5 Things to Know About Shopping Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe's
photo by Donna Vissman

In one short week, Trader Joe’s will open its first Williamson County location at 545 Cool Springs Boulevard. A ribbon-cutting will be held at 7:55am on Friday, August 27th.

If you are new to shopping at Trader Joe’s here are five things to know.

1It’s Smaller Than a Typical Grocery Store

Don’t expect a larger grocery store experience. For example, Kroger stores average about 165,000 square feet, the new Franklin store is just 10,000 square feet.

2They Offer Samples 

If you are shopping in the store and would like to try an item,  just ask an employee if you can sample an item. From personal experience, this works (but don’t expect them to crack open a bottle of wine.)

3Buy it Before it’s Gone 

With a smaller store footprint, the stock is constantly changing which means if you fall in love with an item, stock up because it may not be there the next time.

4Check out the Seasonal Items 

The seasonal items will hit the shelves in mid-late September. When you start seeing peppermint hot chocolate, apple cider, candy joe-joe’s and more, don’t hesitate to buy early because they often sell out far before the holiday arrives.

5The Best Value for Entertaining 

Trader Joe’s is known for its value-priced wines. See our list of favorite wines here. They also carry an array of appetizers like spinach dip, mac and cheese bites, scallion pancakes, along with an assortment of cheeses to create a charcuterie board of your dreams.