<P> Trader Joe's discontinues individual products based on customer reactions more often than larger grocery chains to free up space for new items . Some products are exclusive to certain regions (ex . midwest, east coast) of the United States depending on availability and popularity . </P> <P> Trader Joe's sells many items under its own private labels, at a significant discount to brand - name equivalents, and requires its brand - name suppliers not to publicize this business relationship . Trader Joe's labels are sometimes named in accordance with the ethnicity of the food in question, such as "Trader Jose's" (Mexican food), "Baker Josef's" (flour and bagels), "Trader Giotto's" (Italian food), "Trader Joe - San's" (Japanese food), "Trader Ming's" (Asian food), "JosephsBrau" (beer), and "Trader Jacques"' (French food and soaps). By selling almost all of its products under its own labels, Trader Joe's "skips the middle man" and buys directly from both local and international small - time vendors . </P> <P> Trader Joe's is the exclusive retailer of Charles Shaw wine, popularly known as "Two Buck Chuck" because of its original $1.99 price tag in California (local prices vary). Of the wine selection at Trader Joe's, Coloumbe has said, "We built Trader Joe's on wine first, then food . I tasted 100,000 wines, and most weren't wonderful . They were submitted to us by desperate vintners ." Along with Charles Shaw, Trader Joe's is known for stocking a very large selection of California and New World wines . </P> <P> Trader Joe's has said its private - label products contain no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no colors derived from anything other than naturally available products, no genetically modified ingredients, no partially hydrogenated oils (adding trans fat), and no MSG . In addition, its private label dairy products use milk from cows not given the artificial growth hormone rBST . </P>

Trader joe's and aldis owned by same company