We just came home from the Trader Joe's on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. It was my second visit, and I was so impressed both times I promised myself to write about it. Trader Joe's is everything Costco isn't, from the humorous titles of its in-house brands to its friendly customer service.
Why am I so impressed? Sure, it's got catchy names for its products. "Strawberry Walks Into a Bar" breakfast bars - come on, you gotta love that. But the biggest reason I'm impressed is by the way they handle their checkout lines.
First, they've got a person whose job it is is to show you where the end of the line is, and to direct you towards the line you should stand in, the "regular" line or the "12 items or less" line.
Second, they have the little coffee stand near the end of the line, so while I'm waiting, my husband - who complains anytime he has to stand in one place for more than a minute- can get himself a free mini-cup of coffee, thus giving him something to do and something to drink.
Third, they've got another person to direct you to the next open cashier. This reminds me of the girl who stands between two cars at a drag race, who drops the flag when the race starts.
Fourth, their cashiers have a flag system that tells the aforementioned person when a cashier is open. The registers even go to "-1", which for some reason, strikes me as funny.
It's usually during the moment I'm waiting to see which register it's going to be that I notice that the staff is wearing Hawaiian shirts. And that the customer service counter declares who's boss by using the words "Captain" and "First Mate" alongside the employees' names. I've used similar analogies many times in my business life with my coworkers, usually in the context of teams, but this is the first business I've seen where such metaphors are used with customers.
Trader Joe's exhibits a willingness to experiment with it signage as well. Have you ever seen the lame framed photo of the "Employee of the Month" at your local supermarket or pharmacy? Joe's uses illustration, actual painted portraits, of its employees in key spots around the store, to indicate who's in charge of what. Not only does this indicate that management believes in empowering its employees, but it's also visually creative.
There are a lot of shoppers at Trader Joe's, all trying to get around each other, vying for the next open space in front of the meat case or the frozen food. But unlike Costco, where people push carts the size of their cars, the TJ carts are small and manueverable. Traffic flows somehow, and the various knots of people that coagulate in spots quickly dissolve to reform elsewhere. I get claustrophobic at times, but I find I'm far less likely to feel hopeless and cranky by being in such close quarters with so many people than I ever felt in Costco, despite its enormous space.
Joe's represents a lot of things I value in addition to saving a few bucks: creativity, humor, a focus on employees, and art. I respect those who say Costco saved their budgetary lives because they could buy things in bulk like diapers and baby food, and someday I may be in their shoes. But until that day comes and given the choice, Joe's gets my business with a smile.
