Executive Briefing
Why Trader Joe’s refuses to sell groceries online
Does that still pass the smell test?
By Dan Frommer on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 11:30 am
Online grocery ordering has emerged as essential infrastructure during the Covid-19 pandemic, and grocers large and small have adapted and improvised to provide service.
One notable exception is Trader Joe’s, the California-based grocer famous for its inventive private-label products, low prices, and laid-back attitude.
While most US grocers have now set up online ordering for delivery or curbside pickup, Trader Joe’s, which operates around 500 stores, has deliberately resisted — even as a makeshift option during the pandemic, which has forced it to temporarily close stores and limit in-store occupancy.
Why no online ordering? The company has had different answers to that question over the years.
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