Here’s why Trader Joe’s bananas only cost 19 cents

If you’re ever looking for a cheap snack, Trader Joe’s bananas do not disappoint. Their 19-cent bananas are certainly a steal of a deal, on the same caliber as Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken and their $1.99 slice of pizza. Nineteen cents for a snack is pretty hard to beat, and it’s all thanks to one honest customer.

In an episode of the new podcast “Inside Trader Joe’s,” the company’s CEO Dan Bane shares a story of a short conversation he had with an older customer in Arizona. Before the birth of the 19-cent banana, Trader Joe’s used to package up bananas in bags containing four or five bananas.

One afternoon a woman was looking at the packaged bananas but decided to not take a bag for herself. Dane stopped the customer and asked, “Ma’am, if you don’t mind me asking, I saw you looking at the bananas but you didn’t…put anything in your cart.”

“Sonny,” she replies, “I may not live to that fourth banana.”

After that, Dane decided to sell his bananas individually, decreasing the price to a mere 19 cents. The success of the 19-cent banana was all thanks to Dane’s ability to listen and find solutions for his customers. Don’t miss the reason why Trader Joe’s sells $2 wine, too.

Those 19-cent bananas aren’t the only customer favorite at Trader Joe’s. Turns out fans are crazy over a few other products, which were revealed in the Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards.

Bought too many of these cheap bananas? That’s okay, these 35 recipes that use up ripe bananas will help you with that problem.

Next, find out the 11 things Trader Joe’s employees want you to know.

The post Here’s Why Trader Joe’s Bananas Only Cost 19 Cents appeared first on Reader's Digest.