This is an iHeart Podcast. Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? WashableSofas.com has your back, featuring the Anibay Collection, the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out, where designer quality meets budget-friendly prices. That's right, sofas started just $699. Enjoy a no-risk experience with pet-friendly, stain-resistant, and changeable slip covers made with performance fabrics.
Experience cloud-like comfort with high-resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity, and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Check out washable sofas.com and get up to 60% off your Anibay sofa, backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees, every penny back.
Upgrade now at washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Good morning, welcome to Today. From back to school to tackling your to-do list, the Today Show is your best start to the day. It's a new season and every morning, we're here to help you take it all on.
as the forecast called for football all across the country. Blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening. We're getting back to all of it, and the best way to start is together. Watch The Today Show, weekday mornings at 7 a.m.
on NBC. This is Danielle Fischel from Pod Meets World. Parents, quick question. When is the last time you won snack time? The other day, I handed my son a perfectly portioned Pinterest-level snack and And he traded it for a Mott's applesauce pouch.
I'm not mad, just impressed. And that's why Mott's no-sugar-added applesauce pouches are perfect to keep on hand. They're made with real apples, packed in a super easy pouch, perfect for tossing in a lunchbox, keeping in the car, or grabbing as you're running out the door. Plus, they're a good source of vitamin C, and kids love them. Win-win.
Make sure your kid wins snack time with Motts. Real apples make real good applesauce. Learn more at Motts.com. This is Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang from Lost Culturists with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. JBL Tor Pro 3 earbuds are for those who don't conform to the standard.
Yeah, I mean, if you want to get into some touchscreen technology, how about the smart charging case, clear sound? These are not standard things. You're only going to get them with the JBL Tor Pro 3, baby. And I love the sound of JBL when it goes, ooh, boo. These earbuds are packed with innovation because you can't stand out by following others.
Touchscreen smart charging case for one touch control, instant EQ customization, true adaptive noise canceling, and the one-of-a-kind audio transmitter, which can plug and play with everything from game consoles to in-flight entertainment. What more could you want? First doesn't follow. Grab a pair at jbl.com. Sack's off fifth, up to 70% off every day.
Summer is officially here. Time to dress like it. From breezy linen and floral dresses to chic sandals and beach ready swim. Sacksoft Fifth has the designer styles you'll live in all season long. Plus, shop new arrivals every week.
You'll find Alice and Olivia, Valentino Garavani, Versace, Stuart Weitzman, and more. Head to saxofffifth.com or a saxofffifth store near you for up to 70% off every day. And we continue with our American stories. Our next story is about a grocery store founded in Los Angeles in 1967. and now has hundreds of locations covering 42 states.
Here's Greg Hengler with the story. Trader Joe's The surfy, laid-back grocery store chain with a cult-like following. Known for its cheap prices and floral print-clad staff, has been a household name for years. When you break it down to square footage, Trader Joe's is actually selling more than double its competitors like grocery store chain Whole Foods. And when it comes to the traditional We have everything in more mega grocery store chains.
The small Trader Joe's locations do more than simply offer competition. They outwork and outsell these Goliaths of grocery. The question is. How? After all, Trader Joe's focuses on a unique selection of products under their private label.
rather than a large amount of them. They don't sell the same old things we normally see. No Lays, no Heinz, no General Mills, etc. And whereas a traditional grocery store stocks upwards of 40,000 units, Trader Joe's runs around a mere 4,000. In order to make this clear, I went to my local Kroger and did some aisle counting and compared it with Trader Joe's scaled-down approach to shopping.
Kroger stocks 285 varieties of cookies. Trader Joe's 154. Kroger, 144 pasta sauces. TJ's 14. Kroger's 75 ice T's, TJ's, 9.
Kroger stocks two hundred and seventy five cereals, TJ's thirty nine. Kroger 44 olive oils. PJs 14. and Kroger stocks forty toothpastes. TJs, just four.
So, back to the question. How does the little guy, Trader Joe's, compete at such a high level? Psychologist and Trader Joe's enthusiast Barry Schwartz Coined the term, the paradox of choice, and quite literally wrote the book on it. The paradox of choice, why more is less. Here he is to explain what he means.
