What is it about Trader Joe's and Whole Foods?

[mondo joe]

I'd shop more at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods if it weren't for the shoppers.

I wonder if this is liberal thing (since shoppers at both stores strike me as being pretty left of center), or maybe it's a Seattle thing. I guess I'm judging by apppearance but I think I'm pretty on target in this case.

But in both cases the shoppers drive me up the wall with their poor boundaries and absolute lack of sense of space. It's hard to articulate but there's this whole obliviousness to other shoppers. People stand in the middle of the aisle blocking traffic while they seem to take forever to think about what they're going to buy.

I find much less of this in other grocery stores, where people seem to be more about getting on with their business, and shoppers tend to be more mindful of personal space.

This might seem more like Lounge material, but I'm seriously wondering, is this a liberal thing? An over privileged thing? A Seattle thing???

[medeak]

1. Trader Jo's has small aisles

think it's more of a spacial thing than "liberal"

[ultraist]

7. I agree, it's more about the size of the store

Our big box grocery stores have very wide aisles, lots of space but our whole foods and specialty stores have very narrow aisles & less sq footage.

It could also be that when shopping in more of a specialty store, people are more contentious of what they are buying thus take longer to read labels. In mainstream stores, people buy more based on big brand names and product size.

[mondo joe]

13. I thought that might contribute - but our Whole Foods is plenty big, and

at TJ's I find even in the bigger areas, even without the carts, people seem utterly oblivious to the fact that people are nearby and may be blocked.

[AntiCoup2K4]

28. Good point with the label reading thing

A lot of people go to Trader Joe's looking for diet-specific foods (i.e. low sodium or gluten-free) and these things are not always advertised in big neon letters on the front of the package.

[MarsThe Cat]

73. but they also have small carts.

so it evens out.

[i have issues]

2. I t's jut a people thing...

nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. No it is a seatle thing

also larger stores have a more "standard" layout, with more space...

But it is a seatle thing. Locally I have both Henry's and traders... Hernry's has a more "standard" layout, with far less of this... if at all. Traders, when it is crowded, it is crowded... and you know it's crowded

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. I shop at both stores in California and have not noticed that

[TahitiNut]

38. I never saw it in California but see it in ALL stores in Michigan.

What little shopping I did in Seattle, I only saw it slightly - mostly in the Bremerton area across the sound.

Here in the Detroit 'burbs, it drives me up a wall. People stand in doorways, in the center of aisles, and at aisle intersections ... and seem to go into these oblivious trances. Duhsville. I was born and raised here, but during 15 years in the Bay Area things must've changed. Maybe it's the result of the Engler days - "me-firstism" devolved into "me-onlyism." In California, people are always conscious of one another and even nodding 'hello' or acknowledging one another, often with a smile. People actually make eye contact! Here it's like people are in some dark cave and you have to go to its opening and yell 'hello?' Maddening.

[cally]

56. It's in California, also.

I go absolutely nuts in our local Trader Joe's because folks block the aisle but it also happens at other stores. It's my big pet peeve and I see it all the time. I'll be looking at something and politely move back when I see someone coming. Then that person will stop their cart right in front of me to look at something. :argh: I thing too many are just oblivious to others.

[Gormy Cuss]

59. Another California TJ shopper, and it's mixed.

I live equidistant from two Trader Joe's. In one of them the shoppers are high on the annoyance scale (blocking aisles, abandoning carts, carrying on loud conversations on cell phones.) In the other one the shoppers are the normal mix of behavior. Safeways, on the other hand --- there are two near me that are frequented by those annoying TJ's customers based on how miserable an experience it is to shop there.

[Warren DeMontague]

77. I think the problem is, the aisles are small.

I don't sit there like a zombie, but sometimes I need to load up on something- hard to do that while moving the cart, isn't it?

[KoKo]

71. It was that way in the South when I moved here

in '92...lots of "eye contact" and folks chatting and sharing "snarks" as they waited in line in grocery stores...

NOT ANYMORE! It ended in 1997. The Clinton Impeachment is what I blame it on. The end of "civil discourse."

