Fails, Food
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When I lived in the United States, one of the highlights of every week was my Sunday morning trip to Trader Joe’s. Filling my cart with affordable, fresh produce, exciting new products from around the world and the best peanut butter the planet has ever seen was like a ritual for me. But as magical as this grocery store is, nobody is perfect, not even Trader Joe himself.
Below, you’ll find some hilarious photos of mishaps that shoppers have shared on the Trader Joe’s subreddit, from receiving bags full of sauce that were supposed to contain pasta to accidentally dumping half a jar of seasoning out at once, as well as an interview with Natasha Fischer of Trader Joe's List. Enjoy this virtual trip to one of the best grocery stores in the world (although, you wouldn't know it from this list!), and be sure to upvote the pics you can’t help but laugh at!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I Love Trader Joe’s But The Accuracy Here!!!
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Ashley Noelle Ashley Noelle Community Member Follow
Same as Costco.
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#2
The Sign Maker Deserves A Raise!
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Lee F. Lee F. Community Member Follow
I remember when it was '2 buck chuck!'
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#3
Long Day
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Nadine Bamberger Nadine Bamberger Community Member Follow
You did a live "I don't work here" reddit meet and greet lol
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You might be wondering if it’s normal to be so passionate about a grocery store, but a trip through Trader Joe’s is simply a unique experience. If you’re not familiar with the concept, Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain that began in Pasadena, California, in 1967 but has since spread all over the United States, with 569 stores currently open. The concept is different to most other grocery chains, as their stores are much smaller than a Wal-Mart or Whole Foods, and they specialize in selling almost exclusively their own brand of products. TJ’s tends to be much more reasonably priced than other stores with comparable products, but they also sell unique items you won’t find anywhere else. Along with your basic grocery essentials, Trader Joe’s also has a fascinating variety of items inspired by cuisines from all over the world. Some of their most famous products are Cookie Butter, Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, Mandarin Orange Chicken, Ube Purple Yam Ice Cream, Chicken Gyoza Potstickers and Soy Chorizo. But the store is also known for their ever-changing array of seasonal products, as there is always a pumpkin and maple takeover in the fall and a peppermint extravaganza around Christmas-time. ADVERTIsem*nT
#4
Does Anybody's Local Trader Joe's Actually Have A Decent Parking Lot? Or Are They All Cursed?
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Lee F. Lee F. Community Member Follow
I only lived in the US for 1.5 years 20 years ago but holy fuzz, those lots could hold like 20 cars?
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#5
Hipster Eggplant Found At The Trader Joes In Silverlake, Ca
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Toxic Toxic Community Member Follow
It kinda reminds me of Mr. Potato head
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#6
Sad Sad Day
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
Well you kinda had high expectations here huh
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Because of how unique Trader Joe’s is, the store has an extremely large and loyal customer base. Hence, the Trader Joe’s subreddit. This online group, which is simply for fans and not actually affiliated with the store, has amassed over 185k members, or Traders as they call them, since it was created in 2011. It’s the perfect place to recommend products, share recipes, ask others for their opinions on new or seasonal items, and, of course, share all of the hilarious grocery mishaps fans of the store experience. But this subreddit isn’t the only place online where avid Trader Joe’s shoppers can learn more about the store, so to gain more insight on the TJ’s experience, we reached out to Natasha Fischer, creator of Trader Joe’s List. On her site, as well as the accompanying Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, Natasha shares reviews of TJ’s products, ratings, recipes, BINGO boards and more. And lucky for us, she was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about what she loves most about Trader Joe’s. “I love the overall vibe when you walk in the store,” she shared. “The music, the merchandising, the friendly workers, it’s anything but stale and feels like a place where your friends work. I can contrast that with other grocery stores that feel like a stale warehouse. Trader Joe’s has a pulse.” ADVERTIsem*nT
#7
Trader Joe’s Ghee Will Outlive Us All
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
They are low key giving us earth's expiration date
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#8
Something I’m Sure We All Can Relate To
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Mariele Scherzinger Mariele Scherzinger Community Member Follow
I once bought black bean pasta at Aldi, and it was really good. Of course, it was only a one week product deal, and never returned to the store again. I could not find it in any other stores, either.