All of this choice has two effects. Two negative effects on people. One effect Paradoxically. is that it produces paralysis rather than liberation. With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.
So that's one effect. The second effect is Is that even if we manage to overcome the paralysis and make a choice? We end up less satisfied with the result of the choice than we would be if we have fewer options to choose from. And there are several reasons for this. One of them is that with a lot of different salad dressings to choose from, if you buy one and it's not perfect, and you know what salad dressing is, it's easy to imagine that you could have made a different choice that would have been better.
And what happens is this imagined Alternative induces you to regret the decision you made, and this regret subtracts from the satisfaction you get out of the decision you made, even if it was a good decision. I had no particular expectations when they only came in one flavor. When they came in 100 flavors, one of them should have been perfect. And what I got was good, but it wasn't perfect. Finally.
One consequence of buying a bad-fitting pair of jeans when there is only one kind to buy is that when you are dissatisfied and you ask why, who's responsible? The answer is clear. The world is responsible. What could you do? When there are hundreds of different styles of jeans available, and you buy one that is disappointing.
And you ask, why? Who's responsible? It is equally clear that the answer to the question is you. You could have done better. With 100 different kinds of genes on display, there is no excuse for failure.
And so when people make decisions And even though the results of the decisions are good, they feel disappointed about them. They blame themselves. Clinical depression has exploded in the industrial world in the last generation. I believe a significant, not the only, but a significant contributor to this explosion of depression and also suicide is that people have experiences that are disappointing because their standards are so high. And then when they have to explain these experiences to themselves, they think they're at fault.
And so the net result is that we do better in general, objectively, and we feel worse. There's no question. That some choice is better than none? But it doesn't follow from that that more choice is better than some choice. There's some magical amount, I don't know what it is, I'm pretty confident that we have long since passed the point where options improve our welfare.
Trader Joe's understands what Barry is saying. And as Barry has said himself regarding that magical number, I think Trader Joe's is the best example of how the world should be constructed. The man responsible for all of this is the original Joe. The guy behind the beloved grocery store chain who founded the company emphasizing quality over quantity. And that quality starts with the more than 41,000 employees known as Crew members.
After all, the core of any business is customer service. which Trader Joe's more than excels at. Data science professionals have ranked Trader Joe's number one in customer preference for two years running. With Costco coming in at number two. and Amazon in third.
The brand remains simple. with no online store, no loyalty programs, no special card to swipe, and no sales. Here's Trader Joe's Vice President of Marketing Product. Matt Salone. Marketing Director Tara Miller.
and Joe himself discussing the company's origins So it's nineteen fifty-eight and Joe Colomb, Joe. He takes over a small chain of convenience stores around the LA area. These are called Pronto markets. The whole idea is fast, it's Pronto, it's quick, right? And they're convenience stores before we really even know what convenience stores are.
This is before 7-Eleven becomes the thing that it is. These are little tiny corner markets. The kind of place where you could get anything from, say, a pack of gum to some pantyhose to a box of ammunition. I spent ten years. running proto markets.
Towards the end of that, I really did not like the convenience store. Formula. Joe is the classic entrepreneur. Joe's really good at Looking for finding and developing opportunities. The demographics were changing in the United States.
because of the GI Bill of Rights. which was the largest experiment in mass higher education industry. of the human race. And I thought that these people would want something different. The GI Bill of Rights passed in 1944 provided benefits such as grants for school tuition.
job training, and hiring privileges for World War II vets.
So after realizing that competition from a burgeoning chain called 7-Eleven would likely drive it into the ground. Joe decided to introduce a new concept. The tiki trend was in full swing.
So in 1967, Joe opened the first Trader Joe's in Pasadena, California. A play on the name of popular tiki restaurant chain Trader Vicks. That first store is still there in the same spot. but the chain now has over 487 locations nationwide. And you've been listening to our own Greg Hengler.
