#westenddc

Trader Joe’s is a land of beautifully packaged modestly priced chocolate. 

I visited the West End Trader Joe’s in DC on St. Patricks Day, March 17th. 

The chocolate bars are located in the check out aisle along with other last minute baked goods and protein bars (upper right). The check out area is at the front of the store perpendicular to the entrance. The location of the chocolates make them a definite last minute addition to shopper’s purchase

The chocolate bars are spread out across several shelves in the check out aisle. They are mostly aligned on the middle row with either gum or licorice above them and protein bars below them. The shelves are pretty disheveled, as expected in a grab and go area on a busy Sunday afternoon (bottom two). 
The most expensive chocolate bar is $3.99 with the remainder averaging at around $1.99. 

The variety is mostly in terms of the darkness of the chocolate bar—with several dark versus milk variations. The large, more expensive boxes of chocolate are Trader Joe’s brand Swiss chocolate. These are the most clean and visually appealing bars with simple, bright, monotone colors and bold font. Other chocolate varieties include hazelnut, birthday cake, and super dark. With the exception of the big Swiss bars, the chocolate at Trader Joe’s is generally busy packaging with multiple colors, a lot of text and shiny plastic wrap.

Several bars display their places of origin on the text of the box. For example the dark chocolate lover’s Trader Joe’s brand advertise being from the Tumaco Region of Columbia (bottom left).

While these chocolates are beautifully packaged, it appears they’re not marketed based on their appearance. They are located on shelves below eye level. This suggests that they’re not being stared at before purchase but rather being grabbed upon quick decision making.

The chocolate bars were also conveniently located next to some self care products like rose, face masks, and fancy toner water. While it wasn’t Valentine’s day, the store was definitely marketing their chocolate to a certain demographic of shoppers looking to enjoy a relaxing night.

For a simple flavor chocolate with a modest but artistic label, check out Trader Joe’s.