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#9
New Bodybuilding Eggplants?
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Rizzo Rizzo Community Member Follow
Day_of_the...687be0.gif
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Although she’s a fan of the store, we were curious if Natasha had ever experienced any funny mishaps through her Trader Joe’s shopping. “I recently bought a package of the Ube Joe Joe’s (Trader Joe's version of Oreos), and when I opened the box, it looked like 2 were missing,” she shared. “It wasn’t until I read the total servings ‘8’ and each serving is ‘1 cookie’ that I realized it wasn’t a mishap. I wasn’t completely wrong however, I soon found out that they reduced the serving from 8 to 10 cookies and had not yet updated the packaging to accommodate less cookies.” Natasha even caught the incident on camera, which you can watch right here!
#10
No Plans, No Guides, Just Vibes
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
I'm getting increasingly grateful we don't have Trader Joe's where I live
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#11
The "Arrested Development" Banana Reference Popped Up Two Days Ago On Imgur. Anyone Know Which Store Created It?
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Nadine Bamberger Nadine Bamberger Community Member Follow
There's always money in the banana stand.
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#12
Maybe.. I Don’t Buy Bacon From Tj’s Anymore
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Moos Moos Community Member Follow
salo <3
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“Sometimes the chip to bag ratio is in favor of the bag,” Natasha added. “I’ve never gone to Trader Joe’s about this, but I’m sure If I did, they would happily refund my purchases. I do believe this is a problem with most bags of chips everywhere, not necessarily a Trader Joe’s specific problem.”
#13
So, Trader Joe's Changed The Lid On The Garlic Powder
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
Worth it :)
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#14
Seasons: ‘It’s Not Time For Corn Yet.’ Trader Joe’s: What The F Did You Just Say To Me?’
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Aubry Aubry Community Member Follow
how the hell did they de-evolve a corn
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#15
I Can Only Assume They Were Down To Their Last Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
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Delta Dawn Delta Dawn Community Member Follow
rough day in the suburbs
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Trader Joe’s also happens to be known for having excellent customer service, so Natasha noted that, “You can always take it back to Trader Joe’s if you do not like a product and get your money back.” Just be sure to keep your receipt! Those Hawaiian shirt-wearing TJ’s employees are incredibly friendly, helpful and will even allow you to sample any item in the store if you just ask. (Yes, I have done this before!)
#16
My Salmon Expires On February 30th. Is 2021 A Leap-Leap Year?
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
TIME TRAVELLER SALMON
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#17
"Broccoli And Cauliflower Duet"
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Eric C. Eric C. Community Member Follow
It's a clear bag. If you didn't notice that there were no cauliflower florets, that's on you
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#18
TJ’s Printer Coloration And Sizing Need Adjusting
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Hawkmoon Hawkmoon Community Member Follow
Sorry, we don't have the "vomit palette".
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We also wanted Natasha’s thoughts on what some of the best products at Trader Joe’s are. “Just Mango: perfect to eat directly out of the bag as-is,” she told Bored Panda. “The quality varies somewhat, some month’s they are perfect, other months they can be dried out. Most always, perfect.” “Bomba Sauce: I put this on everything for added spice. Quality is perfect every time,” the TJ’s expert continued. “Slightly Dusted Dark Chocolate Almonds - I eat these throughout the day, everyday. I actually had to portion the bag into smaller bags, so I cap the amount of almonds I’m allowed each day or I would eat them all. I have never had a bad batch.”
#19
Bought Two Cans Of Organic Black Beans, Both Were Filled With Garbonzo Beans
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Rob Chapman Rob Chapman Community Member Follow
Just mash em up, mix them with some tahini and lemon juice, and voila.....hummus.