And others involved in this story, including Trader Joe himself. telling the story of Trader Joe's. My goodness, the fact that it does more sales volume per square foot. then it's big grocery store competitors. Is something, and it's amazing because they also don't have an online presence.
That is, they don't sell online, they don't have one of those fancy Costco cards you gotta pay and swipe. No, it's just old school and Anyone who's ever been to a Trader Joe's knows it. And my goodness, that whole discussion of the choice paradox. and the genius of Trader Joe's and understanding it. Before, well, psychologists even understood it.
That is, that less choice can be liberating. And how many of us haven't been in an aisle and been paralyzed trying to figure out which of the hundreds of brands of deodorant to buy? When we come back, The genius of Trader Joe's, the marketing and psychological genius. behind this brand. The story continues here.
and our American stories. When you're a pro, you need a project partner who delivers results. Ferguson Home understands that selection and availability are critical to transforming visions into realities. That's why they offer the best selection of home improvement products, spanning the latest trends, traditional styles, unique finishes, and smart technologies. From coordinated job site delivery to online project management tools, they tailor their services to support your goals.
Their experienced associates know construction inside and out, helping you find exactly what you need to exceed your expectations. And I can tell you personally that my contractor used Ferguson Homes and exceeded our expectations and his. With more than 250 showrooms nationwide, Ferguson Home is your trusted partner from concept to completion. Whether you're managing large-scale projects or perfecting a single detail, they have the expertise and selection to help you succeed. Visit your local Ferguson Home showroom or go to FergusonHome.com to discover kitchen, bath, and lighting solutions that set your projects apart.
Ferguson Home, where it all comes together. Explore top brands like Kohler at FergusonHome.com or visit your local showroom. Let's be real. Life happens. Kids spill, pets shed, and accidents are inevitable.
Find a sofa that can keep up at washable sofas.com. Starting at just $699, our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out. you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry-free living. Made with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics. They're kid-proof, pet-friendly, and built for everyday life.
Plus, changeable fabric covers let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space. whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth-friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers.
It's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mess-proof sofa. Visit washablefas.com today and save. That's washablefas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Good morning, welcome to Today.
From back to school to tackling your to-do list, the Today Show is your best start to the day. It's a new season and every morning. We're here to help you take it all along. as the forecast calls for football all across the country. Blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more.
Wake up to where it's all happening. We're getting back to all of it, and the best way to start is together. Watch The Today Show, weekday mornings at 7 a.m. on NBC. This message comes from Green Light.
Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest with your guardrails in place. With Greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores, automate allowance, and keep an eye on what your kids are spending with real-time notifications. Join millions of parents and kids building healthy financial habits together on GreenLight. Get started risk-free at greenlight.com slash iHeart.
You heard it before many times. Water is life. But do you know that almost half of the homes on the Navajo Reservation do not have clean running water? With your support, St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School is ready to give water to Navajo families.
So we invite you to help provide this precious gift of life to those in need. Contrary to many average Americans, Navajo families survive on just 10 gallons of water per day. You can help support St. Bonaventure's water delivery program by going to stbonaventuremission.org. It's milk, it's bread, it's the stuff on your list It's the strange little snacks you end up buying instead It's the beautiful moms in their yoga clothes It's our favorite place, it's that store trader Joe's And we continue with our American stories and the story of Trader Joe's.
Telling this story is our own Greg Hengler. But we begin with the Vice President of Marketing of Trader Joe's, Matt Sloan. And so Joe, the founder, is leading the company for the first 30 years, and he is Central Casting dyed in the wool entrepreneurial spirit. It's the quality of the people. which sets Trader Joe's apart.
Forget the merchandise, forget all the other stuff. It's the quality of the people in the store. In 1973, a Trip to Trader Joe's would have offered you many items that you won't find today, like pantyhose, which was sold until 1978. In 1977, they expanded their private label with fun names like Trader Mings. Trader Giados.
and Pilgrim Joe. and introduce the first reusable canvas grocery bag. In 1979, Joe sold Trader Joe's to Theo Albrick. Albric's company, Aldi Nord. It still operates Trader Joe's in the US.
