By Gus Saltonstall
There are great wonders of this world. The Pyramids of Giza, the Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum. There are also great wonders of New York City. The Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
And, then, there is the checkout line at Trader Joe’s on West 72nd Street and Broadway.
It is expansive. Ever reaching. Difficult to define. Fast moving, but also painstakingly slow.
At peak shopping hours, the checkout line begins at the entrance to the store at the bottom of the escalators. An employee with a “Line Starts Here” sign stands adjacent to the coconut yogurts, almond milk variations, and generously priced eggs as shoppers position themselves in one of two side-by-side lines at the start of their journey to the checkout machines.
In that moment, you can see who is an experienced shopper at the 72nd Street Trader Joe’s, and who is new to the undertaking. A customer encountering the length of the line for the first time, for example, will display a range of emotions.
They come in stages.
Their eyes go wide as feelings of amazement, amusement, frustration, futility, and even anger cross their faces.
In that moment of hesitation by novice shoppers, you’ll see the veteran customers spring into action. There are people that complete almost the entirety of their grocery shopping in the flow of the line — in a way that allows them to secure their items while moving forward in the line and fast tracking their entire shopping experience.
It is an art.
These experts of the 72nd Street outpost will always station themselves on the inner of the two lines. This allows them to either be within arms reach or a few steps from all of the items that sit in the aisles along the route of the line.
In this order, from the start of the line to the checkout stations, there are dairy products, then vegetables and fruits, then proteins and cheeses, and then starch vegetables. These shoppers will dart to-and-fro, waiting until they are perpendicular to the item they desire, then grabbing zucchinis, bags of lettuce, ground turkey, salmon, cheese sticks, and potatoes, all the while moving their red cart or basket forward in the line.
The technique takes dexterity, speed, an ability to remain calm under pressure, and even a touch of comfort with confrontation as other shoppers might get frustrated with them squeezing by, or leaving their cart for a few seconds too long in line and holding up the customers behind.
The first stage of the line moves straight before curving left in front of the meats and straightening back out for a time, until the final phase again moves left toward the cashiers.
Then, there is the moment when the fleet of cashiers first comes into view.
In those finals steps of the journey, the two lines are separated by a physical barrier for the first time, which also tempts you with chocolates, spices, birthday cards, and some sort of seasonal Trader Joe’s offering.
Next, comes your interaction with one of the most powerful people in the store. Nay, one of the most powerful people on the Upper West Side.
The Trader Joe’s employee who yells out which numbered cashier each customer should go to.
This worker is a conductor and quarterback all in one. They must constantly scan the entire floor in front of them — eyes always waiting to see a cashier’s hand go up — and then immediately relay to the customer where to head.
As a customer, there can be anxiety in this moment. The yeller operates quickly and can be loud in their critique if you are too slow to react to your assigned number, or heaven forbid, you head to the incorrect cashier or accidentally skip another customer.
The interaction can quickly become a moment of public shaming as the eyes of the line behind you pierce your back.
Finally, you have made it to a cashier.
Only to do it all again next week.
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This store’s line is truly an “only in NY” thing. I appreciate all the kind shoppers behind me in line who have pushed my cart forward when I take too long picking up an item from the cheese refrigerators or veggie section.
Why not finish your shopping before you get on line? Be a little considerate of others.
Doing this is way worse as the items are blocked by the line so you would have to squeeze past people to grab things. Shopping while in line is the considerate thing to do here.
It doesn’t take you any longer to reach a cashier if the people in front of you are shopping responsibly while on line, and if everyone works together to keep the carts and baskets moving forward. Shopping this way actually decreases the total number of people in the store, which makes it easier for everyone to see and get what they need. I think minding your neighbor’s cart is a perfect example of how, faced with a clear way to help someone, West Siders will nearly always do the nice thing.
It actually does. The line is slowed down when people are constantly dashing off it and abandoning their cart/basket to pick up an item the should have gotten before they got in line.
How is the line slowed down? Do you get to a spot 5 feet from where you were a few seconds later? Yes. Do you get to the cashier later? No because nobody is leaving the line wheb they are 5 spots from the front where as Gus’s essay notes to the lines are separated by a physical barrier. You can’t leave the line there, you wouldn’t get back it. So you arrive at a cash register at exactly the same moment regardless of it anyone left the line when they were 20 people back.
Sometimes the items are on your way in the line.
To me that is unwritten law to gently move basket/cart forward if person steps out of line.
No need at all. I just go around the the orphaned cart/basket.