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#20
Well, Looks Like I’ll Be Boiling Some Pasta
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Ridiant Ridiant Community Member Follow
When you thought the version above couldn't get any worse...
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#21
Omg Y'all, Check Out My Two Different Bags Of Ravioli Bought On The Same Shopping Trip. I Opened The Sauce Heavy Bag First And Would Have Been Devastated If I Didn't Have A Second
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
They knew exactly what they were doing with this one
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Another one of Natasha’s favorite Trader Joe’s items is the Farm Raised Fish. “This is going to trigger a lot of people, but Trader Joe’s has high quality standards, and I have found some of the best tasting farm raised fish from Trader Joe’s,” she shared. “Just this week I picked up the salmon that is farm raised from Norway (Norway has some of the strictest aquaculture regulations), and it was unbelievable! Plus it cost only $5.99 a filet. The quality was delicious. I posted about it and it seems consistent that it’s a favorite for many, so I can conclude it’s always been up to quality.” ADVERTIsem*nT Natasha went on to note that, although Trader Joe’s has amazing plants, the flower/plant area is the place where she’s seen the most deviation in quality. “The flowers are generally amazing, but sometimes I get my flowers or plant home only to realize it was a bit ‘sick’. 80% of the time, there are no issues (compared to the food, which I’d say is 98% of the time).”
#22
So, I Decided To Try The Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe
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Margaret H Margaret H Community Member Follow
I can see what this is - a congealed mess of ersatz meat with a forkful of spaghetti - but what in Heaven's name is this supposed to be?
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#23
Me: I'm Going To Be Strong! I'm Not Going To Buy A Ton Of Seasonal Items Today! Tj's:
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Candid Panda Candid Panda Community Member Follow
The Honeycrisp apple candles are my favorite!
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#24
Was Excited To Try The Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese. The Worst Part? I Live 3 Hours Away From My Nearest Trader Joe’s
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green penguin (she/they) <333 green penguin (she/they) <333 Community Member Follow
WHAT THE HECK ALL THIS IS IS MAC THERE'S NOT EVEN CHEESE
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“I’ve been shopping at Trader Joe’s for over a decade and have built friendly relationships with many of the employees and affiliates over the years,” Natasha went on to share. “The only area where the quality may be deteriorating quicker than elsewhere is internally on the corporate side. It seems Trader Joe’s employees and affiliates are not as happy as they used to be. I can not provide a ton of details on why, that is outside of public knowledge (the deterioration of benefits, pay, etc for crew members) and hearsay from the folks I’ve chatted with about the internal culture. Unfortunately that’s not as easy to fix as a less than half full bag of chips, but I hope it improves, as that eventually that could change the vibe I’ve come to love and share for over a decade.” If you’d like to learn more about the best products at Trader Joe’s and which ones to avoid, be sure to check out Trader Joe’s List right here!
#25
Came On The Best Day To Make Sure I Stick To My Shopping List
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Needmorecowbell Needmorecowbell Community Member Follow
Reminds me of shopping during the start of the pandemic.
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#26
Love Me Some Tj Taki’s But Didn’t Think They’d Include Complementary Bath Bomb
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I_dont_now_what_to_say_here I_dont_now_what_to_say_here Community Member Follow
*me thinking if I have to take a bite* am thinking i will not do it I did it...
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See Also on Bored Panda
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#27
My Garlic Pesto Pizza Just Decided To Become A Soufflé In The Oven
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
And you're complaining????????
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I don’t know about you, pandas, but I’m definitely craving some Trader Joe’s Sweet Cinnamon Filled Korean Pancakes, avocado toast with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and Oat Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Sandwiches! Whether you have a Trader Joe’s near you or not, we hope you’ve enjoyed these hilarious grocery mishaps, and remember to keep upvoting your favorites. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring funny supermarket fails, look no further than right here!
