First, I went to Trader Joe's.
Located in the food court at City Point in Brooklyn, this particular Trader Joe's had a lot of places to sit and eat outside the store.
Considering how crowded Trader Joe's is known to get, I was surprised at how quiet this location was.
The first thing I saw when I walked in was the flower display, with each bouquet priced between $3 and $6.
The produce section of the store was huge ...
... and the organic foods were only a few cents more expensive than the non-organic foods.
Some of the produce was unusually cheap, like bananas at only 19 cents each ...
... and apples at only 49 cents each.
In fact, most of what the store offered was pretty inexpensive, such as the cereals for $3 or less.
But, some of the snacks were more expensive.
Trader Joe's offered a handful of specialty items that are vegan, kosher, or gluten-free.
Plus, it had a tasting station with free samples and the option to try anything in the store if you asked.
Even though there were over 20 registers, there was still a line because only a few of them were open.
Next I went to the brand-new Whole Foods 365 store, just a few blocks away from Trader Joe's.
On the upper level was a bakery, juice press, and vegan burger joint, with other smaller vendors set up as well. There was a big seating area to hang out at, which is a perk that's unique to the 365 stores.
The actual grocery store was downstairs, and it was huge. It was also pretty crowded.
I noticed right away that the flowers were nearly triple the price that Trader Joe's was selling them for.
The pasta was also more expensive.
Whole Foods 365' organic spinach and kale was $6, almost triple what Trader Joe's was charging for the same product. Similar greens were $2.29 at Trader Joe's.
The prices for non-organic produce were on par with the prices we saw at Trader Joe's. Whole Foods 365 matched Trader Joe's 19-cent price for bananas.
The cereals were also priced around the same as Trader Joe's, with most boxes of the 365 brand costing under $3.
A lot of 365 brand snacks were actually less expensive than similar Trader Joe's brand snacks. The store-brand tortilla chips were one example of this — they were almost $2 less at Whole Foods 365.
It seemed as if specialty items like organic foods were more expensive at Whole Foods 365, but non-organic produce and snacks were typically less. There were also way more savings opportunities at Whole Foods 365, especially for rewards program members. Customers who sign up for the rewards program can get an instant 10% off of hundreds of products, and then get discount offers based on their previous shopping habits.
Whole Foods 365 generally had a much bigger selection, in everything from baked goods ...
Whole Foods 365 didn't have any free samples, but it did have a hot food bar, which Trader Joe's did not have.
Next to the hot food bar was another seating area to enjoy the food right after you buy it.
Almost all of the 20 registers were open, and there was no line.
Overall, Whole Foods 365 had a wider selection and a more shopper-friendly environment, from shorter lines to in-store restaurants and seating. Even though certain products were more expensive, there were sales and other savings opportunities that Trader Joe's lacked.