Don’t be gentle with it. You get out of line, as the umpire says, you’re out!
But that is how the line at the 72nd St TJs works. It’s much better than having people cross the line with carts to try to get to the cheese or meat. You do the shopping you can need to do downstairs and upstairs that doesn’t cross the line and then join the line and get what you need as it moves along. Easy peasy.
Ever been to TJ’s? Sometimes a little tolerance and kindness is easier, if the “hopping” isn’t egregious. Maybe that’s a woman’s point of view.
Correct.
Kindness is always easier.
It is good karma.
Everyone is usually happy in Trader Joe’s,
It is like a toystore for food,
TJ really needs to use LED lighting in the basement parking garage level spaces.
Parking garage? Who would drive to TJ on the UWS???
neighbhor:
The point is the space by law is supposed to be a parking garage, but the developer of the building got a variance.
Nothing to do with driving to a supermarket in Manhattan and expecting off street parking. Just a normal parking garage should be there — not TJ.
You’d be surprised !I have friends on the upper east side that do it
LOL
93St Trader Joe’s >>>>> 72nd Street Trader Joe’s
shhhh!
They, very kindly and humanely, let senior citizens and the disabled jump the line. Thr fun starts when an able bodied 70 yo attempts to go to the front and and equally able bodied 70 yo who has been waiting starts yelling that they can wait like everyone else. Fun times!
Disabilities are not always visible.
The “conductor” at the 93rd St. store sits on her ladder, spots people with canes and/or disabilities and calls them to the front of the line in a loud, clear voice. I’ve never seen anybody arguing with her — she’s the voice of authority!
I do not understand why senior citizens and others who do not work choose to go to Trader Joe’s and other stores (particularly the pharmacist) at the busiest time. They can go whenever they want – they don’t have jobs. Yet they inevitably go at 6 pm when it is mobbed, making it worse. Do they really enjoy waiting in line?
Oh, my God. You’ve embarrassed yourself in about 4 different ways in this comment.
Don’t ask me how. Just sit quietly for an hour and think about it.
There is only one good time to go to Trader Joes (I’m not telling). Give the Seniors a little leeway and compassion, That may not be the time that they choose but the time that they can go; Older people do have lives too. That might be your mom or your gran that you judge harshly, be kinder
How would you know which of these older people still work at jobs and which do not?
I went a 8:00sm and it is a line outside so there is very rarely no line
There is rarely a line if you go after 8:30 or 9. I have been doing that for years with no problem. Also, most people are quite polite about the line, and it is understood that folks pop out of the line to grab things and come back. I have not seen this slow down the line at all. It is part of the Trader Joe experience! I just wish Trader Joe would stop union-busting and going after the National Labor Relations Board!
It’s not acceptable to police when seniors can shop just because it’s inconvenient for others. Let’s focus on empathy, not exclusion
I’m not policing them. They can do whatever they want. I’m just asking a reasonable question and making a suggestion that will make life better both for them and for everyone else.
I find it ironic/sad that you are telling me not to police others yet you are policing me from trying to make the world a better place for everyone.
And to the other poster, I do not know who has a job and who doesn’t. But it is often fairly obvious, and again, I’m just making a suggestion – I am not asking people to show their W2 in order to get in at prime time. I just don’t understand why someone would want to wait in line if they don’t have to. They don’t have to justify themselves to me or anything else.
Everyone on the UWS is such an expert and is looking for reasons to be angry. Lighten up!
Everyone on the UWS is such an expert and is looking for reasons to be angry. Lighten up!”……. you’re free to move wherever you want.
Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.
Not reasonable — not cool, Bro. Feel free to shop elsewhere.
So funny. Nobody minds waiting on line forever for their Starbucks orders! But — groceries??? Skip the Starbucks and then have more ‘waiting time’ for your groceries!
Are the elevators and escalators working again?
As of yesterday, only partially.
No. It is ridiculous. Sometimes neither is working.
Today was a good day for those with mobility issues- only the escalator up is not working.
It has been like this for at least 3 years.
The up escalator from the middle floor to the top level is still not working
I don’t find anything artful about the lines at TJs 72nd St. I mostly stopped shopping there because of the lines. I’d rather spend more at Fairway and get in and out quickly. I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles where TJs are plentiful and the lines minimal so I shop there often when on the West Coast.
Fairway is no longer Fairway and the prices aren’t good either ever since it was bought.
Fairway is owned by Wakefern. It’s Shoprite (with absolutely silly prices),
Don’t worry. Vote for Mamdani and you’ll have no money for groceries ANYWHERE!
