For years, I’ve listened to my out-of-state friends rave about Trader Joe’s. My days of coveting their high-quality products and great prices are over because on Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 a.m. they will open their doors at three Colorado stores –one in Denver (750 N. Colorado Blvd.), one in Greenwood Village (5910 S. University Blvd, Suite E1), and a third location in Boulder (1906 28th St).
Check out Soybu’s
spring line!
Note: Popular women’s activewear brand Sobyu opened their flagship store next to the Greenwood Village location; be sure to enter our $100 contest!
To kick off the official openings, each Trader Joe’s Captain and their crew will gather for a ceremonial lei-cutting to welcome new customers – Trader Joe’s style. The celebrations will continue throughout the day with food demonstrations, giveaways and live music.
Since I’m a TJ Virgin, I educated myself about Trader Joe’s culture and must-buy items.
Private Products
You won’t find a lot of branded items. Instead, you’ll find unconventional and interesting products in the Trader Joe’s label as well as everyday basics. About 80 percent of what they sell is underneath the Trader Joe’s private label, and anything underneath their brand is free from artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, synthetic colors and GMO ingredients.
No, You Haven’t Landed in the Pacific
Store employees, dubbed “Crew Members,” consider themselves “traders on the culinary high seas.” Crew Members sport brightly-colored Hawaiian-themed shirts, adding to the friendly and light-hearted air of the store. When you hear bells ringing, that’s Trader Joe’s Morse code. One bell lets their Crew know when to open another register. Two bells mean there are additional questions that need to be answered at the checkout. Three bells call over a manager-type person. It is allegedly much easier than the ole message in a bottle trick.
Sale or Sail? Either way the answer is “no!”
Trader Joe’s doesn’t have sales. Their prices change only when costs change— there are no fancy promotions, discount cards, or couponing wars. So how does Trader Joe’s offer unique groceries at prices everyone can afford? By offering more than 3,000 items under the Trader Joe’s private label. They introduce approximately a dozen new items every week, heightening the store’s adventurous appeal.
Top Picks
So, now we know the nuts and bolts of Trader Joe’s but what should you buy? I asked my friends and they had some great suggestions. Rest assured, they have impeccable taste; after all, they chose me for their friend!
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Each store will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. A fourth location was recently announced at 390 East 7th Ave, Denver. Opening date to be determined.