Trader Joe’s Has A Podcast Now & It Even Includes Tips For Navigating Its Scary Parking Lot

What other grocery store would you wait in a line that curls around the perimeter for? I'll answer for you: none. Lines as bad as traffic on LA's 405 at rush hour are tolerated only at Trader Joe's. But now you'll have something to keep you busy while you wait. Trader Joe's new podcast, "Inside Trader Joe's," is a 5-part series that will take customers behind the scenes. Maybe you'll finally learn the ways of the bell and what goes into producing those addictive Joe Joe's. (I need to know all of the things!)

A journey to Joe's is a weekly ritual for many. Admittedly, my roommate and I have scheduled Trader Joe's Tuesdays in our calendars for years. What started as a grocery run has turned into a cherished tradition. We trail the aisles, stocking up on multi-vitamins and Joe-O's before splitting into separate aisles to carry on conversations with cashiers, who consistently prove themselves to be excellent conversationalists — and never once judge me for the amount of Trader Joe's banana chips I hoard in my basket, which keeps me coming back for more.

There are many narratives that happen in a single store, from the cheese lover's narrative to the chocolate lover's narrative to the good old-fashioned coffee lover's. And now Trader Joe's is gathering us all around to listen to a story told in five parts. We'll learn, laugh and cry over the far too real trials of finding a parking spot in one of their parking lots. Shout out to the Los Angeles' Silverlake location!

The podcast, "Inside Trader Joe's," now available to download through Apple iTunes, allows customers to peek behind the aisles. What's ~in store~ for the five episodes? According to the podcast description, the store's Captains (store managers) and Crew Members (employees) will lead us in a look at "a private tasting panel, where decisions are made about new Trader Joe's products." We'll also peer into "a wine tasting tour to Napa Valley, California, looking for great wines and great values." Whose liver hasn't filtered its fair share of Two-Buck Chuck? If you ever wondered what's with the Hawaiian shirts, Joe (he's real!) will go into detail on the uniform choice.

There's a lot that happens in the creation of your favorite Trader Joe's products. Here we'll finally get to go inside the ~process~ of curating an aisle. And maybe we'll appreciate a box of those Cheddar Rocket Crackers a little bit more. Which will hopefully allow them to rest in my pantry longer than a day. There's a whole sum of knowledge to absorb in the first season of the podcast. If you feel podcasted-out, I'm sure you can ~make room~ for this one.

If you're wondering why a podcast is necessary for the famed grocer, Los Angeles Magazine reports, "Trader Joe’s spokesperson Kenya Friend-Daniel says communicating with customers is important to the company." But if you think this is going to be one extended commercial, think again. Their failures and weaknesses are revisited because no product, even from Trader Joe's, is always perfect. And I can respect a store that owns up to and answers for what their customers are repelled by.

Untangle your earbuds and fill a bowl with your favorite Trader Joe's tortilla chips. Each episode runs 14 to 23 minutes long, meaning you can binge this baby in a single day. Alternatively, you can plug into the podcast on your way to the store to illuminate your shopping experience. Listen to another episode on the way home for the perfect bookend to a solid grocery haul.