I moved here to the South from NY,Conn.,N.J. and watched the civil discourse die up there...and I can't blame that on Clinton but on New England reticence moving down to NJ.

I was thrilled to be in the South were folks would look at each other in a grocery or whatever "line up" and make wise cracks and funny jokes about a long line, or the National Enquirer article of the week if one had a "really" long wait.

GONE! Glum folks who stand in que lines and don't say a word. America has changed and it worked it's way down the line from the NorthEast to the South...the END OF THE AGE OF CIVIL DISCOURSE...and GOOD HEARTED HUMOR.

:shrug: whatever...just my observation.

[Carni]

79. OMG! The people here in the Detroit burbs SUCKKKKKKK

Trader Joe's is bad but whole foods in West Bloomfield is like throw me a noose and let me hang myself...IT'S HORRIBLE

People hog the aisles and roam around like they own the store--I have often asked myself and why is it I am here? Oh yeah--it's a *liberal* store (yeah right--but then why am I dealing with a bunch of yuppie repukes shopping there?)

Detroit burbs people IMO are the rudest F'ing people on the planet.
It is insidious...they say New Yorkers are rude? Come to the burbs of Detroit--you will encounter a bunch of jerks with no clue, but they are legends in their own minds.

JMO

[Protagoras]

55. Haven't seen that issue in Oregon either

we do have tiny TJ stores and it's a pain to maneuver when it's busy but the people are always friendly and the staff is great.

I go to Wild Oats over Whole Foods most of the time because of distance...and I love Wild Oats.

I find the kids screaming like uncontrolled Banshees and the tired, grumpy workers at my local Albertson's and Safeway a lot more difficult to deal with.

[hlthe2b]

5. Oh, no..not just Seattle.... Denver Whole Foods is just like that!

I was so grateful they brought those smaller shopping carts out, but people are equally obstructive and obliviously obnoxious with them. They finally remodelled several areas extensively to try to eliminate some of the obvious bottle necks, but it is still a major problem..


BUT, cellphones are making this a problem everywhere, I think. I can't tell you how many people have bumped into me (totally needlessly) or sent a freezer shelf full careening down on me, just because they were so damned focused on their cell phone call they were oblivious to what was within two feet of them. :mad:

[bookman]

6. Not just a liberal thing

I live in conservative Texas suburb and we have an increasing experience the same way. I've always said it is the prevailing attitude of entitlement that I see more and more in people. Everyone's the sun and other's should just rotate around them.

I think on a larger scale it is the result of what has gone on with children for the past few years. (and I may be talking quite a few years.) It trying to give a positive image we have created monsters. The answer lies within ourselves Dr. Frankenstein.

Me, me, me.

[Jane Austin]

26. " [In] trying to give a positive image we have created monsters."

I think you are dead wrong about this.

I think we've been raising these clueless children because parents are desperate for their kids to like them.

I'm not sure why parents are more insecure than formerly, but I'm going to guess that it has to do with perceived competition with television "parents", cool movie stars and rock stars, and all the goodies modern affluence has to entertain them with.

If you want to create a positive image, you teach your kids how to do things they can be proud of: good yard work, careful schoolwork, community service . . . whatever their ages and abilities allow.

I have news for parents of school-aged kids:

When your kids come back from their first year of college - - or first year away from home - - they are going to give you an earful about what a Nazi of a parent you were. Never mind that you spent their childhoods knocking yourself out to be fair and understanding and tolerant of their fads and quirks and misdeeds.

So, why not guide them with firmness in the first place? A loving, tolerant, understanding, but FIRMNESS.

You're not going to be given any credit until they have kids of their own, but you'll have some really neat kids who feel good about life in the meantime.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

33. You might be interested in watching this...

On CSPAN2 tonight

It Takes a Parent: How the Culture of Pushover Parenting ...
On Sunday, October 23 at 8:00 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It Takes a Parent: How the Culture of Pushover Parenting is Hurting Our Kids
Betsy Hart

Betsy Hart argues that today's "parenting culture" is harmful to children. In her book, "It Takes a Parent," she explains that by listening to the advice of family experts, parents have stopped disciplining unacceptable behavior and have passed the responsibility of decision-making off to their children. Ms. Hart, a single mother of four children, asserts that this type of parenting encourages children to be selfish and prohibits them from growing into healthy adults. This event was hosted by the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute and took place in Washington, DC.

