CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trader Joe’s denied any of its product names are racist and said it would continue to sell the items if they “resonate” with customers.
The hip grocery store chain sought to clarify an earlier statement by a spokesperson, responding to a petition that accused product names such as “Trader Ming’s, “Trader José” and “Arabian Joe” as being racist, who said such branding was being phased out.
“While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect,” Trader Joe’s spokesperson Kenya Friend-Daniel said in a statement on July 19. “With this in mind, we made the decision several years ago to use only the Trader Joe’s name on our products moving forward.”
However, the store took issue with news reports that suggested it agreed with the petition, which accused Trader Joe’s of selling a “narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes,” and the decision to change the packaging was part of the racial reckoning other brands, such as Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben’s, have faced.
“We want to be clear: we disagree that any of these labels are racist. We do not make decisions based on petitions,” Trader Joe’s wrote on its website. “We make decisions based on what customers purchase, as well as the feedback we receive from our customers and Crew Members. If we feel there is need for change, we do not hesitate to take action.”
“Decades ago, our Buying Team started using product names, like Trader Giotto’s, Trader José‘s, Trader Ming’s, etc. We thought then—and still do—that this naming of products could be fun and show appreciation for other cultures,” the statement continued. “These products have been really popular with our customers.
The retailer reaffirmed it began reviewing all of its products a couple of years ago to see if any needed to be refreshed or discontinued. Indeed, some products that weren’t “connecting or selling very well” were dropped.
However, since the petition and subsequent news reports came out, the company said feedback from customers showed they viewed these international variations on the Trader Joe’s name as they were intended-- “as an attempt to have fun with our product marketing.”
The evaluation process will continue, the company said, adding, “products that resonate with our customers and sell well will remain on our shelves.”
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July 30, 2020 at 07:22PM
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Trader Joe’s denies branding is racist, vows to continue selling products that ‘resonate’ with customers - cleveland.com
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