Trader Joe's wine and cookies

It's no secret that I love Trader Joe's. It's our source for all of our basic staples: milk, eggs, yogurt, chicken, cheese, juice, dried fruit and nuts, salad greens and bananas. Oh yeah, and wine. Drinkable, cheap wine.

But oh, this Chariot red wine is something special. Seriously special. As in, it tastes as good--if not better--than any of the pricey wines I've ever had.

And then there are these "double stuf" Maple Leaf cookies, which are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of Trader Joe's Bedtime tea.

Both are limited edition items, so stock up now.

This post is a labor of love. No freebies or financial consideration involved.

How to kill your brand

The LA Times has a great article on how once beloved brands expand too quickly, losing the very quirky uniqueness that attracted customers in the first place. First on the list companies that have overreached and lost their way is Starbucks. As most people know by now, an internal memo penned by CEO Howard Schultz went public after being anonymously posted to a Starbucks Gossip site. In the memo, Schultz admits that Starbucks has cut too many corners and become too sanitized, too corporate. It is in danger of losing its cultishly loyal devotees, in spite of their caffeine addition.

Of course, for every once-loved Krispy Kreme or Snapple, there are Chipotle and Trader Joe's, companies that have slavishly held tight to their brand personalities while expanding nationwide. How will other brands fare? Will Potbelly Sandwich Works still hire cheerful workers behind the line and tolerable singer-songwriters to serenade us from above the booths. Will their milkshakes get watered down into "shakes," a la Mickey D's?

In my experience, Cold Stone Creamery, Cosi, Jamba Juice and Maggiano's Little Italy/Corner Bakery seem to be doing a good job keeping their USP (unique selling proposition) in sight as they grow. Will Whole Foods Market?

Trader Joe's

Away with Words manages to capture exactly how Josh and I (and plenty of others!) feel about Trader Joe's.