By the late 1980s, the chain had expanded into Northern California. In 1993, the first Arizona location opened. In 1995, brought expansion into the Pacific Northwest. In 1996, The first two East Coast locations opened outside Boston. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of store locations quintupled and revenue shot through the roof as they rolled out an average of 10 new items per week.
During this time, they also introduced supermarket innovations like putting handles on paper bags. In 2002, they introduced one of their most notorious products. A $1.99 bottle of wine produced by a guy named Charles Shaw. A West Point graduate, and it came to be known as Tu Bok Chuck. Here's wine expert and wine creator.
Charles Shaw himself. Being given a blind taste test of two buck chuck.
So let's pour it out. Shut the gap.
So the first thing we're going to look for is aroma. A fine wine has actual qualities of the grape, and you can smell the fruitiness of the grape. And frankly, I can smell some fruit in this wine. This is amazing. I'm going to taste it.
First thing I would do is put it under my tongue. And I picked up some decent acidity. It's not bad. It's a little dry. It's got some tannin.
And then I'm just gonna put it in my mouth and see what I think. I think this is a Very satisfying wine.
Some consumers make the mistake of always equating quality with price. That was not the case at the 28th Annual International Eastern Wine Competition. With 2,300 wines in the competition, Judges awarded a prestigious double gold medal to a $1.99 bottle of California wine. The 2002 Charles Shaw Shiraz. and it would happen again in 2005 at the Cal Expo competition.
and then go on to win other awards in Orange County. Trader Joe's has sold 1 billion bottles of Charles Shaw since 2002. Here's Chris Condit, the category manager for wine at Trader Joe's. I'm gonna give you the secret to Trader Joe's here.
So far they've all tasted like Tang, but not the good version, if there is one. One thing that we do. that sets us apart is we have a tasting panel. There's a lot of wine out there. There really are hundreds of thousands of wines available in the market.
We carry about 500 in our stores.
So We're tasting every day, literally every day. It's got the ac, I mean it's got the color, the acid. It's a little more savory than that. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Pretty good though. You're gonna tell me. It's Russian River.
So it'd be Trader Joe's 2016 Russian River Petit Sarah. Everybody had a chance to try it, think about it? Who'd like to see that come in? Excellent. And lastly, and most the source of the wine for our various.
private label and control label programs might change over time, but the wines are always going to be great. Because we get to pick and choose. We don't. have to carry every wine. We don't have to always repeat that exact same thing every year.
If it's not good. We don't think it's great value, we don't love the wine. We don't buy it. Trader Joe's Frozen Isle is another innovative wonder of the grocery world compared to the Frozen Isle in traditional grocery stores, which is flailing with only 6% of total store sales. Here's Warren Thayer, who runs the trade magazine Frozen and Refrigerated Buyer.
explaining the poor numbers in traditional grocery stores. 46% of shoppers on the typical trip when they spend over $100 don't even set foot in the frozen food department. According to Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst, He says this is due to the predictable packaging of the once novelty frozen dinners introduced in the 50s. and the frosty barrier of the frozen selection. the red lean cuisine, the green healthy choice.
It's sort of like boring that glass door. It really creates a fence. You don't see those glass doors at Trader Joe's which has open freezers. The problem with opening that ice cold door at your traditional supermarket means you've already committed to purchasing something which doesn't lead to much product discovery. Compare that to Trader Joe's low-level open freezers.
that brings shoppers physically closer to the products. This allows the freedom to check out new products with less effort More leisurely and without the blast of cold air and subsequent frosted glass door. It's fun to go through that case to see what you're going to find. Piggybacking on what Lempert said before about the unattractive appeal from the predictable packaging of traditional brands. Trader Joe's, on the other hand, has its own private label.
They buy straight from the supplier, which ultimately cuts cost and leads to cheaper products for the customer. The products themselves are colorful, quirky. and have a consistent branding. Here's brand building expert Denise Liang.
