Trader Joe’s: The Fearless Flyer of Naming

Trader Joe’s naming is a mess. I have been trying to wrap my head around the cult grocery chain’s naming and naming architecture only to find there’s no rhyme or reason regardless which aisle you look down — and I’m ok with that. Let’s take a look.

First off, Trader Joe’s uses a ton of descriptive names. These are your Black Bean & Jack Cheese Burritos and your Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels. No fluff. No frills. Just a plain description of what’s in the box. And despite their uninspired names, these products are some of Trader Joe’s best sellers according to a 2018 customer survey. But why?

Trader Joe’s doesn’t need to use naming as a marketing tool since they’re a vertically integrated company. Why would you spend resources on naming and marketing when almost every item on the shelf is made by you? There’s no competition. And when Trader Joe’s does need to vie for your attention, they just drop the price. For example, Trader Joe’s sells S. Pellegrino for $1.49 as well as their own sparkling water for $.99. At these prices, the products sell themselves.

Every once in a while, Trader Joe’s over-corrects. On one hand they have descriptive names like Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and on the other they have Hold The Cone! Mini Vanilla Ice Cream Cones. As interesting as these names are, they act more like a tagline — not a name. Names typically don’t convey a complete thought like a sentence. There is more metaphor and poetry involved — more customer interpretation. Plus, who the hell is going to say, “Hey, can you hand me the Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend?”

Trader Joe’s does land a naming punch more often than not. Names like Inner Peas and Unexpected Cheddar are clever enough to catch this namer’s attention. Or Avocado’s Number Guacamole which is a play off of Avogadro’s Constant, a mathematical concept. For me, what makes this name is the mental image of someone in TJ’s marketing department trying to explain Avogadro’s Constant to their boss. “It’s funny because it’s the number of constituent particles…” These names spark interest and draw me in as all good names should.

The grocery chain also cleverly uses evocative names when ripping off other companies and products. Trader Joe’s will often spin up clever names to (not so) slyly disguise the fact that they are copying someone else — i.e. Scandinavian Swimmers instead of Swedish Fish and Joe’s O’s instead of Cheerios. This highlights the fact that the store understands the power of using humor to create a good name. I see you Joe.

Then there are the Trader Joe’s international food categories. Names like Trader Ming’s, Trader José’s, and Arabian Joe’s represent a category of items in a larger naming structure. This is the closest TJ’s comes to a fully fleshed out naming architecture. I think they’re great. They make people smile and that’s the point. In an effort to bring a bit more warmth into this cold world, here is a somewhat extensive list of Trader Joe’s international genre names:

Trader José’s (Mexican food)

Trader Ming’s (Chinese food)

Baker Josef’s (flour and bagels)

Trader Giotto’s (Italian food)

Arabian Joe’s (Middle Eastern food)

Pilgrim Joe’s (New England specialties, like clam chowder)

JosephsBrau (Beer)

Trader Johann’s (Lip balm)

Trader Jacque’s (French food and soaps)

Joe’s Diner (Certain frozen entrees)

Trader Darwin’s (Vitamins and health supplements)

My only problem with these genres is how the names are categorized. Why does Trader José’s claim Guacamole Hummus, but not Jalapeño Pepper Hot Sauce? And why does Trader Giotto’s claim Genova Pesto but not Pesto alla Genovese? Maybe the store doesn’t feel the need to build an airtight naming architecture for these products because at the end of the day they don’t need to compete with anyone. Or perhaps there are some cultural sensitivities here that I’m not privy to.

As much as I’m confused by the scattershot naming at Trader Joe’s, I always find myself reading labels. I mean, why are there surfboard-themed tortilla chips called Longboards or chocolate-covered frozen fruit called Gone Berry Crazy. It’s bonkers. Trader Joe, I can’t wait to see what goofy shit you come up with next.