Did You Know You Can Sample Anything You Want at Trader Joe’s?

The hospitality of Trader Joe’s goes crazy. Want to sample one beer before buying a whole pack? Just bust open the box and take the can up to the register. Don’t get me started about the lifelong friend you’ll make while you’re checking out. Those crew members will really get your life story in 30 seconds. And that’s not all…

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You can sample anything you want in the store!

I was browsing the Trader Joe’s subreddit, as one in food media does, and found this little thread from a few years ago. My world was blown wide open! I had no idea it was an actual Trader Joe’s policy that employees can open food right up for you to sample. Now there are some caveats, like all things in life, but this is a true game changer.

Caveats, you say?

The main limitation to this news is that you can’t try anything you want in store. You’re mainly limited to ready-to-eat foods. Think snacks, beverages, and the like. Sorry, no, you can’t talk the Trader Joe’s crew into heating up a frozen meal for you to dig into. You also can’t just rip out a roll of toilet paper and walk it to the bathroom for a little testing. Please be reasonable! 

Though Trader Joe’s had to put this policy on hiatus during the pandemic, they’ve started to bring it back in stores. Mainly, it seems to be up to employee discretion. Some team members in the Reddit thread mentioned they’ll take the chance to offer up the sample before a customer has to ask for it. Bless them for saving me the awkwardness of just asking for free food.

What happens to the rest of the sample?

Nothing goes to waste! It’s usually divided up to give to other customers in the store at the time. If that’s not on the table, it can also be left out in the break room for other TJ’s team members to dig into, too. That way they have a chance to try it in order to vouch for it in the future!

There’s still another option for you if you’re too shy to ask for a sample…

Trader Joe’s has an incredibly lenient return policy! If you ever get the courage to try something new and end up not liking it, you should be able to bring it back for a refund. Between the two policies, it’s nice to see a company that still cares about their customer’s happiness. Thanks, Trader Joe’s!