Okay, so it's usually kind of hand-drawn, or it's not looking like it's, you know, computer-generated, right? They're usually caricatures, and then there's some descriptive copy, and all of that, I think. Helps the person, you know, the shopper, kind of see how this product fits into their needs. There's an element of discovery, like finding something, finding a new product you didn't know existed. David Ziegler Vall The former head of packaging design at Trader Joe's, It said that the hand-drawn images on the products evokes elements of trust and a human touch.
also a sense of being locally produced. handcrafted, and small batch. Trader Joe's has cultivated a level of trust that is really hard to manufacture. Trader Joe's found success by anticipating the needs of its customers, in many cases, knowing what the customer would want even before they did. and selling it to them at a low price and in a fun atmosphere.
Joe while still alive, is no longer involved with the company. But his legacy is set in stone. And a terrific job by the production, editing, and scripting by our own Greg Hengler. And what a story. Trader Joe's the quintessential startup.
founded by the quintessential entrepreneur. That story about the West Point grad Charles Shaw? Creating the $1.99 bottle of wine two buck chuck. and it actually winning wine competitions. And they've sold two billion Charles Shaws.
And then that story about the freezers. and how much fun it is to dig into those freezers and find new stuff. as opposed to that antiseptic glass door. It's just so true and so unusual. And my goodness, the anticipation.
Of the needs of the customers is there, and every time I go to a Trader Joe's, I'm always surprised. I'm always trying new things. The story of Trader Joe's, the story of an iconic American brand. and the man who created it. Here.
on our American stories. Let's be real. Life happens. Kids spill. pets shed and accidents are inevitable.
Find a sofa that can keep up at washable sofas.com. Starting at just $699, our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out. So you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry-free living. Made with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics. They're kid-proof, pet-friendly, and built for everyday life.
Plus, changeable fabric covers let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. Neat flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space, whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth-friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers. It's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mess-proof sofa.
Visit washablefas.com today and save. That's washablefas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. This is Danielle Fischel from Pod Meets World. Parents, quick question.
When is the last time you won Snap Time? The other day, I handed my son a perfectly portioned Pinterest-level snack and He traded it for a Mott's applesauce pouch. I'm not mad, just impressed. And that's why Mott's no-sugar-added applesauce pouches are perfect to keep on hand. They're made with real apples, packed in a super easy pouch, perfect for tossing in a lunchbox, keeping in the car, or grabbing as you're running out the door.
Plus, they're a good source of vitamin C, and kids love them. Win-win! Make sure your kid wins snack time with Motts. Real apples make real good applesauce. Learn more at Motts.com.
Hi, it's Danielle Fischel from Pod Meets World. You know that moment when you're getting dressed and it's just total chaos? Your kid can't find a shoe, the dog's barking at his reflection, and all you need is a go-to outfit you can trust. If you're tired of options that miss the mark, let me put you on to JCPenney. No, don't give me that.
Wait, seriously? Look. They've got stylish, dependable pieces that feel effortless. A perfect solution for busy parents. I just picked up an AA denim blouse and Liz Claiborne A-line dress, both easy wins for when I'm on the go and super affordable.
And the best part? The shocked faces I get when I say, yeah. It's from JC Penny. Don't miss out. Shop now at jcpenny dot com.
Yes, JC Penny. We finally switched to T-Mobile because with them, we can be connected here and there. Dad, the cousins in Mexico have a surprise for you. And enjoy the gift of staying connected. Switch and start saving today.
Get four Samsung Galaxy S25 phones with Galaxy AI on us and four lines for just $25 per line. Plus, non-stop talk texts and data between US and Mexico. Visit his door at T-Mobile.com or call 1-800-T-Mobile, 1-800-T-Mobile. See details at tmobile.com. Sack's off fifth, up to 70% off every day.
Summer is officially here. Time to dress like it. From breezy linen and floral dresses to chic sandals and beach ready swim. Zacksaw Fifth has the designer styles you'll live in all season long. Plus, shop new arrivals every week.
You'll find Alice and Olivia, Valentino Garavani, Versace, Stuart Weitzman, and more. Head to saxofffifth.com or a saxofffifth store near you for up to 70% off every day. This is an iHeart podcast.
