Shopping . . . big and little

My two favorite places to shop and "discover" stuff are Costco and Trader Joe's.

Wow, you may say, those are two really opposite ends of the spectrum. And, that's exactly right. Costco is good for lots of things -- mostly non-perishables -- while Trader Joe's is purely focused on food and related items. It is the European grocery store that we ultimately fell in love with while living in London. Costco is amazing in its own way and that's mostly for saving money.

I used to think TJ's was expensive until my son turned me around on that. Not only are the prices very, very good, but because the items are packaged in reasonable sizes, you save money by not over buying. And the quality and differentiation of choice is outstanding.

One of my criteria for a great shopping experience is whether it's fun. Both Costco and Trader Joe's hit that mark. And, it has nothing to do with size. It has to do with being interesting and not boring and turning your shopping experience into an adventure. It also has to do with marketing and merchandising and it has to do with the people who work there. Are they interesting? Are they well informed? The other day I bought a bar of soap at TJ's and the dreadlocked clerk said he had just seen a documentary on the man who founded the company that made the soap!

Costco overcomes its size with its focus on quality and amazing customer support and guarantee policies. Costco stands behind products the way Nordstrom once did. For such a huge retailer, this is truly amazing. But, it buys customer loyalty and that's priceless.

Another thing I love about Trader Joe's is that it's not pretentious. Take the wine section. They are proud of the value they bring and often apologetic about recommending a wine that costs more than $10 a bottle. And, if you haven't checked out the recipe section of the newly revamped website, you're missing out. I suspect some turn up their nose at TJ's because "it's too small." But, as we discovered when we lived in London, you really can find everything you really need in a small store.

There are probably a lot more reasons to like both stores, these are just a few of my favorites.