Thread: Trader Joe's downsizes free coffee cups

The new ones are only about 20% smaller
than the old ones. I wouldn't have noticed
if I didn't have a few of the cups in my car.
Usually, I finish my coffee in the store, but
occasionally I get out to my car before finishing,
so I accumulate a few empty cups. Today,
I stacked the cups together to throw them away,
and one cup wouldn't fully nest within the others.
I examined the cup below it to see if some foreign
object was getting in the way, but that cup was
empty. Comparing the two cups, I saw the older
cup is larger than the new ones. The difference
is just small enough that I didn't notice until
trying to stack the old and new cups together.

Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
like Trader Joe's. A store that cares about its
customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
at every opportunity. I hope this is not a harbinger
of things to come. That would ruin Trader Joe's.

On May 25, 5:53*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 25 May 2012 16:58:08 -0800, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > The new ones are only about 20% smaller
> > than the old ones.
> <snip>
> > Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
> > seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
> > of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
> > like Trader Joe's. *A store that cares about its
> > customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
> > at every opportunity. *I hope this is not a harbinger
> > of things to come. *That would ruin Trader Joe's.
>
> This matters why? *I have never even thought about getting a "free
> coffee". *Not a freeloader and don't eat/drink while I shop anyway.
>

I always thought that the cup is for tasting, not for drinking.

On Fri, 25 May 2012 16:58:08 -0800, Mark Thorson <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
>seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
>of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
>like Trader Joe's. A store that cares about its
>customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
>at every opportunity. I hope this is not a harbinger
>of things to come. That would ruin Trader Joe's.


What is sneaky about it? Should they announce that our free coffee is
now smaller?

Sneaky is when you charge the same price and reduce the volume, like
the 57 ounce OJ, the smaller jars of mayo, etc.

A store that cares about is customer watches costs so they can
continue to offer good service. Nothing is "free", but wrapped into
the costs that all customers pay. That little old lady in line behind
you paid a portion of your free coffee.

On May 25, 5:58*pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:

> The new ones are only about 20% smaller
> than the old ones.

I had a taste of coffee about an hour ago at a TJ I think
is near you (in Santa Clara Co., CA). The bottom of the
cup was imprinted with "4 oz." Are they just using up
the old cups?

On May 25, 5:53*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:

> This matters why?

Because only consequential matters are discussed here.

And it came to pass that sf delivered the following message unto the
people, saying~

> This matters why? I have never even thought about getting a "free
> coffee". Not a freeloader and don't eat/drink while I shop anyway.

That's no way to live.

On May 25, 7:57*pm, Ed Pawlowski <e...@snet.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 25 May 2012 16:58:08 -0800, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
> >seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
> >of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
> >like Trader Joe's. *A store that cares about its
> >customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
> >at every opportunity. *I hope this is not a harbinger
> >of things to come. *That would ruin Trader Joe's.
>
> What is sneaky about it? *Should they announce that our free coffee is
> now smaller?
>
> Sneaky is when you charge the same price and reduce the volume, like
> the 57 ounce OJ, the smaller jars of mayo, etc.
>
> A store that cares about is customer watches costs so they can
> continue to offer good service. *Nothing is "free", but wrapped into
> the costs that all customers pay. *That little old lady in line behind
> you paid a portion of your free coffee.

On the other hand, if a store featuring so many house brand products,
which moreover it keeps rotating in and out, did not offer samples to
customers, many products would just languish on the shelves. (Sure
they offer a money-back guarantee, but who brings over, say, a half-
eaten can of tomato sauce for a refund? Uneaten food goes in the
garbage, never to be bought again. )

The cost of samples is really a marketing expense. But you're not
meant to nourish yourself on them. Maybe at Costco you can get away
with it.

On 5/25/2012 10:57 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On Fri, 25 May 2012 16:58:08 -0800, Mark Thorson<[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
>> seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
>> of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
>> like Trader Joe's. A store that cares about its
>> customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
>> at every opportunity. I hope this is not a harbinger
>> of things to come. That would ruin Trader Joe's.
>
>
> What is sneaky about it? Should they announce that our free coffee is
> now smaller?
>

Exactly, free sample sizes are certainly up to the discretion of
whomever is offering them. I guess someone could demand their money back
if they were upset.

