These Are The Wrong Days To Shop At Trader Joe's

These days most of us are trying to make as few trips as we can to the grocery store. We also know that if we want to steer clear of massive crowds, we should probably avoid shopping on the weekends. And although Trader Joe's is one of our favorite places to get fresh produce and delightful items like crunchy plantain chips or decadent dark chocolate peanut butter cups, let's be real, the store is relatively small. This can be great for how efficient you can move through the aisles and find items, but very difficult when trying to navigate hordes of people vying for the same products. 

A Trader Joe's manager on Reddit lent some of their expertise on the matter: "I think it's hilarious people go on Sunday and complain that we are so busy," they wrote. "Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days." It's simple; these are the days the store has the fewest customers, whereas Saturdays and Sundays attract the biggest crowds.

The manager also recommended going early in the day because as they say the early bird gets the worm ⁠— or in this case gets the chicken tikka masala! "Early morning ... right when we open is honestly the best time to go," the Trader Joe's manager continued. "We get fresh produce in every morning so you can get the best products, and some stuff actually will sell out for the day around 2 to 4 p.m., including perishable and nonperishable items." That way you can ensure you'll snag the ripest avocados, which can run out by the evening.

The manager also had some other great tips that we didn't know. Apparently, you can also try almost anything in the store. The manager wrote: "I LOVE when customers ask to try products!!!! Yes, you get to eat as much as you want and the remainder will be given to crew members. Chips, candy, snacks ... anything you can just open and eat." Though they do draw a line at items that need to be cooked (per Business Insider). And guess what? According to Delish, If you don't like what you buy, you can still return it even if it's open. That's what we call a win-win situation.