Trader Joe’s, founded in 1967, is known for its unique items, friendly employees and distinctly quirky atmosphere. The franchise accurately describes itself as a “national chain of neighborhood grocery stores.” This “neighborhood” ambiance comes from lots of calculated and intentional choices by the company, such as the choice to sell very few brand-name items, and of course, the iconic Trader Joe’s sign art.
Each Trader Joe’s location has an on-site sign artist that spends their days turning the signs for everyday grocery products into masterpieces. According to the Trader Joe’s website, they hire a “crew with sign making talent” with the purpose of creating “handmade signage to inform and delight customers.”
“Where I work, the sign artists are super talented,” said Hillsdale Trader Joe’s employee Jadyn Davis. “They are able to promote products by designing sign art that feels personal, eye-appealing and is fun to look at. Sign artists have studios in the store where they use wide ranges of materials like paint pens to design the signs at our location.”
The duties of a Trader Joe’s sign artist can vary. “It can be anything from cutting and laminating paper for signs, making small shelf signs, replacing broken sign holders or making big chalkboard signs. Every day is different,” said one sign artist.
Trader Joe’s signage is deeply beloved, both within the Lick-Wilmerding High School community and beyond. Noelle Winn ’23, who lives a quick 10-minute drive from the Trader Joe’s on Masonic Avenue in San Francisco, said, “I really like how the different art from store to store makes each location unique. Each artist at each store will interpret the product that they’re making a sign for differently.”
Winn is an avid shopper at Trader Joe’s and a “big fan” of the pumpkin bread. However, aside from the fun seasonal fall items, one of Winn’s favorite parts of the Trader Joe’s shopping experience is the sign art. She said, “I go to any other grocery store and it looks the same every time, but at Trader Joe’s it’s always a surprise. I guess it’s a really smart business choice. The better the in-store experience, the longer you spend in there and the more you buy.”
“I actually had no idea that the sign art was from an in-store artist! It looks so perfect I assumed it was printed up somehow,” said Riya Behari, a high school student in the Bay Area who spends lots of time at the San Mateo Trader Joe’s. “It’s amazing to see so many talented local artists represented through Trader Joe’s sign art.”
This appreciation and sense of wonder from the community is what one artist described as their favorite part of their job. “When you walk in it’s almost like looking at my personal art gallery because my signs are everywhere. I love to get creative with the names of the products and make them come to life in art, and it’s even better when I get to show it to so many people,” they said.
This 23 year old artist, who has chosen to stay anonymous for privacy reasons, didn’t originally think they would be able to live their dream of working as an artist. They said, “my original major for school was art, but I changed it to Animal science because I feared that art would never be a lucrative job.” During the pandemic, they began working at Trader Joe’s without the intention of creating art for a living. “Though my original intentions were to be a veterinarian, working at TJ’s throughout school and COVID has revealed to me that my true passion is to make art for people,” they said.
Trader Joe’s can act as a launchpad for artists. “My goal is to try to make a business out of my art and lettering so I can sell to businesses, events and maybe even become TikTok famous,” said the sign artist.
This artist is not alone; Trader Joe’s provides artists all across the country with a stable career in the arts—something that would often otherwise be unattainable. Next time you are shopping at Trader Joe’s, slow down to take in the art surrounding the store and appreciate the talented professionals behind it.
