You Can Try Before You Buy At Trader Joe's (But Wait For An Employee To Help)

Have you ever craved a Trader Joe's product so much that you open the bag at the store to grab a bite? Well, what a mistake! According to Insider, this can annoy employees as there is an actual company policy that allows you to try anything before buying it. You just need to let an employee know you want to try a product and they will happily assist you. Not everyone knows about it, but a lot of regulars sure enjoy it.  

A TikToker shared a video trying a carnitas salsa verde burrito, where an employee sliced the burrito and gave it to him on a plate. Surprisingly, the employee didn't know about the policy (pretty common in post-pandemic hires, read some comments), but was happy to learn about it. There are some exceptions with the sampling, of course. You can try snacks or cooked food, but you can't try frozen food, baking mixes, and alcohol (via PopSugar). 

On a Reddit thread, people were commenting on what good policy this is. "Win-win. Great customer service and policy TJ has, never heard of stores doing this," read a comment. Others were praising that this actually helps save money, avoiding buying the stuff you end up not liking. Many were wondering what happens with the rest of the sampled goods, and the answer is a reason employees might love the policy as well. 

"I love when customers ask to try products!" a Trader Joe's employee told Mental Floss. One perk of it is that employees get to eat any food left from the package. 

A former employee shared on Reddit that they "always got excited if I saw a customer eyeing a product that I wanted to try." This also helped them with better shopping choices and trying exciting Trader Joe's novelties from chocolate bars and flavored cheeses. "It made the bad moments more bearable," another comment read.  

But, even knowing that employees are glad to give you samples and try stuff for themselves, be considerate and don't take advantage of the policy. This is not a buffet, and asking for 20 samples is probably a little much. Keep in mind that if the store is full, there might be other customers looking for a sample as well. This is quite a generous store policy, let's make the most of it!