Okay, so I've been thinking about this a bit since the posts about Trader Joe's stance on free-range eggs. (that is, they're going to keep selling them).

The thing is...I, and many other VBers shop at more mainstream stores (Albertson's, Jewel, Publix, etc.) that sell factory farmed eggs. There is little (no?) outcry against these stores for their policies.

I'm wondering why that is...why do some feel that TJ's, et. al. should be held to a different standard. I'm questioning this is the most non-judgemental way I know how..so please don't be offended. I too, am a bit taken back by TJ's stance on the issue and find myself debating whether I shall continue to shop there. However, I shop at my local co-op, and formerly at Dominick's (when I lived too far away from the coop), who both sell factory farmed eggs.

Additionally, TJ's, Whole Foods, WildOats, etc. all sell meat, and other items which I would prefer weren't available.

Just wondering how/where people draw the line on where to shop?

i shop where it's cheap *shrug* heh.

When it's practical and convenient, I go for the source that causes the least cruelty. When I'm about to go insane and broke from the stress of it, I don't worry about it.

I don't really care much what kind of eggs and meat are being sold as I do not buy them. Let the consumers who actually buy them decide whether or not they want to frequent certain places. Personally, I think Trader Joe's is a great store and meets many of my needs; I would be silly to stop shopping there because of a product I don't even use.

I don't shop at Trader Joe's, but more because there's a Whole Foods half a mile away and to get to TJs I have to go at lesat three miles away and cross two busy intersections. Location, location, location....

I would never boycott a store like TJ's just because they don't sell all free-range eggs! =-O Of course, I don't do all my shopping at a Co-op or natural food store either, but I would think a store that does more good than harm (by carrying vegan goodies so we can eat!) would get praise!

Trader Joe's egg policy does bother me a little. But they also have a lot of good veg*an stuff that I like. I feel that if I continue to buy their veg*an products, I'm encouraging them to continue to sell these items, because there's a demand for them. I think that's important.

I haven't heard about TJ's egg policy but I think there's a simple solution: Don't buy eggs at Trader Joe's. :D

A store is going to stock what people are buying. Vote with your dollars. When I buy Silk and Organic Valley eggs at Albertsons, then Albertsons gets the message that those things sell, and they keep stocking them. Honestly, I shop where it's convenient and economic. I tend to frequent a handful of different stores depending on what I'm looking for. Cheap specialty items? Trader Joe's. Organic produce? Central Market. Canned goods and household supplies? Albertsons or Costco.

If we were to boycott every store that sold stuff we wouldn't eat, I don't think any of us would have a single place to shop!

I believe that people get upset about stores like Trader Joes selling goods like these because we want to believe that these stores "know better". We want to believe that they actually try to operate in an ethical manner out of the goodness of their hearts, not just because they've discovered us as niche market.

I don't understand it either, Jen. As far as I am aware TJs has not billed itself as a natural foods store so why the dogged comparison the WF/WO (which we are not making to grocery stores in general).

Certainly positively toned letters to TJs might help but I am skeptical. TJs competes on price nearly 100%, that is their business. WF/WO compete on service and experience, it makes way more sense for them to sell a more expensive product to enhance public opinion of their stores.

There are no vegan shops within cooee of where I live. Niether are there any shops that strike me as being particularly more ethical than the usual. So I choose my shops by distance, I go to the ones I can walk to and bus back from. I currently have no other form of transportation. (My bike brakes don't work) If I only went to shops that sold purely ethically sound products I'd die of starvation, and I don't intend on doing that any time soon.

Hmm. That's wierd. I've read that TJ's specifically has stated that they are not an animal rights/welfare driven store, but a natural/health food store, thus the soy/organic stuff. They do sell meat/gelatin etc. afterall, why are free-range eggs considered worse? That's very odd.

My post from the other thread...

Because they're most likely to change. Their two biggest competitors have already done it and a significant portion of their customer base would likely support a change like this.


Personally I'm more upset that they dismissed this so easily. As I said in the other thread, even KFC and McDonalds will at least act like they're interested in animal welfare. Plus they put a page up on their website defending their purchase of factory-farmed eggs. Give me a break, that alone is enough of a reason for me to boycott a store.

For those of you not familiar with what's being discussed you can see this thread...

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=40632

i go to the stores that have the food that i want at the prices that i can afford. most grocery stores don't have what i want--so i go to hfss moreso than 'regular' stores. at the hfs, they sell a lot of things that i don't eat, so i just don't buy them. no big deal.