Surprising seasonal store brand items at Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is in celebration mode. The retailer highlighted gift ideas from its own brand assortment and also chronicled its popular California wine program in its latest podcast.
The Monrovia, Calif.-based retailer curated nearly 100 items across sweet treats, decorations and even home goods found in its stores that could be gift ideas or ways to celebrate the holidays ahead.
The seasonal showcase includes some of the chain’s customer favorites like the Trader Joe’s Peppermint Pretzel Slims and Trader Joe’s Stroopwafel Dutch Caramel Waffle Cookie tin, but mostly the retailer is highlighting a slew of items shoppers might be surprised to find at the grocer. Some unexpected seasonal sundries include an Ivy Wreath with Fairy Lights, Trader Joe’s Mini Felted Wool Garland, holiday greeting cards, various cutting boards, a Trader Joe’s Hot Cocoa Snowman, a Recycled Newspaper Basket and many more unique finds.
The gift ideas follow up the retailer’s recent curation of a Thanksgiving Trader Joe’s feast.
Additionally, the latest Trader Joe’s podcast continued the celebration spirit highlighting its California wines. The podcasters spoke from a Sonoma County winery, although it withheld the name as its a partner who produces its private brand wines. As podcaster Matt Sloan said in the latest episode:
“This winery has an identity it's built and it needs to maintain. And that identity manifests itself in brands that they make and sell and put onto store shelves all over the place. Now Trader Joe's private label wine, wines with Trader Joe's on the actual label, they're made at places just like this. In fact, this winery has made many of those wines for us,” he said. “The cost structure is different because in a Trader Joe's brand, that private label, it's absent. It's without all of those marketing costs, the brand building identity work that takes time and is expensive. We take on all the marketing and all the branding identity and the companies with whom we're working, they just get to focus on making great stuff. In this case, amazing wines.”
Some Trader Joe’s wines called out in the podcast include its 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet, with a blend of Petit Verdot and other varietals, and its Grand Reserve wine hitting stores in January. It’s the third Grand Reserve label Cabernet from the retailer, following one in 2014 and 2017.
For a full listen to the podcast, go here.