You've probably seen the memes: An extra flirty Trader Joe's cashier awkwardly chats it up with a customer about everything from their weekend plans to what to cook with a jar of TJ's Cajun Alfredo sauce.
For quite some time now, people have loved spreading the rumor that Trader Joe's employees flirt with customers—and even that they are told to do so by management. And apparently, the rumors made their way up to the store's executives, because Trader Joe's senior leadership has finally responded.
During a new episode of Trader Joe's podcast, the company's CEO, Bryan Palbaum, and vice CEO and president, Jon Basalone, joined hosts Tara Miller and Matt Sloan to discuss new products, pricing, and of course, flirting.
This might break a few hearts, but in response to the question of whether crew members are told to flirt with customers, Palbaum replied, "Definitively, no."
"Well, I think we just have such a unique environment in our stores that, to go into a Trader Joe's store and feel that everyone is genuinely interested in whether or not you are having a good day, compared to maybe perhaps other retailers, I could see how that might be misinterpreted," Palbaum explained.
For Basalone, people have become so accustomed to interactions that aren't genuine that kindness can sometimes be mistaken for flirting.
"Bryan's right. I mean, you go through this world, and you run into so many people that aren't genuine, that aren't kind to you, that when you walk into a place when that's happening, it feels like, Whoa, okay, I think they're flirting with me, when actually, yeah, that's just what niceness feels like, you know," Basalone added.
Well, there you have it. Sorry to let you down, but they're just being kind.