Betsy Hart is the nationally syndicated columnist of "From the Hart," which is distributed by the Scripps Howard News Service. "It Takes a Parent" is her first book.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014


BookTV schedule http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5131084&mesg_id=5131084

Knowledge is Power

[canichelouis]

8. Maybe because their products are more interesting

and have unfamiliar labels, people are more engrossed, and thus "oblivious to other shoppers'

[devilgrrl]

24. ding, ding, ding, ding....

that would be my guess as well.

[idiosyncratic]

9. Hmmm . . . haven't noticed that at Trader Joe's here in San Diego area

I never go to regular grocery stores. I get everything at either Trader Joe's or Henry's. I haven't noticed that at any of the stores I've shopped at.

Must be a Seattle . . . and Denver . . . thing . . .

[MazeRat7]

10. The exact thing goes on here at Whole Foods in Austin.

Its gotten better now that they have this mega-"hugh" 5 story store, but I swear it makes me nuts when I go in there for many of the same reasons. I really don't know the answer, but I see much of the same thing in the mega-"hugh" hardware stores like HD & Lowes.

Maybe it is sensory overload... as in..."Wow look at all this shit"...to quote George Carlin.


MZr7

[Citizen Jane]

11. Depends on the store

While we don't have Trader Joe's in Atlanta (grrrrr!), the various Whole Foods have quite different footprints and layouts depending on size and whether or not they occupy new or reworked space.

I don't run into the problem you discussed at the one nearer to Emory and Toco Hills, but the midtown one (which is pretty large, but apparently not as large as the new Buckhead store) has some "clueless" bottlenecks--the flower section (right at the entrance), the cheese section, and the produce section being the most problematic areas. Hard to tell whether it is obliviousness or geography or layout, but my bet is on all three in various combinations at different places!

[JDPriestly]

12. I don't know Whole Foods,

but I absolutely love Trader Joe's. The prices are great, and they treat their staff fairly in every way. Just ask the staff. Out here in Southern California where other grocery chains treat their employees like trash, Trader Joe's exemplifies what employer-employee teamwork can mean in business --- success and prosperity for both sides. Another good thing about TJ's is that you get brands you don't find elsewhere. That's because TJ's does its own dealing and buying. The brokers in the grocery business control what you can buy in the biggest chains. They don't select products according to quality, but according to the cut (or kick-backs) they are offered. The result is that customers pay more for poorer quality.

I think what you are noticing is the fact that Trader Joe's stores are small. That's their only failing. Also, parking is hard to get much of the time. But then, that is because they are such great stores and have so many customers.

[Richard D]

14. Perhaps . . .

. . . in regular grocery stores, people tend to buy on automatic. In stores like TJ's and Whole foods, the products tend to be things that are less common and are unusual, so people think a lot about what they should buy. Hence the are in their thought process and so are less aware of others.

[XemaSab]

15. None of the above;

Hicks in Redding at the Safeway do the same thing

[Digit]

16. Maybe it is a cultural thing

I always chalked it up to other cultures having different "space requirements".

[tularetom]

17. Actually it's a Trader Joe's thing

I'm not familiar with Whole Foods but at least around here Trader Joes has gone into vacant space in strip malls which was formerly occupied by shoe stores, clothing stores or in one case a small credit union. When TJ's came in they basically put a scaled down full line grocery store in this relatively small space. Viola - narrow aisles, cramped layout, no room for queues at the registers etc. To make things worse they have become very popular and you can expect to bunp into other shoppers no matter what time of day you go there. If it were a "liberal" or "class" thing they wouldn't even be here because there ain't any liberals and very few classy people around here,

[Southsideirish]

18. God! I know just what you mean. I can't stand to go to Whole Foods

in Chicago. The people are so self absorbed its maddening.

