I dunno, I actually think the inverse is true. At least, comparing the stores of each that I’ve been in.
Really? It seemed to me that Marks and Spencer was Penney’s or Sears with a food department (and the food was no classier than you would expect for Penney’s or Sears). Trader Joe’s strikes me as somewhat more upscale than the average supermarket.
While I agree that TJ’s is more upscale than the average supermarket, I found the selection of foods at M&S really rather nice; they had a great selection of gourmet-type foods - some amazing hors doeuvres (which I am sure I spelled wrong at this time of night), an amazing cheese selection, and really, their single serving convenience foods rivals TJ’s, if not surpasses.
But in thinking on it a little more, maybe my position is this: quality-wise, TJ’s and M&S are pretty much on a par, but ambience wise, M&S feels more upscale. To me. But that’s more IMHO territory.
What the hell is Trader Joe’s? I keep seeing people drop the name…Is it here in America?
Trader Joe’s is a chain of over 200 small grocery stores in the US. It started in Pasadena in 1967 (although its precursor, Pronto Markets, dated back to 1958) then spread up the Pacific Coast, and is now in 19 states (list is in the drop-down menu here). IIRC it’s a privately-held company.
Although Trader Joe’s stores feel upscale due to the wide selection of imported goods, the prices are very reasonable. They sell a line of wines by Charles Shaw (“Two Buck Chuck”) that go for $1.99 per 750ml bottle (in Northern California, at least). Not the finest wine, but surprisingly drinkable (especially the Shiraz). Their prices for better-known wines are lower than most competing grocery stores (e.g. Safeway).
TJs works by negociating really good prices, but occasionally runs out of certain items and may not stock them again for several weeks.
Example: TJ’s Dijon Mustard ($1.49 for 13 oz, which is very cheap for good mustard) is IMHO superior even to the “gold standard” of the Dijon world, Maille. Like many other items that they stock, it’s “Trader Joe’s own brand”, and is of very high quality. However, unlike many other “Dijon mustards” (are you listening, Grey Poupon?), it is actually made in Dijon.
They also have amazing frozen food selections. Meat (Kobe burgers! Buffalo burgers!), fish, interesting vegetable selections, pizzas, desserts… You can put together a really “gourmet-feeling” meal at a very low price.
I don’t think that they are as strong in fresh produce. TJ’s don’t have scales at the checkouts, so all items are either pre-weighed and packaged, or sold per unit (e.g. per banana rather than per lb of bananas). However, if one has access to a good local produce market (as I do), then grocery shopping can be a two-stop experience.
I’ve found that once one becomes accustomed to having a Trader Joe’s nearby, one does not consider a move to a new location without asking oneself “Where would the nearest Trader Joe’s be?”
As it turns out, it’s only 18 states. Mea culpa. The drop-down menu here shows 19 states, but it turns out that their “New Hampshire” store is in fact just across the border in Massachusetts.
A few quick additions to my post above:
- Their prices for milk and high-quality orange juice (both house brand) are lower than at stores such as Safeway.
- They don’t sell colas of any variety (this isn’t a problem for me, but I was surprised to notice that!)
- They don’t run specials or have store coupons. The price is fixed unless market conditions cause a price change.
I’m surprised to hear this. I find M&S food quality absolutely fantastic. From an Irish perspective, the food definitely the top of the range compared to other supermarkets. It’s a little more expensive too. Don’t forget that M&S’s food retail business goes down well in Paris of all places, where people really value food quality.
Well it used to. Because of financial problems M & S have closed down all there shops on the European mainland. For instance in Spain their outlets were taken over by the leading chain of department stores ** Corte Ingles.**
Marks and Sparks are generally considered to be near the top of the food chain, so to speak, in terms of their quality.
Arguably the list goes like this, best to worst:
- Waitrose
- Marks and Spencer
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- Asda
Tesco is creeping up the charts though, by providing “premium” products under the “Finest” label.