Why?
Correct, it’s a shell of itself. It used to be a neighborhood spot, they knew you, the appetizing was excellent, butchers and fishmongers took time to listen to your requests, the prepared food was a social event, etc. Now it’s a stop and shop with self check out. Thank goodness for Zabars. . .
There are Trader Joe’s at W 93 and W 125th that are way better.
My husband & I go together to make the “shop while on line” dance easier. We call that little split off “The Gauntlet of Temptation”. Because there’s the two of us it’s easier to not succumb to peanutbutter cups and ginger chews and what not. The employees there are wonderful though, always friendly and helpful so you leave forgetting about the lines until next time!
Line dancing at TJ’s? Cool!
Similarly, if the line is really, really long, and we are not buying that much, one of us immediately gets in line while the other does the shopping! It is sad that this is necessary but it is much more efficient.
Gauntlet of temptation 🤣
We call it “being in the lists.”
And the good news is that the elevator and cart lift is back in service, though not yet the escalator.
GUS, How timely!!! I was in NYC over labor Day to assist my son/new apt. Between trips to Gartners’ , found myself at 72nd TJ’s where we were invited to “shop lightly” due to the escalator being inop. You absolutely nailed the line and its’ intricacies, which I was partly able to suss out on that first trip. Then it was off to Ikea for yet another epic line ! Us San Diego folk can now revel in our long lines-knowing that they could be longer!
Love the WSR, makes me feel like Im slowly getting to know your neighborhood. Thanks!
My gf’s secret is to estimate which line has more shopping carts therefore actually being shorter. Shhh dont tell anyone our strategy tho !
Hate this TJ. Always go to the one on Columbus.
Slow “news” day at WSR?
108th and Columbus. Don’t pass it on!
But you can meet lovely people! Last winter I was standing in a long line and behind me heard two young men talking about retirement. Having just retired myself (age 76) I turned around, and these two gorgeous men in their early thirties said hello. One is with the Houston Ballet, the other just became a principal with NYCB.. As soon as I returned home I bought a ticket to see my new acquaintance in his starring role in Apollo.
Plus an added bonus. You can also meet dogs that are not allowed in Treader Joe’s!
With all due respect, the topic is not worth the space granted to it.
Then don’t waste your time reading/commenting! Easy solution.
Those who do all of their shopping while in the line are inconsiderate, at best. They hold up the flow and cause others to move their baskets several times. Sure, if you forget one thing and need to grab it while in line, fine. Otherwise, do your damn shopping and then get in line.
Holding up the flow?! That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard.
Have you ever tried to navigate a cart against the flow of 2 lines of people, their carts, their baskets, their strollers, just to get to one product, then out, then back through them for another, etc. etc?
The queue IS the flow.
You don’t need to take your cart to get one product out.
If you don’t take your cart then you have to find a place to temporarily leave your cart that isn’t blocking people. Not so easy on crowded days.
I could not disagree more. It is much more inconvenient when someone wants to get their cart through the line to get over to the cheese section and then back out. Just wait until your place in line is next to the cheese.
You missed the point. Clearly, you are someone who shops the line.
Would going in front of someone in line to get cheese be considered “cutting the cheese?”
A little childish humor to brighten everyone’s day.
“As a customer, there can be anxiety in this moment. The yeller operates quickly and can be loud in their critique if you are too slow to react to your assigned number, or heaven forbid, you head to the incorrect cashier or accidentally skip another customer.
The interaction can quickly become a moment of public shaming as the eyes of the line behind you pierce your back.”
Since those famous lines outside Trader Joe’s during the pandemic, all the way up to the present moment, I have NEVER seen this kind of behavior from the employees of the 93rd Street TJ. We have a sweet crew of workers up here. The less hardy of the 72nd Street shoppers who would like to be treated in a more kindly manner might enjoy coming uptown once in awhile to do their shopping.
This speaks to a pet peeve of mine. There is a long line. People have other things to do. When you get near the front of the line, be ready to go. When they call out where you should go, get there asap to keep things moving. That should not be the time when you suddenly decide you have an important text to respond to, need to check the weather, tie your shoe, or whatever else. You had the whole time in line to do so. Or you can do it once you are checked up. Be respectful of my time. This is New York City!
Be respectful of my time? How about not texting while you’re walking on sidewalks?!! Nobody is NYC is respectful of anybody’s time.
And purposely doing it on the side of the sidewalk where you know you’ll run into ppl walking towards you, thus keeping you somewhat safe w/nose in phone, but inconveniencing those walking on the conventionally correct side of the sidewalk. Obnoxious!
