Trader Joe's has as rabid a fan base as just about any retailer out there.
People literally line up to buy seasonal and limited-time products, subscribe to the company's podcast (“Inside Trader Joe's,” if you're interested), and share recipes and other Trader Joe's tidbits on several Reddit channels.
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Trader Joe's is also beloved for its unique and budget-friendly snacks and sauces, its locally sourced staples like milk and eggs, and its many private-label products.
Trader Joe's often introduces new products and has its own obvious way of doing market research: If products sell out, they often find a permanent place on the shelves. Or they at least become part of a seasonal rotation.
You'll also find a sampling table in the store pretty much every day of the week. This is how Trader Joe's entices people to try new things.
Trader Joe's knows that if you taste that tortelli smothered in pesto, or the lentil bruschetta and pita chips, there's a good chance you'll buy it, even if it wasn't on your shopping list.
But sometimes even when an item has been taste-tested and is popular, it disappears.
Trader Joe's inventory can change without warning
Trader Joe's stores are much smaller than typical grocery stores. A Safeway store is usually around 46,000-47,000 square feet and might stock as many as 60,000 SKUs; a Kroger will carry around 30,000 SKUs.
Trader Joe's carries around 4,000 SKUs, which means the store has to be choosier about what it keeps on hand.
You'll always find essentials such as eggs, milk, bread, and cereal, and a fairly wide selection of produce, but the specialty items aren't always available for the long haul.
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In order to balance the availability of staples with seasonal and limited-time products its customers love, Trader Joe's must rotate items out of the store.
In recent weeks, customers noticed the Trader Joe's Celebration Cake Gelato is no longer available, and neither are the TJ BBQ Rub and Glazed Sour Cream Donuts (though these two are likely seasonal items).
What's the best place to learn about the status of favorite TJ's products? Reddit.
Trader Joe's just dropped a popular entree
The main Trader Joe's subreddit has more than 460K members. Search for “discontinued,” and you'll find a treasure trove of conversations from Trader Joe's shoppers who are worried that a beloved item has been discontinued.
The community will often weigh in and let community members know the product is due back during a certain time of year, or that they have been told the store is looking for a new source.
But sometimes the news is actually bad: The item is gone.
That is the case with the company's apparently delicious carnitas.
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“Went to TJs in Vegas yesterday and they said that the Carnitas in the fridge is discontinued? I hope it's not true!!! I got the pulled pork (in the same area) instead and it's good but it's not the same.”
People on Reddit are losing their minds.
“Nooooooo!!! What a bummer. Really hope it comes back,” wrote one community member.
“…I went Sunday in LA and searched high and low. Finally grabbed a crew member who regrettably informed me they were discontinued :(,” wrote another.
Turns out the vendor went out of business.
The community seemed to be comforted by the fact that Trader Joe's is looking for a new vendor for its private-label meat dish.
If you're a fan of the Trader Joe's carnitas, keep an eye out, since the product might be back at some point soon.
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