Organic Shells and White Cheddar: Annie's vs. Trader Joe's
Ingredients: Basically the same except Annie's contains cream.
Taste: Annie's seems a little creamier.
Prices: $2.49 at Whole Foods, $1.29 at TJ's.
The verdict: Annie's could very well be making TJ's mac and cheese with a slightly different recipe than its own product.
365 Stores to compete with Trader Joe is just saying to customers "we know we r over priced so this is what we're doing" desperate move WFM
And in NE Westchester half our coordinators and TM went to MRS.,GREENS. I shop at TJ and they do run a really nice store. One can buy just about everything WFM sells at other stores and cheaper. The team leaders went to spy on MRS GREENS and CITTERELLA another classy NY store.....guess WFM doesn't have an original organic bone left if they have to spy! LOL
Agreed, when a new Trader Joe's opened up down the street. " Leadership " began sweating bullets. And whenever I shop at one, I usually see the managers actually doing something, imagine that!
Well that's true that there are bigger fish to fry but make no mistake, the company's "management" (I always put that in quotes. They used to be known as "leadership"...) is positively OBSESSED with TJ's! What they do, where they locate, how successful they are in terms of sales per square foot, their promotional systems, competitive strategies, and how the opening of a TJ's nearby impacts sales. There is actually a global TM who does nothing but monitor, study and visit TJs all over the place! But there was never anything said about how we might actually learn from TJ's efficiencies or strategies in terms of the type and number of products, store size, job roles, depth in various categories or pricing and promotional approaches. And TJs was the leader in terms of pricing while we would match those prices on some (but not all) similar products if there was one close by. I believe that this obsession with TJs is the reason for the 365 store idea. But no one does TJs like TJs because it's more than a marketing and merchandising front: It's an entire philosophy of doing business where everything is done as simply and efficiently as possible with regard to product, promotion, technology and corporate organization. Everyone is cross trained. TJs is about SIMPLICITY and gradual, steady, strong growth...They are about stroking the customer, not stroking egos at global or regional. And their leadership is quiet and methodical. They don't make bellicose statements like "Bring it on" to their competitors (Yes Walter said that) or randomly blurt out to a reporter "1000 stores? Hey, why not 1200" which is basically what Mackey said one day. TJ's execs don't do lots of interviews, show up on TV all the time, or write phony books telling everyone how they're changing the world. In fact, they don't do ANY interviews. They just run their business. And TJ's also doesn't have to worry about trying to manage/fix/restructure a costly chain of large grocery stores. Why anyone would think that an e-team that can't run its existing business will successfully be able to enter and dominate a new format is beyond me.
WFM has bigger FISH to Fry then worrying about TJ's.