These points are not mutually exclusive – I agree with you 100% on this as well. People are incredibly selfish and inconsiderate and both of our examples clearly demonstrate this!
I have experienced nothing but courtesy and real helpfulness from all the 72nd Street employees.
Went into the giant store on First Avenue and 59th Street last week…….overwhelming!
Honestly, I’ve never witnessed the staff being disrespectful at 72nd.
Now the line at 59th Street is something else! It goes thru nearly every aisle but it moves so fast you really can’t shop the line. The line at 72nd has nothing on 59th.
you forgot to mention that Senior can come up front & avoid the line..
The staff is like those in DisneyLand….
Fortunately, I’ve always been able to wait my turn; heard only recently about the “Senior Skip.” I resent when others cut in line; don’t want to be one of them.
Love the well-written article! So true, so true, and so New Yorkie!!
Love this article, you nailed it, beautifully written❣️
When I had my hip replaced, I was limping and the TJ staff insisted I cut the line, despite my saying it wasn’t necessary. This store is unique in that the customers actually talk to each other and comment on the food. I discovered it in California many years ago when it was only a regional chain. I was impressed at the eclectic clientele — aging hippies, techies, housewives, all talking to each other. I interviewed Doug Rau, the CEO who brought TJs national. I asked him if knew that the lines were the new social hangout, and he laughed. A couple that met on line wanted to have their wedding at the store. He had to decline, reluctantly. He couldn’t close a TJ for a special event.
I hope that was just a typo and you were limping before your hip replacement and NOT after. Shouldn’t happen.
This TJ at 72nd is ranked by a national consumer unit as the Worst TJ in NYC for the following and much more
1. Product Quality & Product Assurance Extensive Failures with No Improvements
2. Too many empty Product shelves
3. Fraudulent & Contradictory Product Labels & Ingrediants
4. No Follow up and No Response & No Resolution when customers complain by this TJ 72nd location Nor from Corporate
5. Staff Turnover on TJ 72nd only results with more and more negative, toxic. abusive and self entitled Captains, Mates, Cashiers, Staff etc
6. Long Lines obstruct other customers from shopping to retrieve products that these customers in line will not move so you can get them
7. Federal, State and City Regulatory Agencies are in the process of charging TJ
8. This national consumer unit is releasing their local and national reports against TJ and more with potential federal lawsuits.
What is this “national consumer unit”? I’d love to see their report and know how it was prepared. Same with the charges in process by federal, state, and city agencies.
I love TJ’s on 72nd St. and Travel from 138th St. to shop there. The employees are extraordinary and I have always found the lines to move quickly. Pushing someone’s basket along does not hold up the line. Since I am visually challenged, I often need help to find a product and the staff is always so incredibly gracious. I even needed help to call an Uber, and the manager helped me. Thank you to all the incredible employees on 72nd St. You make shopping a pleasure.
I am retired so am able to go there around 10:30 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday and encounter almost no line.
That’s good to know, bc it’s not reasonable to shop at TJ’s if you’re only buying a few things.
Thank you for your comment. I am getting tons of angst from people for suggesting above (not requiring or ordering – just trying to be helpful) that people who are able to go at different times do so. This confirms that it truly would help. If they want to waste their time waiting in line (and waste the time of their neighbors) then that is up to them. It is completely irrational.
You captured it, Gus! The only thing you left out is that the inner line, in that final sprint to the cashier, is offered reading material to while away the time – an array of greeting cards from “Happy Birthday” to “Sympathy.” Not for the indecisive, however. Definitely “Grab and go”!!
I love TJ’s despite the lines. I wish they would open a store in the old PC Richards space at 86th and Broadway.
There’s a store I won’t miss. Ugh.
We go to the Col/W.93rd one — usually long and steady, well-managed lines. The traffic managers, cashiers, and restocking people are courteous and helpful. Be courteous with them! Their jobs aren’t easy. (I would appreciate it if they wore masks, but one no longer expects that.)
Winter
Cold light through glass doors—
milk and eggs wait by the steps,
a river of carts.
Spring
First-timers falter,
blossoms drift across the line,
eyes wide with surprise.
Summer
Old hands move steady,
zucchini caught mid-stride,
entropy in the aisles.
Autumn
Line bends, then settles,
pumpkins piled beside the path,
cashiers come in view.
Now
Voices like water,
numbers rise and fall downstream,
patience is the oar.
