Trader Joe’s Says Its Product Names Aren’t Racist, Won’t Make a Change: Reports

Ever had Trader Jose’s Mexican food?

How about Trader Ming’s Asian food?

If you are a Trader Joe’s customer, chances are, you probably have. But are those names racist?

Earlier this month, a Change.org petition aimed to get the chain to change the names it gives some of its food items, and, at the time, Trader Joe’s reportedly said it was looking to make name changes.

That no longer appears to be the case according to an Associated Press story.

“We want to be clear: we disagree that any of these labels are racist,” Trader Joe’s said in a statement posted to its website. “We do not make decisions based on petitions.”

The popular grocery chain also has names such as Trader Giotto’s for Italian food and Trader Joe San for Japanese foods, according to the report.

When the petition was launched, Trader Joe’s said the naming was “rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness,” but added “we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect — one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day.”

But, after reviewing the names, the company has decided to stick with them. So, what changed? Apparently, Trader Joe’s employees and customers liked the names, and, the chain said, that trumps the petition, according to the report.

“Moving forward, we will continue to evaluate those products with name variations that remain in our stores,” a Trader’s Joe representative said in the report. “If we find certain product names and/or products are not resonating with customers, we won’t hesitate to make changes.”

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