> Sneaky is when you charge the same price and reduce the volume, like
> the 57 ounce OJ, the smaller jars of mayo, etc.

I see a lot of 16 oz canned goods are now down to 14.5 ounces. I
sometimes buy canned tomatoes with chili peppers. I thought it was my
imagination that the cans looked small when I saw a display on an end
cap. I read a label and saw that the 16 oz can was now 10.5 ounces.

>
> A store that cares about is customer watches costs so they can
> continue to offer good service. Nothing is "free", but wrapped into
> the costs that all customers pay. That little old lady in line behind
> you paid a portion of your free coffee.

On 5/26/2012 2:09 AM, MotoFox wrote:
> And it came to pass that sf delivered the following message unto the
> people, saying~
>
>> This matters why? I have never even thought about getting a "free
>> coffee". Not a freeloader and don't eat/drink while I shop anyway.
>
> That's no way to live.

Yes, samples that are free will always be fat-free :_)

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

On Sat, 26 May 2012 00:31:07 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On May 25, 7:57*pm, Ed Pawlowski <e...@snet.net> wrote:
>> On Fri, 25 May 2012 16:58:08 -0800, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> >Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
>> >seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
>> >of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
>> >like Trader Joe's. *A store that cares about its
>> >customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
>> >at every opportunity. *I hope this is not a harbinger
>> >of things to come. *That would ruin Trader Joe's.
>>
>> What is sneaky about it? *Should they announce that our free coffee is
>> now smaller?
>>
>> Sneaky is when you charge the same price and reduce the volume, like
>> the 57 ounce OJ, the smaller jars of mayo, etc.
>>
>> A store that cares about is customer watches costs so they can
>> continue to offer good service. *Nothing is "free", but wrapped into
>> the costs that all customers pay. *That little old lady in line behind
>> you paid a portion of your free coffee.
>
>On the other hand, if a store featuring so many house brand products,
>which moreover it keeps rotating in and out, did not offer samples to
>customers, many products would just languish on the shelves. (Sure
>they offer a money-back guarantee, but who brings over, say, a half-
>eaten can of tomato sauce for a refund? Uneaten food goes in the
>garbage, never to be bought again. )
>
>The cost of samples is really a marketing expense. But you're not
>meant to nourish yourself on them. Maybe at Costco you can get away
>with it.

Stores offer samples primarilly because they are a tax deduction.

Shelley the Bridge Troll: insane or chronically stoned?

> Stores offer samples primarilly because they are a tax deduction.

That's why they throw out salable merchandise too. Gosh, you're smart!

On 5/26/2012 11:20 AM, George M. Middius wrote:
> Shelley the Bridge Troll: insane or chronically stoned?
>
>> Stores offer samples primarilly because they are a tax deduction.
>
> That's why they throw out salable merchandise too. Gosh, you're smart!
>
>
Well Shelden only knows what aol search tells him so don't be so hard on
the congenitally clueless...

Stores offer samples because they know it is a proven method to increase
sales which as a secondary result would very likely generate more profit
and higher taxes.

On May 25, 5:58*pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
> The new ones are only about 20% smaller
> than the old ones. *I wouldn't have noticed
> if I didn't have a few of the cups in my car.
> Usually, I finish my coffee in the store, but
> occasionally I get out to my car before finishing,
> so I accumulate a few empty cups. *Today,
> I stacked the cups together to throw them away,
> and one cup wouldn't fully nest within the others.
> I examined the cup below it to see if some foreign
> object was getting in the way, but that cup was
> empty. *Comparing the two cups, I saw the older
> cup is larger than the new ones. *The difference
> is just small enough that I didn't notice until
> trying to stack the old and new cups together.
>
> Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
> seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
> of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
> like Trader Joe's. *A store that cares about its
> customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
> at every opportunity. *I hope this is not a harbinger
> of things to come. *That would ruin Trader Joe's.

So sue them.

