When I lived in the United States, one of the highlights of my week was my Sunday morning trip to Trader Joe’s. Filling my cart with affordable, fresh produce, exciting new products from around the world and the best peanut butter the planet has ever seen was like a ritual for me. But as magical as this grocery store is, nobody is perfect, not even Trader Joe himself.

Below, you’ll find some hilarious photos of mishaps that shoppers have shared on the Trader Joe’s subreddit, from receiving bags full of sauce that were supposed to contain pasta to accidentally dumping half a jar of seasoning out at once, as well as an interview with Natasha Fischer of Trader Joe's List. Enjoy this virtual trip to one of the best grocery stores in the world (although, you wouldn't know it from this list!), and be sure to upvote the pics you can’t help but laugh at!

#1 Sad Sad Day

Image credits: idwatn

#2 The Sign Maker Deserves A Raise!

Image credits: downwardfacingdragon

#3 Trader Joe’s Ghee Will Outlive Us All

Image credits: merricat_blackwood

You might be wondering if it’s normal to be so passionate about a grocery store, but a trip through Trader Joe’s is simply a unique experience. If you’re not familiar with the concept, Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain that began in Pasadena, California, in 1967 but has since spread all over the United States, with 569 stores currently open. The concept is different to most other grocery chains, as their stores are much smaller than a Wal-Mart or Whole Foods, and they specialize in selling almost exclusively their own brand of products. TJ’s tends to be much more reasonably priced than other stores with comparable products, but they also sell unique items you won’t find anywhere else.

Along with your basic grocery essentials, Trader Joe’s also has a fascinating variety of items inspired by cuisines from all over the world. Some of their most famous products are Cookie Butter, Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, Mandarin Orange Chicken, Ube Purple Yam Ice Cream, Chicken Gyoza Potstickers and Soy Chorizo. But the store is also known for their ever-changing array of seasonal products, as there is always a pumpkin and maple takeover in the fall and a peppermint extravaganza around Christmas-time.

#4 I Love Trader Joe’s But The Accuracy Here!!!

Image credits: -VintageVagina-

#5 Does Anybody's Local Trader Joe's Actually Have A Decent Parking Lot? Or Are They All Cursed?

Image credits: allthingsmadison

#6 Something I’m Sure We All Can Relate To

Image credits: lotusdreams

Because of how unique Trader Joe’s is, the store has an extremely large and loyal customer base. Hence, the Trader Joe’s subreddit. This online group, which is simply for fans and not actually affiliated with the store, has amassed over 185k members, or Traders as they call them, since it was created in 2011. It’s the perfect place to recommend products, share recipes, ask others for their opinions on new or seasonal items, and, of course, share all of the hilarious grocery mishaps fans of  the store experience.

But this subreddit isn’t the only place online where avid Trader Joe’s shoppers can learn more about the store, so to gain more insight on the TJ’s experience, we reached out to Natasha Fischer, creator of Trader Joe’s List. On her site, as well as the accompanying Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, Natasha shares reviews of TJ’s products, ratings, recipes, BINGO boards and more. And lucky for us, she was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about what she loves most about Trader Joe’s. “I love the overall vibe when you walk in the store,” she shared. “The music, the merchandising, the friendly workers, it’s anything but stale and feels like a place where your friends work. I can contrast that with other grocery stores that feel like a stale warehouse. Trader Joe’s has a pulse.”

#7 Hipster Eggplant Found At The Trader Joes In Silverlake, Ca

Image credits: coolyounglu

#8 Long Day

Image credits: mattjenkinscomic

#9 No Plans, No Guides, Just Vibes

Image credits: chosbully

Although she’s a fan of the store, we were curious if Natasha had ever experienced any funny mishaps through her Trader Joe’s shopping. “I recently bought a package of the Ube Joe Joe’s (Trader Joe's version of Oreos), and when I opened the box, it looked like 2 were missing,” she shared. “It wasn’t until I read the total servings ‘8’ and each serving is ‘1 cookie’ that I realized it wasn’t a mishap. I wasn’t completely wrong however, I soon found out that they reduced the serving from 8 to 10 cookies and had not yet updated the packaging to accommodate less cookies.” Natasha even caught the incident on camera, which you can watch right here!