Carts drift and return,
each pause a small surrender,
each step a current.
To float is enough,
the line itself carries us,
time becomes the shore.
I leave with full bags,
yet already behind us
the river returns.
Senior citizens an people with disabilities can go to the front of the line and be admitted by the all powerful assigner of checkers.
I shop @72nd st TJ and find the line length an insult to the consumer. One learns how to navigate your shopping list but the bottom line is it still remains an insult to the customer.
Well written and amusingly descriptive piece; well done!
TJ’s produce is awful. Cheap, but inedible, unless you smother it with sugar or oil or salt or all of the above. It’s really just a place to buy discount junk/comfort food. The only thing that is reliable is their nuts, which are mostly covered in oil and/or sugar and/or salt. So, here’s a thought: How about don’t put that all that deliciously deadly stuff in your bodies? Cost: $0. Time spent: zero minutes.. Benefit: healthy, happy longevity. Or go ahead and buy those discount cookies. You can save some of your money for the doctors and dentists. Just sayin’.
My experience has been that the produce that’s in season generally tastes good. Once it’s out of season it loses flavor and goes rotten quickly.
Tonight I had a large container of beautiful organic blackberries ($7), a greek salad ($4) and broiled salmon ($10/lb) with brown rice all from Trader Joe’s and it went down fine. It depends what you buy.
Their produce is awful. Glad someone is calling them out on that.
Hard to fathom why they don’t come up with a way to eliminate the huge line. Would never subject myself to this – I’m spending my money in your store, treat me like a human not a sucker.
It costs money to hire more cashiers — hance the line.
Enjoy your one of three TJs on the UWS
Pity us former UWSers who live in areas where there is no Trader Joes
Seems the Hudson Valley is not worthy of one.
A new Costco is being built in Albany (an hour or more drive for most in the HV) so I guess that is something.
I miss standing in line at Trader Joes, Gourmet Garage, Citarella and also miss Fresh Direct.
My last trip to 72nd TJoe’s, my checker juggled 2 grapefruit and a lemon for me…delightful!
I knew when I saw the topic that it would provoke a lot of comments, positive and negative. I have shopped at TJ’s 72nd St since they opened in 2010 and have only good things to say about the store, products, employees, and management. (Their escalators and elevator have been woefully unreliable but I take stairs voluntarily, even at age 78) I have never experienced any of AODW’s issues except #2, stock outages, and only occasionally.
What I would really like to know is, what is this “national consumer unit” AODW refers to?
We all have choices, folks, shop wherever you want. BTW, the left line is likely to be quicker, all else equal since it is the inside lane of a U or L shape.
The insanely long lines seem unavoidable, because the cashiers are very efficient and fast.
In my opinion, there needs to be a much less annoying way to get to the products on the perimeter without having to break though two lines every time.
I actually live in the building above TJ and never shop there because of the poor selection and ridiculous lines. Fairway all the way.
This article, perhaps jokingly, advocates for a way of shopping that’s really annoying to other people standing in line.
I love this so much! A beautiful ode to this weekly ritual. We recently moved back to NYC from Arizona and the Trader Joe’s line at 72nd St (and less so Columbus) is one of the things I’ve remarked on to friends back in AZ. I even brought a visiting friend with me to witness the line and act as runner for the items I need while in the line. I was amazed the first time I waited in the line at just how fast it actually moves despite the daunting length of the line!
The 71st TJ is an absolute dump and disaster. The elevators and escalators break constantly and most of the food is to the right of one of the lines to the cashiers making it difficult to get to. The store is poorly put together and it makes no sense not to directly bag the items rather than place them on the counter in a pile first. Slows everything down! Sorry.
Up on 93 TJs actually had a woman with an infant save a spot in line for what was probably the sitter. The voices were not vague, but I resisted. Not easy.
Shout out to the TJ’s employees ♥️
It used to be Fairway. Those were the days. I had a great Fairway coffee mug. I hate Trader Joe’s.
Has anyone seen the Trader Joe’s at East 59th Street – a vast space on one level? TJ could do better for the UWS.
« Hey, I’m shopping here! »
Thanks for the wonderful piece
Way to take a whole lot of nothing and stretch it into the most over dramatic written opinion.
It is not important to you, but it is to other people.
I always enjoy what I call the Trader Joe’s Two-Step: get on line and continue shopping as you move forward. A common practice for all of us waiting to check out. ALSO: In pre-pandemic days, there was a long line just to get in to Trader Joes. It sometimes stretched around the 72nd Street corner half way to W.E.A.