No "excuse me", no "pardon me" just leave their carts anywhere they want, hold up the whole aisle while peering at labels - I have rarely seen more irritating people and don't get me started about the parking lot with the Volvo's, Lexus's and Beemers jockeying for spaces ignoring all signage and pedestrians. I refuse to go back.

[mondo joe]

20. Oh yeah, the no "excuse me" thing. :-(

I know some stores - especially the TJs - are small. But that makes me extra careful to get out of the way of others.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

47. That's my experience as well

All of what you cite. I also notice a lot more strollers and mothers who look at me like "my stroller trumps your cart" if they acknowledge my presence at all. (And I am fine with giving moms right-of-way, but it's that look that gets under my skin.)

My neighborhood Dominick's has plenty of moms shopping with kids and old folks in motorized carts but people are generally courteous. Having lived here 30 years in all kinds of neighborhoods I can say with some authority that the wealthier the neighborhood, the more oblivious the locals.

[egadsbrain]

19. Sounds like EVERY store in NYC!

:rofl:

[Kurt Remarque]

29. you, bet! every supermarlet inan inner city is like that

[mondo joe]

32. It's only my experience, not a scientific study, but I have not observed

that to be the case. I pretty much only shop in inner city groceries and find a big difference between shoppers in various stores.

Or if not the actual shoppers, the shopping conventions.

[smirkymonkey]

36. Exactly!

Although I have noticed that many Whole Foods shoppers (yes, I shop there because it's right near where I work and I like their produce) are excessively self-absorbed and even hostile.

It seems to be the "I'm hip, trendy and I make more money than you so I am entitled to push you out of the way or barge in front of you" crowd. At least downtown it's that way.

[egadsbrain]

37. The staff are pretty nice though

at the Union Sq. Whole Foods... especially because they have to deal with these people all day. I should recuse myself from this thread and admit that I really hate shopping everywhere for anything!

[RB TexLa]

40. Very True

[crispini]

21. The aisles are smaller.

And people who don't go to the store every week tend to not know where things are and instead of having the "businesslike" attitude that other stores elicit, they wander around and wonder about what they are going to cook.

I can always tell someone who is new to the bulk aisle, for example. You can pretty much SEE the rumination going on .... "What would I do with this?" And they kind of glance at you out of the corner of their eyes to see what you're getting. "What on earth do you do with nutritional yeast?" they think.

[LifeDuringWartime]

83. sounds like me the first time i went to whole foods

:)

[devilgrrl]

22. Have you simply said "excuse me, I need to get through." It usually works.

Not that I entirely disagree with you, because I too notice this but I doubt that it is a deliberate act of selfishness. One has more options to choose from at those establishments. In fact the other day I was taking forever figuring out which brand of raw honey I should buy - there were several brands to choose from and they all looked good. And yes, I had to move out of the way a few times. Perhaps being a little more assertive with fellow shoppers is something to think about? You can ask someone to move without being rude. :shrug:

[mondo joe]

25. Well duh. Of course I have. :-)

The more crowded or busy the store, the more I try to be careful and considerate of other shoppers.

But I do experience shoppers in those two stores seem to be much less aware or considerate of others than shoppers in other grocery stores.

[AntiCoup2K4]

23. It's the design of the damn stores

At least it is with the Trader Joes I shop at (University Place/Tacoma).

Narrow aisles, going in various different directions, with lots of people in them.

Their product placement doesn't help either. A lot of the shelves are cluttered with a lot of stuff shoved together, like the section where all the nuts and dried fruit is. Frozen food section is pretty bad in this regard as well.

Of course, to minimize the hassle, I go during the week, if I can (same with Costco) because it's just a lost cause on the weekends.

Actually, with gas prices being what they are, I haven't been up there in a while at all. (I live in Olympia, so it's a half hour commute to get there.)

[ourbluenation]

27. Maybe it's just my pms-ing but....ya want more cheese with that whine????

Seriously - isn't this more appropriate for the lounge?

[mondo joe]

30. Like I said, I was seriously wondering if this a liberal cultural thing -

not intended as a whine.