#10 Was Excited To Try The Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese. The Worst Part? I Live 3 Hours Away From My Nearest Trader Joe’s

Image credits: zchvns

#11 Seasons: ‘It’s Not Time For Corn Yet.’ Trader Joe’s: What The F Did You Just Say To Me?’

Image credits: maxxhock

#12 New Bodybuilding Eggplants?

Image credits: Cascoded

“Sometimes the chip to bag ratio is in favor of the bag,” Natasha added. “I’ve never gone to Trader Joe’s about this, but I’m sure If I did, they would happily refund my purchases. I do believe this is a problem with most bags of chips everywhere, not necessarily a Trader Joe’s specific problem.” 

#13 TJ’s Printer Coloration And Sizing Need Adjusting

Image credits: Briggy1986

#14 "Broccoli And Cauliflower Duet"

Image credits: BroccoliFlorentine

#15 My Salmon Expires On February 30th. Is 2021 A Leap-Leap Year?

Image credits: greglieb

Trader Joe’s also happens to be known for having excellent customer service, so Natasha noted that, “You can always take it back to Trader Joe’s if you do not like a product and get your money back.” Just be sure to keep your receipt! Those Hawaiian shirt-wearing TJ’s employees are incredibly friendly, helpful and will even allow you to sample any item in the store if you just ask. (Yes, I have done this before!) 

#16 Bought Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls And Got Vanilla

Image credits: FoodandWine605

#17 Well, Looks Like I’ll Be Boiling Some Pasta

Image credits: Parkey_Park

#18 Omg Y'all, Check Out My Two Different Bags Of Ravioli Bought On The Same Shopping Trip. I Opened The Sauce Heavy Bag First And Would Have Been Devastated If I Didn't Have A Second

Image credits: juniperdaisies

We also wanted Natasha’s thoughts on what some of the best products at Trader Joe’s are. “Just Mango: perfect to eat directly out of the bag as-is,” she told Bored Panda. “The quality varies somewhat, some month’s they are perfect, other months they can be dried out. Most always, perfect.”

“Bomba Sauce: I put this on everything for added spice. Quality is perfect every time,” the TJ’s expert continued. “Slightly Dusted Dark Chocolate Almonds - I eat these throughout the day, everyday. I actually had to portion the bag into smaller bags, so I cap the amount of almonds I’m allowed each day or I would eat them all. I have never had a bad batch.”

#19 So, I Decided To Try The Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe

Image credits: Killer_Bs

#20 My Hold The Cone Took The Assignment A Little Too Literally… As There Is Literally… No Cone

Image credits: Quiet_Attitude4053

#21 Maybe.. I Don’t Buy Bacon From Tj’s Anymore

Image credits: churrobun

Another one of Natasha’s favorite Trader Joe’s items is the Farm Raised Fish. “This is going to trigger a lot of people, but Trader Joe’s has high quality standards, and I have found some of the best tasting farm raised fish from Trader Joe’s,” she shared. “Just this week I picked up the salmon that is farm raised from Norway (Norway has some of the strictest aquaculture regulations), and it was unbelievable! Plus it cost only $5.99 a filet. The quality was delicious. I posted about it and it seems consistent that it’s a favorite for many, so I can conclude it’s always been up to quality.” 

Natasha went on to note that, although Trader Joe’s has amazing plants, the flower/plant area is the place where she’s seen the most deviation in quality. “The flowers are generally amazing, but sometimes I get my flowers or plant home only to realize it was a bit ‘sick’. 80% of the time, there are no issues (compared to the food, which I’d say is 98% of the time).”

