal items (but who's counting?). Some of those items include the familiar favorites: Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque, Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix, and the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese.
According to Tara Miller and Matt Sloan, co-hosts of the "Inside Trader Joe’s" podcast, there are just under two dozen can't-miss items this year.
Some of their top selections include:
- Mini Maple Flavored Marshmallows
- Organic Maple Vinaigrette Dressing
- Organic Vermont Maple Syrup, Bourbon Barrel Aged
- Fall Harvest Salsa
- Organic Clove Powder
- Double Fold Bourbon Vanilla Extract with Vanilla Bean Seeds
- Halloween Gummies
- Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bar
- Maple Flavored Fudge
- Cinnamon Sugar Toffee Trio
Many of these items are brand new, including the Maple Flavored Fudge, Double Fold Bourbon Vanilla Extract with Vanilla Bean Seeds, Mini Maple Flavored Marshmallows, Mini Pumpkin Ginger Scones, Honeycrisp Apple Granola, and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Ravioli (all on Miller and Sloan's top favorites list).
Some are familiar favorites, including the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese and Mini Succulent Skulls, which please customers every year. Notably, the Halloween Gummies are making a long-anticipated comeback after three years.
"As summer comes to a close, the values continue, with flavors and scents you’ve been anticipating for months. Of course, we’re talking the likes of apple, maple, butternut, and a whole lotta PUMPKIN," Trader Joe's wrote on its fall flier entitled "We Fall For It Every Year."
Most of these items slowly roll onto shelves throughout the fall season, so customers don't buy them out or get pumpkin fatigue by mid-September.
Before you know it, though, Trader Joe's holiday offerings will start rolling out, so be sure to try them out before they're gone for another year.