And Sainsbury’s are heading the other way , mainly due to a new multi-million pound IT and logistics system which does not work and has meant empty shelves in many stores. There have been losing customers in droves and have suffered a steep dive in profits.
Sainsbury’s was approximately the same level as one of the bigger American supermarkets, like Giant or Safeway. If what you say is true, it’s dropped a little in quality since I was last there. Trader Joe’s is about the same prices as a Giant or a Safeway, but the quality is somewhat better. I remember Marks and Spencer’s food as being no better than at a Giant or Safeway, but, to be honest, it’s been too long since I’ve been in one, so maybe I should just drop out of this discussion.
IMO, the quality of Marks and Spencers food has gone downhill in the last 5 years. The quality of clothing (outwith Per Una) has also gone down. However, the wine selection is quite good.
Until recently, the Per Una line of women’s clothing wasn’t actually owned by M&S - it was stocked by M&S under an exclusive licensing agreement. M&S acquired Per Una from George Davies at the beginning of October 04.
M&S food is definitely on the luxury end of the market. I used to observe people at the checkout when I shopped there. I would only ever buy a few items in the ‘treat’ category, but there were some wealthy-looking ladies with full trolleys who appeared to do their ‘big’ shopping there.
Oh, how I miss their summer fruits compote, the Greek yogurt and the ‘healthy eating’ sandwich range!
Did M&S ever have branches in Spain? I know they did in France and Canada, but I thought that was it as far as their international expansion went.
Apart from my home town, but that doesn’t count. 
They certainly were in Spain and other parts of Europe , as these links show :-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1335128.stm
And
http://www.greece.gr/BUSINESS/BusinessDirectory/marksandsparks.stm
Or “Top of the Mark”, perhaps?
Thanks, the “Nordstrom meets Trader Joe’s” makes sense.
One other question - where are they? Would you (or the trendy 20 & 30 somethings in the standard chick-lit book) normally pass by one on your (their) way home from work? Is there one per town in a downtown area or are they as widespread as grocery stores?
I saw them absolutely everywhere. On a two mile walk from my hotel to work, I passed 3.
This page has a list of M&S locations outside Great Britain in the drop down box:[ul][li]Abu-Dhabi[/li][li]Bahrain[/li][li]Bermuda[/li][li]Croatia[/li][li]Cyprus[/li][li]Czech Republic[/li][li]Dubai[/li][li]Gibraltar[/li][li]Gran Canaría[/li][li]Greece[/li][li]Guernsey[/li][li]Hong Kong[/li][li]Hungary[/li][li]India[/li][li]Indonesia[/li][li]Jersey[/li][li]Kuwait[/li][li]Malaysia[/li][li]Malta[/li][li]Philippines[/li][li]Poland[/li][li]Qatar[/li][li]Romania[/li][li]Saudi Arabia[/li][li]Singapore[/li][li]South Korea[/li][li]Tenerife[/li][li]Thailand[/li][*]Turkey[/ul]
LOL - I’ve been in the Bermuda M&S. It’s the size of a typical cornershop. Their market is basically homesick expats who need familiar chocolate and underwear. Not a major part of their economic model, I suspect. (And I also suspect it’s part of a handy offshore tax loophole.)
I’m truly amazed by that list. I can believe Dubai, Singapore and Bermuda but all those former Eastern Bloc countries like Romania I find more difficult to picture. Still, if they say so…
Amarinth, as a former trendy 20 and 30something (formerly trendy and a former 20 and 30something) I never stopped shopping at M&S, even though most of its clothes have in the past tended to be staid and frumpy. They have a reputation for good quality, which may or may not be undeserved. However trendy you are, you still go to M&S for certain basic wardrobe elements like plain t shirts and sweaters, and of course the underwear, which ranges from plain and practical to reasonably sexy. I don’t think I own an undergarment that’s not from M&S! A couple of years ago I was looking for a new bra and M&S didn’t have the style I liked in my size. My husband (who is not British) could not understand that it was simply not an option to look in another shop.