A Quick Brand Review: Trader Joe's

I recently took a short road trip across the border with some friends and family to (in part) check out Trader Joe's, the specialty grocery chain. I'd never been before, but I've heard good things and one of my friends in particular (you know who you are) has said more than once that she wants to marry Trader Joe...

So, here's my "marketer's perspective" on my first experience with this brand.


Pros:
- They're differentiated. Most supermarkets are 99% identical to one-another. This one at least tries to be something unique.

- The brand isn't heavy-handed, and it's positive rather than negative. It's subtle. Despite the "tropical trader" theme, the place isn't filled with silly plastic palm trees and stuffed monkeys. And the merchandising message seems to be "This is a good choice because..." rather than "If you don't shop here, you're less of a person and should be ashamed of yourself" (which is the message I get from a couple of certain enviro- and health-focused food chains).

- The whole place and its people have a friendly, approachable tone. It works for them. It's not overdone and it seems genuine. It's simply a happy place. No cheesy Muzak playing, no old fluorescent lights buzzing away, no faded signs and drab tile like the office at the beginning of Joe vs. The Volcano. There's always a risk that "friendly" can seem unprofessional, but this shop doesn't overstep the boundary.

- It's consistent. Signage, staff, the flyer, Web site... most (but not all -- see below) elements are nicely aligned.


Cons (or Areas For Improvement):

- The brand isn't entirely firm or clear. Are they environmental? Are they selling "special" products? Are they a value or discount chain? There are elements of all of these, but they aren't universal. Most of their products are pretty standard grocery store items... Some products are actually quite pricey... There's lots of unnecessary packaging....

- The theme isn't always extended to its full capability. For example, where are the special imports or limited availability items that "Joe" has found? Why is the store exterior so boring?

- Maybe I'm too much of marketing guy rather than a typical consumer, but... it feels a bit like they're trying to pull one over on me. For example, they only sell "exclusive products", which really just means "We only sell generic store brands". Similarly, the environmental initiatives seem half-hearted (like big paper bags that are touted as reusable, but fall apart so quickly that you can really only use them once).


Conclusions:

- They're obviously doing something right
- They could take the brand further
- They could spend a bit of time and effort filling in some gaps (like the examples above)
- There's room for more clarity in the brand message(s), and a bit firmer definition of where they stand
- Like any brand, they have a risk of outgrowing their image, but are in a unique position to potentially use this to their advantage... I picture images of "Joe" captaining a big old freighter full of goodies from the most mysterious reaches of the world...