The Major Difference You Never Noticed About Trader Joe's Frozen Aisles
This is not a story about how delicious the frozen food at Trader Joe's is. We aren't here to tell you that the chicken tikka masala is better than anything your neighborhood Indian joint could churn out. You already know that. And we haven't written this to remind you that the market's cauliflower gnocchi really is, as the mass public is saying, life-changing. Your Instagram feed is already filled with pictures of it.
We've brought you to this little corner of the internet to explain something new: There's a reason you're drawn to the TJ's frozen aisles - and it's got little to do with the actual food.
Trader Joe's uses coffin cases, which are way less morbid than they sound; they're just open-top cases, with no door. You reach in, find what you want, and grab it. NPR talked to Phil Lempert from supermarketguru.com about how usual freezer set-ups can discourage you from shopping: "That glass door, it really creates a fence," said. And it's totally true. At Trader Joe's you don't have to peek through condensation to get a look at the products. You don't have to pause and pay attention as much. Plus, there's the other obvious turn-off of freezer aisles with doors. "You are physically cold," Phil puts bluntly, referring to that woosh of arctic air that hits you when you go in for the Hot Pockets.
Apparently, the coffin cases are working for Trader Joe's. The market's public relations director told NPR, "Sales of our frozen products are doing great." Uh, yah, we know. You're welcome.
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