On 25/05/2012 8:58 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
> seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs --


Feel free to cut your costs by not accepting the free coffee.

On 26/05/2012 11:16 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:

> Stores offer samples primarilly because they are a tax deduction.

Poppycock. I trust that you realize that being a tax deduction only
means that they don't pay tax on the money spent on the promotion. It
still costs them money to provide those free samples. Most people
recognize that those free samples are a form of promotion. The consumers
pay for those free coffees when they buy coffee or other products in the
store.

George wrote:

> Stores offer samples because they know it is a proven method to
> increase sales

It's what you do when you believe what you're selling is good, and you
look at a lack of sales as, "If only I could more people just to try it,
they'd buy it after that." Not for nuthin' (as we say in my part of the
world), I do this in my profession, which is giving music lessons - the
first lesson here is always free.

FWIW, I generally buy at least one of the things TJ's has out for free
samples each and every time I'm in there. It's all good, it all gets
eaten here and it's frankly a fine way for us to try new things. Even
if we don't end up buying some of them again, they never go to waste.
Note also that, at least at my local TJ's, you're more than welcomed to
take as many of the free samples, including the coffee, as you like.

Although I usually only have one cup of their coffee because I've
already had my own at home, I've been known to have three or four of a
sample food I like. E.g., yesterday they had a bacon ranch dip they
were serviing on hot dogs on whole wheat rolls. The flavor was nice, we
didn't need either hot dogs or rolls at home since had, but the dip was
tasty stuff and I bought a container. I had three or four of the hot
dog samples - can't remember which now.

-S-

On 5/26/2012 12:25 PM, Chemo the Clown wrote:
> On May 25, 5:58 pm, Mark Thorson<nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
>> The new ones are only about 20% smaller
>> than the old ones. I wouldn't have noticed
>> if I didn't have a few of the cups in my car.
>> Usually, I finish my coffee in the store, but
>> occasionally I get out to my car before finishing,
>> so I accumulate a few empty cups. Today,
>> I stacked the cups together to throw them away,
>> and one cup wouldn't fully nest within the others.
>> I examined the cup below it to see if some foreign
>> object was getting in the way, but that cup was
>> empty. Comparing the two cups, I saw the older
>> cup is larger than the new ones. The difference
>> is just small enough that I didn't notice until
>> trying to stack the old and new cups together.
>>
>> Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
>> seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
>> of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
>> like Trader Joe's. A store that cares about its
>> customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
>> at every opportunity. I hope this is not a harbinger
>> of things to come. That would ruin Trader Joe's.
>
> So sue them.

Don't get too extreme. Demanding your money back would be the first step...

On Fri, 25 May 2012 18:56:01 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On May 25, 5:53*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> > On Fri, 25 May 2012 16:58:08 -0800, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > The new ones are only about 20% smaller
> > > than the old ones.
> > <snip>
> > > Granted the cups and coffee are free, but it does
> > > seem like a sneaky way to reduce costs -- the sort
> > > of thing I expect from Safeway but not a good store
> > > like Trader Joe's. *A store that cares about its
> > > customers and doesn't try to shave a little cost
> > > at every opportunity. *I hope this is not a harbinger
> > > of things to come. *That would ruin Trader Joe's.
> >
> > This matters why? *I have never even thought about getting a "free
> > coffee". *Not a freeloader and don't eat/drink while I shop anyway.
> >
>
> I always thought that the cup is for tasting, not for drinking.

I see people walking though the store pushing their carts, "tasting
it" as if they are drinking a big cup of coffee. Why bother in the
first place if their time is that precious?

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Sat, 26 May 2012 06:09:48 +0000, MotoFox
<confucius-say@enlightenment!to!him!lead!it!for!bangpath!foll ow!man!wise.UUCP>
wrote:

> And it came to pass that sf delivered the following message unto the
> people, saying~
>
> > This matters why? I have never even thought about getting a "free
> > coffee". Not a freeloader and don't eat/drink while I shop anyway.
>
> That's no way to live.

Why eat/drink when shopping is the task at hand? No wonder people
never get anything done.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.