Trader Joe’s does not plan to offer delivery or pick-up, due to the high costs and “tremendous resources” required to build an entire infrastructure dedicated to online grocery shopping. Additionally, the company feels that adding these services and outsourcing delivery options “eliminates the need for people.”
“Customers are asking if given current circumstances, we’re planning on offering delivery or curbside pickup,” Tara Miller, Trader Joe’s marketing director, said in episode 24 of the company’s podcast,Inside Trader Joe’s. “We understand the impulse, and we know that some other retailers are offering these services. We also know those offerings don’t always translate into positive results.”
Matt Sloan, Trader Joe’s vice president of marketing, said, “The reality is that over the last couple of decades, we’ve invested those resources in our people rather than build an infrastructure that eliminates the need for people.”
Miller then added:“The bottom line here is that our people remain our most valued resource. While other retailers were cutting staff and adding things like self-checkout, curbside pick-up, and outsourcing delivery options, we were hiring more crew, and we continue to do that. We know that this period of distancing will end, and when it does, our crew will be in our stores to help you find your next favorite product, just like they’ve always been.”
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