#22 TJ’s Apple Cider Vinegar Beverage Is Köe Kombucha On The Inside? I’m Curious As To The Story Here

Image credits: justic3bon3r

#23 I Can Only Assume They Were Down To Their Last Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Image credits: HandSewnHome

#24 My Garlic Pesto Pizza Just Decided To Become A Soufflé In The Oven

Image credits: breadbutthead

“I’ve been shopping at Trader Joe’s for over a decade and have built friendly relationships with many of the employees and affiliates over the years,” Natasha went on to share. “The only area where the quality may be deteriorating quicker than elsewhere is internally on the corporate side. It seems Trader Joe’s employees and affiliates are not as happy as they used to be. I can not provide a ton of details on why, that is outside of public knowledge (the deterioration of benefits, pay, etc for crew members) and hearsay from the folks I’ve chatted with about the internal culture. Unfortunately that’s not as easy to fix as a less than half full bag of chips, but I hope it improves, as that eventually that could change the vibe I’ve come to love and share for over a decade.” 

If you’d like to learn more about the best products at Trader Joe’s and which ones to avoid, be sure to check out Trader Joe’s List right here!

#25 My BBQ Chicken Salad Was Virtually All Cheese-Which Might Make It The Perfect Salad. The Bag On The Cutting Board Is The Just The Cheese I Removed From The Salad

Image credits: somasmarti

#26 PSA For Inattentive People, TJ’s Changed Their Red Pepper Flakes Container To A Flip Top

So uh, don’t unscrew the whole top and shake it like you used to unless you want to end up with half a jar of red pepper in your food

Image credits: welluuasked

#27 The "Arrested Development" Banana Reference Popped Up Two Days Ago On Imgur. Anyone Know Which Store Created It?

Image credits: eaglebtc

I don’t know about you, pandas, but I’m definitely craving some Trader Joe’s Sweet Cinnamon Filled Korean Pancakes, avocado toast with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and Oat Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Sandwiches! Whether you have a Trader Joe’s near you or not, we hope you’ve enjoyed these hilarious grocery mishaps, and remember to keep upvoting your favorites. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring funny supermarket fails, look no further than right here!

#28 Bought Two Cans Of Organic Black Beans, Both Were Filled With Garbonzo Beans

Image credits: tameimpalakid

#29 There Was A Baby Mussel In My Smoked Mussels

Image credits: bekrueger

#30 Me: I'm Going To Be Strong! I'm Not Going To Buy A Ton Of Seasonal Items Today! Tj's:

Image credits: notapeacock

#31 Chicken Chow Mein Literally Came With 3 Pieces Of Chicken!

Image credits: simcat2

#32 Love Me Some Tj Taki’s But Didn’t Think They’d Include Complementary Bath Bomb

Image credits: Any_Ad5627

#33 So Much Sauce

Image credits: chicken-finger1

#34 So, Trader Joe's Changed The Lid On The Garlic Powder

Image credits: -hot_ham_water-

#35 Almost Made A Huge Mistake With Our Late-Night Ice Cream

Image credits: boardingtheplane

#36 Came On The Best Day To Make Sure I Stick To My Shopping List

Image credits: -misschanandlerbong

#37 Two People Took Every Single Last One Of The Ube Pretzels.. I Am So Mad Because I Could Never Find Them Every Time I Shop And I Guess I Know Why??

Image credits: Sharulle

#38 Ah Yes, All “6 Servings” Of Trader Joe’s Broccoli Beef

Image credits: ADHDavidThoreau

#39 Has Anyone Tried The Urine Based Egg Nog?

Image credits: KeepingItSFW

#40 Trader Joe’s, Stop Being Cheap With The Butter Chicken. My Last Purchase

Image credits: Phila21767

#41 Looks Like The Manufacturer Of The Seltzer Water Had An Oopsie!

Image credits: Gr4phicDe51gn