If it were a whine I wouldn't be asking others for feedback and opinion.

[newspeak]

45. no, it is not a liberal thing

people do get absorbed into what they are looking at or have other things on their mind. But, I have had more rudeness in other big supermarkets than at Whole Foods, Wild Oats or Trader Joes. And, in Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Trader Joes I have had excellent customer service.

[1932]

31. To give you cheaper food, TJ has smaller stores. It's a trade-off I'm

willing to make in exchange for healthier, cheaper food.

[recycledindi]

34. not a liberal thing

plain and simple - people that shop there tend to be more pretentious and therefore care less about anything that doesn't involve them, and that includes you. believe me I know. I live in the south in an area where everyone is a wealthy stepford wife type, even the guys. and these people think they're the only one on the earth. add that attitude to shopping at a higher-end store and you get selfishness out the wazoo.

[newyawker99]

61. Hi recycledindi!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Randypiper]

35. My guess is

everyone on this thread that hasn't noticed this
are the people your trying to get around.

[newspeak]

43. I love Whole Foods

I have never had any problems in the Whole Foods store in Santa Fe or the Trader Joes in Las Vegas or the Wild Oats in Las Vegas. Yes, people tend to read labels more-I usually put my cart on the side to make room for people coming through. However, at a Smith's store in Mesquite there have been a few times that people blocked the aisle-excuse me works. I've been at a Safeway in one town (when I was pregnant) and had the door shut in my face. There are rude people everywhere, do they do it intentionally? I don't believe so. Some are in their own little world-thinking of other things besides courtesy.

[OnionPatch]

39. Hmmm, well, at my local Trader Joe's

It's very crowded but people are amazingly tolerant of the atmosphere and very helpful in getting out of the way and making sure traffic can flow through the aisles. Everyone seems to be cheerful and forgiving of bumps and blocks.

On the other hand, at the local Stater Brothers, where the aisles are big enough to drive a car through, people do the kinds of things you're talking about. Yesterday two people simultaneously blocked the entire aisle as I approached and neither of them bothered to even look up to see if they were in the way though it was obvious I needed to get through. I ended up turning around.

So, your theory doesn't fly in my neighborhood.

[RB TexLa]

41. I've never noticed this about the shoppers

But there is quite a bit of the food at whole foods that scares me. To each their own I guess.

[LWolf]

42. I love Trader Joe's.

I shopped there exclusively until I moved, and if there was one locally, I'd still be there. I never experienced problem with "personal space."

I did notice that most shoppers were more patient than in some other places. I appreciated that; their patience made the shopping experience better. Instead of squirming, rolling their eyes, and muttering "come ON" in line behind me, they waited patiently, and smiled if eye contact was made. Instead of shoving past, or in, with their carts used like a battering ram, they waited their turn.

[SpiralHawk]

44. Try the prune aisle

Many harried and blocked shoppers find it to be an enormous relief.

[newspeak]

46. HAHAHAHA

Great one SpiralHawk-----:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[oldcoot]

48. Maybe they are trying to read the prices

In the frozen food section at my local Trader Joe's, it is sometimes difficult to find the price of the product because the prices are not one the boxes but are listed on a shelf above the food. I have a hard time figuring out the price for the item because the price tag is not always directly above the item.

[Solly Mack]

49. It's my fault

I sneak about and paste kitty porn pictures on the products.

People can't help but linger to read the bios

Name: Fluffy
Likes: "Tuna treats and Salmon bites"
Dislikes: "Cheaply made scratching posts"
Favorite color: "Calico"
Favorite chair: "the chair the human wants to sit in"
Pet Peeve: "You must mean HUMAN peeve!!!"

[mondo joe]

51. Are you responsible for Mr. Barky, the sad faced vegetarian dog?

[Solly Mack]

52. I wish I could claim it

but that wasn't me

though he does look as if he has a hairball...

[Missy Vixen]

50. Seattle native here

I wish we spent more time at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Both are 15+ miles away from our house. There's evidently a Whole Foods going in in Redmond, so we'll be visiting as soon as it's built.

