This Hack Will Help You Get Your Hands on Trader Joe’s Most In-Demand Items

For years, my biggest gripe about Trader Joe’s has been product availability. Far too often, I wind up heartbroken when a product I’ve discovered and come to love—and purchase on every visit—suddenly can’t be found in any of my local stores. Although TJ’s does a pretty good job at keeping popular items around, there are many that wind up doing a disappearing act. 

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But recently, I learned there’s a way to get your hands on in-demand groceries from Trader Joe’s without struggling. If you can’t find one of your go-tos on store shelves, you just might be able to use this workaround to buy it anyways.

Here’s How To Get Your Favorite Trader Joe’s Goods

The next time a seasonal favorite goes out of stock or you notice your go-to pantry staples have disappeared from store shelves, there’s a solution that doesn’t require stopping by your local Trader Joe’s every few days. All you need to do is place an order—specifically, a bulk order.

Yep, that’s right: you can place a bulk order and get enough boxes or packages of a specific Trader Joe’s item to hold you over for quite a while. 

Most Trader Joe’s shoppers don’t know this is an option, but it is. The items you’re interested in ordering do need to be available (read: not discontinued), but if they are, you should be able to order an entire case of most products.

Now, ordering a case of perishable foods like fresh veggies, cheese, or meat may not be the best move. After all, these items spoil quickly. But this bulk-ordering move is a smart way to stock up on canned goods, boxed items (a pantry full of mac and cheese sounds perfect, if I’m being honest), granolas, or even frozen items (like those irresistibly fluffy Dutch Griddle Cakes that I firmly believe are the best freezer pick).

How To Bulk Order Groceries At Trader Joe’s

To place a bulk order for your Trader Joe’s go-tos, all you have to do is ask. 

While you’re in-store, visit the customer service desk and ask about placing a bulk order. As long as an item isn’t discontinued, restricted in some way, or against that particular store’s policies to order in bulk (more on that below), then a staff member will help you place the order.

Just don’t make the grave shopping mistake of failing to ask about the pickup policy when you’re bulk ordering anything from Trader Joe’s. The store might give you a call when your items arrive or they may give you a delivery date and expect you to return. To ensure other shoppers don’t get the chance to snap up your special order, you’ll want to stay on top of that anticipated delivery date. 

Be Warned: You May Not Be Able To Bulk Order Everything

While bulk ordering is a handy workaround to get your pantry or freezer stocked with your Trader Joe’s must-haves when they’re flying off store shelves, it’s important to note that this trick isn’t going to work for every item. (So if you were thinking you could leverage it to get your hands on one of those viral little tote bags, sorry—you’ll still have to get up early for those!)

Every Trader Joe’s store will have its own policies, too. While some locations will welcome bulk ordering at large and across item categories, others may not. You may only be able to place bulk orders for select items—some stores may not even offer this as an option. And, in general, you can expect what’s available (or even possible) to order will vary quite a bit.

But it’s still worth checking with the staff at your local TJ’s. This simple move could help you stock up on hard-to-find items or staple foods you love that often sell out at your store. And, since you never know when your go-tos might be discontinued, it’s a great way to ensure you have plenty on hand.