Sessum on Trader Joe’s
Jeneane Sessum is excited that the Trader Joe’s, an offbeat food store chain will soon open in Atlanta. I don’t blame her.
Sessum points to Christine Van Dusen’s article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Fantastic, terrific, excellent — such words are deemed insufficient to describe consumers’ feelings for the 39-year-old company, which has about 250 small markets in 19 states. There are fan Web sites. Mention Trader Joe’s in public and someone undoubtedly will coo, “I love that store.” E-mails about the company are punctuated with exclamation points. “I can’t wait!” they cry. “Just how soon will they be here??!!” they shout.
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Brand-name products make up only an estimated 20 percent of the inventory at Trader Joe’s. Private label, a.k.a. store-brand, products take up most of the shelf space. And whereas store-brand goods at traditional supermarkets often are assumed to be cheap, lower quality and no-name, the private-label products at Trader Joe’s are perceived as high quality and contribute to the company’s cultish popularity.
“You can’t necessarily find that specific product in any other store,” Bienefeld said. “When you have a strong brand like that, it makes Trader Joe’s a destination. People don’t just go there for specials or sales or if they’re in the area. They’ve gotten used to their products, like them and it’s the only place they can buy them. That creates loyalty in and of itself.”