Seattle natives have been called chilly and unfriendly by those from other areas or backgrounds. I prefer to think that we are just busy and tired. Most people will move with a gentle "excuse me," or by catching their eye and asking to get past with one's cart.

Julie

[Lorien]

53. Ours have narrow aisles, and the products are packed closely together

I actually have the same problem at Costco on the weekend (weekday evenings are much better). Costco has very wide aisles and products are more spaced out-but the shopping carts are huge and often heavily loaded.

As far as being mindful of others; I've noticed no difference between Whole foods customers and Publix customers on a busy day (I don't shop at Wal-Mart, but I wonder how it compares)?

[ocean girl]

54. OMG! You think you have it bad? Try the Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida

You talk about rude, insensitive people! There is a culture in Boca that is extremely self-absorbed and snobbish and Whole Foods is the vortex of the hideousness.

I go there because I can always get organic foods, but I have to prepare myself mentally each time. And this time of year, when you have the "Boca moms" mixing with the snowbirds who can barely walk, much less read labels, it's especially aggravating. I've even taken visitors in there and they are appalled by the rudeness and how frenzied everyone is. The aisles are so narrow that 2 carts can't pass each other and the deli and salad bar are so crowded that you can't even drive your cart, so everyone parks them on the side, so you can barely walk through there.

Sorry for the rant, but I just HATE going to Whole Foods. Luckily, we also have Fresh Market. They're finally getting more organic stuff and they play beautiful classical music while you shop - what a difference!

[mondo joe]

62. That post really made me laugh!

I have to prepare also. And if I'm going to TJ's I try to get there first thing in the morning before there are many people.

I don't know what it is - sometimes I think liberals are just crazy disorganized, from legislators to protests to grocery stores.

But I really do find the lack of consideration of others to be very hard to get through. I don't think it's THAT hard to be aware of the people around you.

[Scout]

57. strictly guessing, as I've not shopped at either store...

but I'd say it's an over-privileged thing.

[KoKo]

58. We only have "Whole Foods" and the store is arranged terribly.

It's chaos and confusion. The lines for take out or eat in food are jumbled together. The "condinment sections" aren't organized in a logical fashion and the aisles are narrow which means there are traffic jams.

I've been in an Earth Fare store in another state and it was much more logically designed and customer friendly. Whole foods needs some help with "logical design." Maybe they just like the chaos or they can't afford to hire someone. :shrug:

And, it could be that folks who shop there object to being "herded" according to "brand placement" like the mainstream supermarkets. It bothers me, too, but I've never heard anyone else complain.

[ocean girl]

60. Earth Fare in Charleston is fabulous!

It's such a pleasant experience - I wish they'd expand to Florida.

[KoKo]

63. I have eaten in Earth Fare Charleston many times! And Agree!

It's a "Model to me" of what an "Organic Food Market" could be.

I'm down there sometimes...nice to see your post about "Earth Fare, South Windemere Shopping Center.

:-)'s and :hi: for Charleston!........

[RagingInMiami]

64. Have you heard of online grocery shopping?

You never have to leave the house.

[mondo joe]

65. I used to love Home Grocer. But I don't mind shopping - I mind

people who are very inconsiderate.

[nosmokes]

66. join a CSA and just go pick up your box 1x a week.

vegetables that are only hours old, truly organic, and you're supporting a real family farmer.

[kwassa]

67. My Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in Maryland are not like this at all

Some people are just oblivious, but I encounter it in stores everywhere of every type. Worse, I encounter it on the freeways.

So, it must be Seattle.

Too much rain on the brain?

[rucky]

68. Confession: I AM one of "those shoppers"

I can't help it. I just get lost in my own little foodie world when I'm at either store. It's not that I'm purpously being inconsiderate, it's just like when a young couple is in love and oblivious to everyone else. That's me in the cheese aisle whispering sweet nothings to double gloucester while eyening that smoked gouda next to it.

If you think I'm bad at TJ's, you should see me at Jungle Jim's. I get all woozy.

[displacedtexan]

69. Whole Foods in Baltimore: People go there to be seen.

Like the opera.

