Stephen Dubner

And we'll hear from a spy in the house of Trader Joe's, a former advertising executive named Mark Gardner, who became obsessed with the chain.

And we'll hear from a spy in the house of Trader Joe's, a former advertising executive named Mark Gardner, who became obsessed with the chain.

What Gardner learned about the company is that just about everything Trader Joe's does outside of exchanging food for money is unorthodox for a modern grocery store. There's a lot to talk about. The products, of course. The economics of their business model. Their very homemade, do-it-yourself aesthetic, including the hand-painted murals that reflect the neighborhood of every store.

What Gardner learned about the company is that just about everything Trader Joe's does outside of exchanging food for money is unorthodox for a modern grocery store. There's a lot to talk about. The products, of course. The economics of their business model. Their very homemade, do-it-yourself aesthetic, including the hand-painted murals that reflect the neighborhood of every store.

What Gardner learned about the company is that just about everything Trader Joe's does outside of exchanging food for money is unorthodox for a modern grocery store. There's a lot to talk about. The products, of course. The economics of their business model. Their very homemade, do-it-yourself aesthetic, including the hand-painted murals that reflect the neighborhood of every store.

But let's start with one of the first things I noticed when I started shopping there. The employees. Yes, they are friendly and helpful and enthusiastic.

But let's start with one of the first things I noticed when I started shopping there. The employees. Yes, they are friendly and helpful and enthusiastic.

But let's start with one of the first things I noticed when I started shopping there. The employees. Yes, they are friendly and helpful and enthusiastic.

But what really caught my eye was the sheer number of employees. There are so many of them. If you go in during a slow time, you can easily be outnumbered by employees in their TJ's t-shirts and Hawaiian prints. One reason is that rather than stocking shelves overnight, like most grocery stores, Trader Joe's stocks them during business hours. Why?

But what really caught my eye was the sheer number of employees. There are so many of them. If you go in during a slow time, you can easily be outnumbered by employees in their TJ's t-shirts and Hawaiian prints. One reason is that rather than stocking shelves overnight, like most grocery stores, Trader Joe's stocks them during business hours. Why?

But what really caught my eye was the sheer number of employees. There are so many of them. If you go in during a slow time, you can easily be outnumbered by employees in their TJ's t-shirts and Hawaiian prints. One reason is that rather than stocking shelves overnight, like most grocery stores, Trader Joe's stocks them during business hours. Why?

As Mark Gardner learned when he went to work there, the priority is to maximize customer interaction.

As Mark Gardner learned when he went to work there, the priority is to maximize customer interaction.

As Mark Gardner learned when he went to work there, the priority is to maximize customer interaction.

So that explains why there's so many employees in the aisles. But there are also a ton of employees staffing the checkout. On one level, this makes sense. It makes the long checkout line move fast. And checkout, after all, is where a store takes the customer's money. Lesson number one in sales, don't make it hard for people to give you their money.

So that explains why there's so many employees in the aisles. But there are also a ton of employees staffing the checkout. On one level, this makes sense. It makes the long checkout line move fast. And checkout, after all, is where a store takes the customer's money. Lesson number one in sales, don't make it hard for people to give you their money.

So that explains why there's so many employees in the aisles. But there are also a ton of employees staffing the checkout. On one level, this makes sense. It makes the long checkout line move fast. And checkout, after all, is where a store takes the customer's money. Lesson number one in sales, don't make it hard for people to give you their money.

But Trader Joe's also has employees directing traffic at the checkout line. one telling you which register to go to, one pulling you out of the big queue and into the final queue, and one or two holding up handmade signs marking the middle of the queue and the beginning. That's three or four employees to do the job that most stores use zero employees to do, or maybe they use some software.

But Trader Joe's also has employees directing traffic at the checkout line. one telling you which register to go to, one pulling you out of the big queue and into the final queue, and one or two holding up handmade signs marking the middle of the queue and the beginning. That's three or four employees to do the job that most stores use zero employees to do, or maybe they use some software.

But Trader Joe's also has employees directing traffic at the checkout line. one telling you which register to go to, one pulling you out of the big queue and into the final queue, and one or two holding up handmade signs marking the middle of the queue and the beginning. That's three or four employees to do the job that most stores use zero employees to do, or maybe they use some software.