The Happiest Grocery Store on Earth Feels Human

Something unusual happens in a Trader Joe’s parking lot, and most people don’t stop to think about it.

Every time I enter a Trader Joe’s parking lot, an employee is already retrieving the one or two carriages left outside, smiling — a real smile — and asking if I’d like one. I say yes and wonder the same thing each time — are they constantly being brought back so no one goes without one? And my curiosity around Trader Joe’s customer service doesn’t end there.

It might seem like a small thing — someone handing you a cart — but it’s not. Zendesk Benchmark data shows that three in four consumers say a bad interaction with a business can ruin their day. This leads to my next line of questions — what happens when the experience is good? Does it make their day instead? And if so, how?

Trader Joe’s answers these questions with its customer service experience strategy, though it doesn’t really feel like a strategy — it feels a little more human than that.

Stepping into Trader Joe’s, both literally and figuratively

The first section in Trader Joe’s is made up of plants and flowers. Perhaps this is because the store is smaller than other grocery stores, but I like to think it is intentional. After all, it’s nearly impossible not to feel happy when rows of plants and flowers are presented before you — especially in the winter.

It’s like a red carpet experience, but at your local grocery store. And the award goes to … you, of course. It’s almost inevitable that a plant or bouquet of flowers ends up in your cart — you know, the one the store associate personally handed to you before you stepped foot into the store.

According to the Trader Joe’s podcast — in their Plants & Flowers episode on YouTube — something unique happens at Trader Joe’s: individual consumption of flowers and plants, something that isn’t typical for Americans.

Maggie Meccia-Vogt, the National Floral Category Manager at Trader Joe’s, said, “I think I usually count at least one out of five grocery carts have flowers and plants in it.” She suggests that the lower price makes it possible for people to treat themselves. Her interviewer, Tara Miller, said, “It doesn’t feel like a luxury … it feels like, you know what, I’m worth that.”

So go ahead — give yourself a reward, an award if you will, when you shop at Trader Joe’s. Put that bouquet of flowers in your cart for you — I know I plan to. And the best part is you get to walk around the entire store looking at that award while you shop, which is a good thing because you might be there a while.

A revolving door of products

Trader Joe’s is constantly changing its products — offering new things, bringing back old ones, and leaning into seasonal shifts. I hear it numerous times in the comments on my YouTube channel — “Oh no, this was discontinued,” followed by, “But wait, here’s a new product they came out with.” The experience in the store feels just as surprising because you never fully know what will be on the shelves week after week. Fun items are constantly being added — and this is what Trader Joe’s “About Us” section refers to as part of the adventure.

But it’s not just that — it’s the people who work there that make the experience better. None of them seem inconvenienced by you being there. This comes from personal experience, conversations with friends who shop there, and feedback from my YouTube audience. They engage in what feels like real conversations and, in response, customers seem to do the same — with a smile, of course.

It’s hard not to smile when you have that beautiful plant or bouquet of flowers sitting in your cart to admire. But now I have more questions: what’s the real reward here — the flowers or plant you stuck in your cart, or the conversations you have with the people in the store?

Or is it at checkout — when you pay by credit or debit and the cash register plays a happy, light tune for you — another reward for you? 

For me, it’s ultimately the people that keep me coming back. More than the plants, more than the products, more than the happy tune; there’s a personal level to the experience. I’ve engaged in long conversations with the people who work there, made connections that feel, for lack of a better word, human.

And when I go to return my carriage to the parking area, nine out of ten times there’s an associate walking up with a smile, saying they’ll take it back for me.

If you’re interested in more thoughts like this — the ideas, questions, and curiosities around how we eat — you can join me in my weekly column, Life Edit on Substack.