Here's what I had to say about Trader Joe's in a recent blog post about choosing your grocery store in Oregon: "What they sell: A wide variety of products. Trader Joe's refers to its products as "a culinary adventure," meaning they offer many foods from around the world "with the high cost of airfare." They specialize in imported foods. The Pros: You can choose from a wide variety of foods, many organic and specialty, without leaving the store smelling like patchouli. Trader Joe's is a good middle-ground for many consumers. Trader Joe's is also privately owned and is known for having friendly employees and offering gourment foods at reasonable prices. The Cons: While Trader Joe's offers some healthy, ethical, and environmentally-friendly foods, they are missing out on the local thing. The company is not based in Oregon and imports a lot of food, moving your dollar out of the state (sometimes out of the country) and producing pollution through transportation." For more information about Portland-area grocery stores, visit my blog at portlandeconomy.blogspot.com