And it's (WF) next door to Smith & Hawkins.

It's at the intersection of Maximum Pretension and Last Year's Talbot's Catalog.

[newspeak]

70. okay, that's a very sad statement

People go to Whole Foods to be seen? Why don't they just by a Mercedes or something? Do they have a life?

[displacedtexan]

85. The ones w/ Mercedes are the poorer shoppers.

I'm not kidding.

[Chicago Democrat]

72. its called cruising... also upper class twits

linger longer cruising gen X bakery boy


Yes I'll have the beluga please

[conflictgirl]

74. I haven't seen it at the WF or TJ's here in MI that I've been to

I truly enjoy shopping at both stores. Meijer is pretty bad though (and I have to shop there regularly). I don't think it's anything about the people who shop there, just that any time you get *that* many people in a store at the same time, the odds of it becoming chaotic are pretty high.

[kestrel91316]

75. People behave rudely at ALL grocery stores in SoCal.

It's a cultural thing. "Hurry Disease" is endemic here...........

[Warren DeMontague]

76. TJs in Northern CA has a high ratio of extremely attractive hippie women

shopping there.

Not that I, being married and having excellent boundaries, would ever notice such things.

As far as pushy shoppers w/poor boundaries, I've never noticed that, either, actually. The aisles are small and the prices are exceptionally cheap, at TJs; I'm not sure where you're getting the "over privileged" thing- Maybe that makes more sense for Whole Paycheck. At Trader Joes maybe people are just flabbergasted at the bargains.

As far as people not knowing boundaries or respecting personal space, that's why I won't visit the East Coast unless absolutely necessary. That and the fact that nowhere else in these United States have I had the experience of total strangers feeling the need to come up to me and offer commentary on the EXTREMELY STRANGE fact, apparently, that I am a (gasp!) MAN with LONG HAIR.

[Lex]

78. I was at the Whole Foods in Durham NC tonight & it was EXACTLY

like you are talking about, mondo joe.

My SO and I just went in for a few minutes to get some things that only Whole Foods has, and when we left, our conversation was exactly like your opening post.

In fact, I just read it out loud and we were both laughing since it was just as we were saying earlier tonight.

[mondo joe]

80. Lex, a lot of comments in this thread got me thinking about how to explain

it. I think the fact that there are a lot of different and not well advertised products might explain part of it.

I think also for some shoppers it's allmost more of a social activity.

For my household shopping is something we're fine doing, but want to do quickly.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

81. We're just more thoughtful - NOT Sheeple.. We like to make informed

decisions about the products we purchase. Also, yes the aisles are not as wide in Whole Foods and Trader Joes, but in addition, it's much easier to buy what "THEY" tell you to. Just quickly run down the aisles and pick up the Hamburger Helper, Tombstone Pizza and Instant "whatever we have advertised that week" and be on your way.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

82. A story about our former food co-op

Quite a while ago in a New England University town.

Our food co-op was populated for the most part by Earth Mothers and their consorts along with people like me (former earth mother who had to forsake Birkenstock's for business pumps). Anyway,this particular day, as the Hubster and I were putting together our pre-order we were stalked by another couple who split up among the aisles and carried on a loud consultation with one another, oblivious to how annoying it was to everyone else in the vicinity. The husband shouted over to his wife: "Should we buy bread or are you baking?" The wife shouted back - "Baking". The husband then yelled "Zucchinis? Or are our's ripe?" "Ripe!" she responded.
"Should we get ground or beans for coffee" he yelled."Sweetie, beans of course." she yodeled back.

My husband couldn't stand it one more second. "Honey!" he bellowed -"Bacon? or we slaughter the hog?"

I almost fell over laughing into the natural peanut butter vat where I would have died a sticky and horrifying death. But I didn't. And we were spared from the further mercantile ponderings of the More Organic Than You couple from hell.

[mountainvue]

84. My Whole Foods is

pretty blue. I'll never forget pulling into the parking lot a few days after the election and seeing a hand made cardboard sign in someone's rear window about election fraud.