It's one of the only downsides to shopping at Trader Joe's, and that's the likelihood
something you want just isn't going to be there.
But, as it turns out, there is some method to this madness.
Here's the real reason Trader Joe's is always out of products.
In keeping with its sea-faring theme, Trader Joe's applies the "gangway factor" to its
products.
What does that mean?
Gangway, with its nautical stylings and which can also be defined as an interjection meaning
"out of the way!" actually makes perfect sense.
See, Trader Joe's stores are typically the opposite of ginormous, and that means that
they can't just keep adding new products on top of old products, particularly if a product
isn't doing well.
And that brings us to the gangway factor.
According to the company's FAQ, it's a common reason a product might be discontinued.
They explain:
"Because we introduce new products every week, we have to eliminate items that aren't selling
strongly enough to earn their spot on the shelf.
It's a matter of space.
And it keeps things interesting."
In other words, those duds simply have no choice but to "gangway!"
Yes, it's a bummer when one of your favorites doesn't make the cut, but think of all the
tasty new products that may have landed in their place.
In March 2019, a Redditor claiming to work for the largest Trader Joe's in America had
readers riveted with their inside knowledge of why it can seem like stores are always
out of products.
One of the biggest reasons, they explained, is because the company practices a "truck
to shelf" system.
Essentially, that simply means that products come right off the truck and go onto the shelf,
without sitting in storage.
Products are ordered only when they're needed, and that has some major benefits — occasional
inconvenience aside.
A Trader Joe's manager who spoke to Domino confirmed the truck to shelf system, and explained
that since there's no huge stockroom, what you see on the floor is what you get.
While it might be limiting, it means products, particularly produce, is fresh.
As frustrating as it can be from a consumer's standpoint, we can all get behind a company
that's committed to less waste, right?
If there's one thing you can count on at Trader Joe's, it's a good value for a good product.
Unfortunately, that means that if the price of a product goes up and the increase is outside
of their control, they might axe it rather than pass that price hike onto customers.
Trader Joe's explains in their FAQs that this is one of the factors that determines the
fate of a product:
"The cost of producing the item may increase (change in commodity prices, new manufacturing
requirements, etc.), and in turn, the price.
If it no longer makes sense as a value, then we may choose to discontinue it."
It's hard to be mad at a company that is so adamant about keeping prices low, and it's
actually kind of refreshing.
Keep that in mind next time you're cursing them for discontinuing your favorite fruit
leather.
There are certain products at Trader Joe's that we know won't last forever, like Candy
Cane Joe Joe's and pumpkin-flavored anything.
Those are seasonal products, of course, and you can't expect stores to keep holiday-flavored
foods into the summer… as much as you might like them to.
"It's that special time of year where we voluntarily imbibe pumpkin spice lattes, the coffee that
tastes like a candle.”
But it isn't just the holiday-centric items that are seasonal.
It's fresh produce, too.
Certain fruits and veggies just aren't available year-round at bargain prices, and like it
or not, it's one reason that a product is "discontinued," if even for a short time.
The company explains why a product might disappear, saying,
"It may be a seasonal product — for example, Brussels Sprouts Stalks, which are only available
specific times of the year."
And that works in their favor.
Look at it this way: If you know that each summer, Trader Joe's is going to release that
absolutely perfect Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, won't you keep coming back when the weather
warms up?
Of course you will.
This might come as a surprise, but there's not actually some unicorn-powered product-making
machine sitting in the back of each store, cranking out perfect replacements of products
when stock runs low.
"It's so FLUFFY!"
No, Trader Joe's gets its products from real-life suppliers who sometimes have real-life production
issues, and who can't simply wave a magic wand and make fruits and veggies grow on demand.
That's according to the all-knowing Trader Joe's employee on Reddit, who explained another
reason why stores might be out of a certain product at any given time:
"There's also the problems of QA — quality assurance — and production delay.
If something is QA'd it's because there's an issue with the product, like an allergen
contamination.
If our producers or growers can't grow enough… that could leave us with a shortage…"
And that happens a lot with things like fruits and vegetables: the Trader Joe's insider added
that they've seen it happen with lemons when the weather just wasn't right for producing
a bumper crop.
Trader Joe's might have all kinds of cool stuff on their shelves, but a weather-controlling
machine isn't one of them.
So, look at it this way: wouldn't you rather know you're buying quality products, even
if it means you have to wait a week?
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