Trader Joe's is known for its affordable prices, unique products and friendly staff, but it's also known for being a hectic place to shop. The fan-favorite grocery brand offers a variety of specialty foods and many private-label items , making it a beloved place to shop, which means it can get very busy. This is especially true during peak hours, around the time of seasonal product drops or around the holidays. Complicating matters, Trader Joe's stores are typically smaller than traditional supermarkets, which can lead to crowded aisles and long checkout lines.
If you love shopping at Trader Joe's you have probably wondered about the best (and worst) times to shop at your favorite store, or maybe you have some thoughts on the matter yourself. Reddit user @DoubleU-Tea-Eff just asked that question and people had many thoughts.
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What is the “best” and “worst” times of day to go to Trader Joe’s?
by u/DoubleU-Tea-Eff in traderjoes
What Are the Best and Worst Time to Shop at Trader Joe's?
"By “best” time, I mean, the time of day with the least amount of shoppers or the least chaotic time of day and vice versa for “worst” (most people/chaos)," they said in the Reddit post. "I’m fortunate to have (2) TJ’s in my city and I’ve noticed that lunch times (11am-1pm) tend to be way more hectic than dinner times (4pm-6pm) at both stores."
"Never! It’s always slammed in the only store in New Orleans, so it’s always out of popular items," someone commented on the post.
"First thing in the AM. At my local I was told Wednesday is the least busy day. So 8am on a Wednesday, you're golden," another person said.
"Worst is on a weekend afternoon. It’s jam-packed, the aisles are impossible to navigate and the lines are crazy. Any weekday morning is the best," someone else added.
"Morning during the weekday! Usually any time before 11 my tjs is pretty empty," someone else chimed in. "Weekends or after 3 during the week? Forget about it!"
These responses are specific to a certain location, but they do help form a general guideline of the best and worst times to shop at Trader Joe's.
According to the comments, weekday mornings are typically less busy times to shop, making it easier to navigate and check out quickly. After dinner, the crowds tend to die down, giving more space for a quick shopping trip.
Weekends, especially Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., are peak hours when many stores are extra packed. Late afternoon and early evening, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., are when people stop by to pick up groceries after school and work, so that can be busy and chaotic, too.
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