#28
Almost Made A Huge Mistake With Our Late-Night Ice Cream
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Rob Chapman Rob Chapman Community Member Follow
The labels are different, the jars are a different size and design, and the color of the product itself is entirely different (red vs brown). The only thing that appears to be the same is the lid but those probably also have the name of the product in them). Unless you were half-asleep, I call baloney on this one.
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#29
My BBQ Chicken Salad Was Virtually All Cheese-Which Might Make It The Perfect Salad. The Bag On The Cutting Board Is The Just The Cheese I Removed From The Salad
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Hawkmoon Hawkmoon Community Member Follow
Comes with the "mac and cheese with no cheese" listed here.
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#30
My Hold The Cone Took The Assignment A Little Too Literally… As There Is Literally… No Cone
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
I don't even know what is going on here
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#31
PSA For Inattentive People, TJ’s Changed Their Red Pepper Flakes Container To A Flip Top
So uh, don’t unscrew the whole top and shake it like you used to unless you want to end up with half a jar of red pepper in your food
welluuasked Report
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green penguin (she/they) <333 green penguin (she/they) <333 Community Member Follow
just a little bit extra spice
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#32
Bought Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls And Got Vanilla
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Take me to dinner first Take me to dinner first Community Member Follow
Also, isn't it annoying when the package is black and green and the flavour is like, almond? I want my mint
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#33
TJ’s Apple Cider Vinegar Beverage Is Köe Kombucha On The Inside? I’m Curious As To The Story Here
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Andy Resh Andy Resh Community Member Follow
I have purchased this beverage many times. It is, in fact, not koe kombucha. And the label does not peel off like that.
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#34
There Was A Baby Mussel In My Smoked Mussels
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Margaret H Margaret H Community Member Follow
Aww...
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#35
Has Anyone Tried The Urine Based Egg Nog?
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Just Sayin Just Sayin Community Member Follow
Where do u read urine? When I first read the sign before the poster's comment, I read wine.
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Zedrapazia Zedrapazia Community Member
As a non American i don't understand this here. Never seen a Trader Joe in my life ... Is this post to show how bad and unreliable that store is? But why do people use it then?
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The Original Bruno The Original Bruno Community Member Follow
Trader Joes are common in America, but they're a German company, founded by the brother of the guy who founded Aldi.
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Nadine Lynch Nadine Lynch Community Member Follow
Trader Joe's was a quirky international themed grocery store founded in the 1960's in Southern California by a guy named Joe. It had fun products that were exotic to American tastes at that time. Around 1980 the small chain of stores was bought out by one of the Aldi guys and was still high quality as long as the stores were few in number and local to Southern California. The chain has expanded throughout the US, and while still a pretty good store, it is not as good as it used to be, in terms of selection and quality.
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Emily M Emily M Community Member Follow
OOF. Some serious quality control issues in this list.
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A Rhiness A Rhiness Community Member Follow
Well most of this is staged and fake :)
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Zedrapazia Zedrapazia Community Member
As a non American i don't understand this here. Never seen a Trader Joe in my life ... Is this post to show how bad and unreliable that store is? But why do people use it then?
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The Original Bruno The Original Bruno Community Member Follow
Trader Joes are common in America, but they're a German company, founded by the brother of the guy who founded Aldi.
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Nadine Lynch Nadine Lynch Community Member Follow
Trader Joe's was a quirky international themed grocery store founded in the 1960's in Southern California by a guy named Joe. It had fun products that were exotic to American tastes at that time. Around 1980 the small chain of stores was bought out by one of the Aldi guys and was still high quality as long as the stores were few in number and local to Southern California. The chain has expanded throughout the US, and while still a pretty good store, it is not as good as it used to be, in terms of selection and quality.
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Emily M Emily M Community Member Follow
OOF. Some serious quality control issues in this list.
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A Rhiness A Rhiness Community Member Follow
Well most of this is staged and fake :)
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