Trader Joe's and Hawaii: Why so many residents are obsessed

Apr 12, 2024

As Breana Leong passed through a TSA checkpoint on her way from college in Oregon to her home in Hawaii, an airport agent pulled her duffel bag aside for inspection. Had she accidentally packed a water bottle, or maybe shampoo that exceeded the ounce limit? As the agent unzipped her suitcase and began to unload tropical-themed boxes and tins, she realized it was something much tastier: She had stuffed her bag so full of Trader Joe’s snacks to bring to her family that it triggered security’s X-ray system.

Hawaii residents such as Leong have a special relationship with Trader Joe’s, despite the fact that — or possibly because — the California-based company has no stores in the state. There are also no Trader Joe’s locations in Alaska, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming, nor is the tropical-themed supermarket, known for its Hawaiian-shirt-clad employees, in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico or Guam. But some in the Aloha State have a passion for its products; they give Trader Joe’s snacks as stocking stuffers for the holidays. Visitors to the contiguous United States bring back suitcases full of goodies as souvenirs for their families, as Leong did. (Yes, in the end, TSA let her snacks through.) There are even Facebook groups dedicated to facilitating group orders for those on the islands.

Trader Joe’s declined The Washington Post’s request for comment on its popularity in Hawaii.

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One reason for the love might be the novelty of the products. Many come in cute packaging inspired by varied cultures. Leong, 23, said she thinks the “eye-catching” designs inspired the chain’s word-of-mouth trendiness.

But some residents say a large part of the draw, which Leong remembers from her childhood, is that Hawaii residents simply don’t have easy access. In addition, importing goods to the islands is expensive. For Hawaii residents, buying in bulk is often significantly more cost-friendly than simply going to a supermarket — in fact, the busiest Costco in the world stands squat and gray among the banyan trees in Iwilei, near downtown Honolulu.

“The biggest kicker for us here is how cheap it is,” Ippy Aiona, chef and owner of Ippy’s Hawaiian BBQ on the Big Island, said of Trader Joe’s. “You have all this diversity, they make a bunch of good products, and it’s cheap.”

And then, of course, there is the Hawaiian tradition of giving makana — meaning “gift” in Hawaiian. The practice has similar elements to other concepts of travel-based gift giving in East Asia, such as omiyage in Japan. It is based on the idea that no one ever goes anywhere empty-handed, especially if they’ve traveled long distances. To bring a gift is to show love and respect, and bringing items from Trader Joe’s is popular because they are affordable, simple and well-loved.

“It’s ingrained in us to the point that it’s almost like a negative emotional pattern where you can’t go to someone’s house” without a gift, said Mark Noguchi, a chef and entrepreneur from Oahu. “I will beat myself up, almost like my grandmother is screaming at me right now from above.”

Noguchi opts to bring gifts from local vendors rather than Trader Joe’s; he finds it more personal to give a handmade treat instead of something mass-produced. He tries to be intentional, selecting gifts that express his connection to the receiver. For his friends who cook, for example, he brought back fresh corn tortillas from his most recent trip to California.

Still, Noguchi sees the appeal of Trader Joe’s as a “one-stop-shop” for gifts. He said he also believes that its popularity stems in part from a love of the many tropical fruit- and nut-flavored products. Both are common in Hawaii, and, because of the islands’ proximity to Asia in addition to its 37 percent Asian American population, so are East and South Asian flavors. This is true of umami, the savory flavor identified by Japanese chemistry professor Kikunae Ikeda at start of the 20th century. Trader Joe’s Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning is especially well-loved in Hawaii; Noguchi says he handmade almost the exact same seasoning while working at a restaurant years before the product was released.

“I can definitely see the connection, in a sense that we can identify with it,” he said, citing Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets as a product that delivers flavors favored by and familiar to Hawaii residents.

On the r/Hawaii subreddit, where users come to discuss topics of local interest, some of the island residents’ favorite Trader Joe’s items include Unexpected Cheddar, which is a cheese with a bit of kick; Speculoos Cookie Butter; and spice blends such as the umami seasoning, Everything but the Bagel and Everything but the Elote. Hawaii residents also seem to love Cocoa Batons, the long and round wafer cookies filled with chocolate, although those have been discontinued. On the spicier side, Chile Lime Seasoning Blend, Thai Lime & Chili Cashews and Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips are also popular.

As popular as Trader Joe’s is, Hawaii residents share differing views about whether the company’s hibiscus-covered storefront should actually land among the hibiscuses. Many chain stores are relatively new to the islands, and some residents say the state doesn’t need them at all. Initiatives to rely more on local produce such as the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s “Buy Local, It Matters!” campaign promote both environmental sustainability and economic fortitude. Others, however, would enjoy the convenience of having a Trader Joe’s store on the island.

The issue is part of the much broader debate around decolonization efforts in Hawaii, which have surged since the economy crumbled in the wake of pandemic travel restrictions.

Trader Joe’s has also come under fire from critics who say it appropriates cultural themes in its products and packaging, including petitions calling for product name changes. Aiona, who is Native Hawaiian, says he is typically sensitive about such issues. It upsets him, for example, when hotels keep artifacts from Hawaiian history on display rather than returning them to the Indigenous population.

But Aiona also says that, for him, Trader Joe’s branding is less specifically Hawaiian and more broadly tropical themed.

“I wouldn’t say I have a super intense connection with it, but I do love the products,” Aiona said. “They’re more targeted toward me. … I think they’re always going to be popular here.”

A previous version of this article misstated the states where Trader Joe's has no stores. According to its website, the chain has no stores in Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia or Wyoming, and none in any U.S. territories.