I went to TJ's for the first time today because a post on the "Starbucks instant coffee" thread made me curious. (Thanks David) Pretty nice store but nothing like the video that was posted. It was laid back and there were no shopping cart wheel lock-ups. (Heh, that was the first thing I looked for.)

There is nothing "on sale" at this place. The products look like someone actually CARED that they were properly stacked and displayed. I don't know why but I was dumbfounded by the breads. Sooo many, Can't. Make. Up. Mind. I don't even eat that much bread. In most stores I do the man thing; get what I came for and get out. In this place I wanted to sample pretty much every thing on the shelves and in the coolers.

Ok, here is a place where you pay a somewhat higher price for unique and better quality food. Yet there is nothing in the coffee section that comes anywhere near Starbucks rip-off prices. Anyway, I got some French Dark Roast coffee for starters since coffee was what I came for. Oh, and I couldn't resist a Vienna Lemon Tart.

Now I'm sitting here with a major coffee buzz chomping this crack-like addicting lemon tart. T'was a good day. I'll be going back for the Cranberry Walnut Tart next.

ETA for Cranbury, a town in Jersey I lived near instead of cranberry, a food thing.

At my local Trader Joes the people look actually happy to be working there... not sure what they do but it does seem sincere.

maybe being nice to people makes nice places nice?

Funny you should mention happy people. The employees laugh and smile with the customers. It was surprisingly laid back.

Trader Joe's is simply awesome

Their triple ginger gingersnaps are most excellent.

Glad to have converted another Joe! :-D

you have willpower Gray you do. I'd guess I'd buy waaaaaaay more than intended if I ever set foot in there.

As for happy happy salespeeps, yes good, but overkill is bad.

Happy friendly places up here are Home Depot, Second Cup, Carlton cards to name a few.

Obnoxioius overkill places are The Disney Store and Bath and Body.

Great Googly Moogly! You know the Disney Store is feeding you bullshit happy when the store is overrun with kids grabbing shit off shelves and squealing high decibels and yet salesstaff are all singing 'It's a Small World' with plastic smiles.

Bath and Body? You travel all of six feet in that time you have been accosted by 4 jovial bluetoothed salesreps all repeating the same sale items mantra and promos. No I don't want a friggin tote for my stuff I want you to move your jaunty arse and let me look at the shelves !

The fake happy peeps ruin my shopping nirvana.

I still haven't been to a Trader Joe's. Or Wegman's. I've been IN a Wegman's, but Dan and I just wandered through one waiting until the movie we were going to see started. My idea of mixing it up as far as grocery shopping goes means going to the "new" Safeway a few miles from here.