I spent an hour at the world’s busiest Trader Joe’s – the truth about what it’s really like and how long shoppers spend in line

Battling through shoppers at the ‘world’s busiest’ Trader Joe’s on one of the most crowded nights of the year so far was not for the faint-hearted. 

As a Trader Joe’s novice, I wasn’t prepared for the wall-to-wall crowds at the Manhattan store on Thursday during my trip to the chain retailer as people started stockpiling ahead of this weekend’s incoming storm.

Many of the sprawling shelves were bare or reduced to beat-up produce and squished bread. 

For an hour, I was shoulder checked and jostled as customers grumbled that the store at 72nd and Broadway was ‘out of everything.’

Carts and baskets were abandoned in corners and everyone was getting increasingly annoyed as they shopped during evening rush hour around 5pm. 

According to Trader Joe’s website, the store that’s just two blocks from Central Park and opened in 2010 is ‘hands down the busiest Trader Joe’s in the world.’ 

It spans two levels underground, not including the entrance floor at street level, with four escalators and two elevators. 

To handle the sheer shopper volume, the retailer said it has ‘about thrice as many checkstands and thrice as many crew members as a typical TJ’s.’

But even with so many staff, the line to check out wrapped around the top floor twice and was getting longer by the minute. 

Employees mumbled under their breath, calling shoppers ‘stupid’ for failing to move with the flow of traffic. 

I stood in line for 16 minutes, with a few yoghurts and a bag of apples in hand. 

I spoke with customers amid the hustle and bustle who explained why, despite the crowds, this Trader Joe’s was the only place to go.

Tracy Gary, 54, lives nearby and is a frequent customer of the 12,500sq ft store.

‘I was talking to the checkout person, and she said that this is Saturday busy on a Thursday because of the snowstorm.’ 

About 230 million people across 34 states are under a variety of weather watches, warnings and other alerts ahead of the historic storm, named Fern, that could crush trees and power lines and knock out power for days. 

It is due to hit New York from early Sunday morning. 

Gary has weathered the crowds for years because the prices are affordable and she can almost always find what she’s looking for. 

‘I feel like even when the line is really long, it moves very quickly because they play good music and the staff are really friendly…

‘People get kind of aggravated… but that’s just an opportunity to practice inner peace,’ she said.

Audrey Wolfson, 70, was unbothered by chaos. ‘It’s been much longer than that,’ she said.

The queue is infamous and has been a hot topic on local social media pages. Some have seen it wind all the way down the sidewalk. 

‘The line for Trader Joe’s just broke me,’ one New Yorker wrote on Reddit a few months ago. 

‘It’s all the way down to Amsterdam again. I just wanted some chili lime seasoning. I guess I don’t need it that badly. I just turned around and went home.’

While most of the bread shelves were empty on Thursday, Wolfson managed to get her hands on a loaf of Ezekiel bread that her mother had insisted she try.

‘I read that olive oil was good for you,’ she said. ‘So, I’m taking a piece of bread and putting olive oil on it.’

Wolfson visits this Trader Joe’s a lot, but tries to avoid the swarms of crowds that shop right after work.

She appreciates the lower prices and unique selection. Still, she often has to make another stop at Fairway Market to finish off her list.

‘My pet peeve is they don’t have a lot of fresh produce,’ she said.

Gary, too, was headed to Fairway in search of some sauerkraut. ‘I’m very specific about my produce,’ she said. 

For many, the busiest Trader Joe’s in the world is a convenience. For others, it’s a tourist attraction.  

Kevin Chong, Shikin Shukor and Ekmar Ripin were visiting New York City from Malaysia.

It was 36-year-old Chong’s first time at a Trader Joe’s. He emerged with a paper bag full of the grocery store’s famous totes, wine and chocolate. 

‘It’s a landmark here,’ he said. 

Shukor and Ripin, who are married, visit this exact store every time they come to America. 

‘It’s tradition,’ Shukor, 46, said. ‘We got to Gray’s Papaya and then it’s Trader Joe’s.’

Gray’s Papaya is a notable hot dog stand across the street. 

The couple pursues the store’s spices and Asian food when they’re feeling homesick.

‘A few days into the city, we usually love the food, but we miss our home-cooked food,’ said Shukor. 

‘So we’re here to stock up on some Asian stuff and Trader Joe’s has got a pretty neat collection.’ 

Chinatown is a 30-minute subway ride away but they said it is too far and the world’s busiest Trader Joe’s acts as a suitable replacement. 

They’re more than willing to wait ‘as long as the line takes.’

Grace Van Petten, 21, lives just a few blocks away in Hell’s Kitchen. Despite having other grocery stores nearby, this is her store of choice. 

She and her friend Emma Alley, 21, visited the store to pick up some ingredients for dinner and were astounded by the crowds. 

‘I feel like they have a lot of dishes that I could not get elsewhere, a lot of different cuisines that I may not have tried before, so I like it,’ Alley said. 

‘I agree. I think they have the best prices,’ added Van Petten, 21. 

‘I usually will avoid Trader Joe’s on Sundays, but I never, never saw it quite like this on a Thursday.’

Most customers seemed more than willing to bear the wait time of the brutal line. 

They stared at their phones and kicked their baskets along the floor as the queue shuffled along.

In some spots, the underground store lacks a mobile phone signal, leaving waiting patrons queuing without distraction.

While shoppers on Thursday were willing to join the back of the line, which is always indicated with a member of staff holding up a huge flag, reviewers online had a more scathing opinion of how fast it moved.

One wrote: ‘Crazy long checkout lines. Why don’t you install self-checkout like Whole Foods?’

Another added: ‘Abysmal. You spend most of your time waiting to pay. The queue is so long that it impedes people from doing their shopping.’

While a third wrote: ‘Always out of stock of the item! This is the worst location. Every other Trader Joe’s I go to, I don’t have a problem with getting what I need. Avoid this place.’

The original Trader Joe’s opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967 and quickly skyrocketed in popularity and now boasts more than 600 locations nationwide. 

Trader Joe’s traditionally skipped out on traditional ad campaigns and commercials. 

Instead, it relied on unique products and seasonal items to keep customers coming back. And regardless of lines, weather forecast or stock, at the Broadway location, they do.

The Daily Mail reached out to Trader Joe’s for further comment.