Dollar General and Trader Joe’s understand that associates can’t stock shelves and serve customers in stores if they are out of work because they’ve contracted COVID-19. That’s why they’re offering to pay employees to get vaccinated. How likely are compensation offers to raise COVID-19 vaccine compliance among workers?

Last week, Trader Joe’s announced that 1,250, or 2.4 percent, of its 53,000 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past eight months. Was Trader Joe’s decision to reveal its COVID-19 infection rates and deaths shrewd or excessive?

A new survey shows a few stores in particular, already known for their customer experience, that have managed to maintain high customer satisfaction levels even in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Why do you think Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Costco and Publix have been able to stand out for customer service even during the pandemic?

Trader Joe’s, with no e-commerce presence or curbside pickup, missed the pandemic-driven e-grocery surge and doesn’t seem to mind. Should Trader Joe’s reevaluate its decision regarding delivery and/or curbside pickup if the pandemic persists or is it making the right decision to not offer these services?

Within a few days of its first announcement, Trader Joe’s posted another on its site that it was not planning any brand name changes, contending that its labels were not racist. Will Trader Joe’s suffer any pushback from customers for its clarification that brand name changes will not be tied to online petitions?

Trader Joe’s has announced that it plans to rename its private label items branded as Trader Giotto, Trader Jose and Trader Ming’s after an online petition signed by more than 1,500 on Change.org called the names racist.  Has Trader Joe’s image been damaged by charges of “racist branding”?

Videos and photos of in-store shoppers purportedly behaving badly have been going viral on social media for years, but the occurrences have spiked in recent weeks as some shoppers rebel against face mask mandates. Is the viral shaming of shoppers who refuse to wear masks on social media more of a positive or negative development for retailers?

Costco revealed plans last week to bring back sample stations after suspending the service in early March to counter the spread of the coronavirus. Do you see more benefits than risks in bringing back food sampling in stores?

Trader Joe’s, H-E-B and ShopRite are standing out for providing transparency about the number of their employees testing positive for coronavirus. The majority of retail is largely keeping such incidents under wraps. How transparent should grocers be about store employees testing positive for COVID-19?

Heroism involves facing down the prospect of some type of personal harm to do the right thing in a given situation. How effectively are retail industry employers responding to the emotional aspects of managing their workforces in the current environment?

A Kroger store in Cincinnati has converted to pickup-only. The store may now better suited to address challenges associated with the pandemic. Are grocery stores “super-spreading virus vectors” or are the safety steps being taken sufficient to create safe-enough environments for customers and staff?

Joe Coulombe, who passed away Friday at the age of 89, retired long before the chain he founded in 1967, Trader Joe’s, expanded nationally, but he hatched many of the ideas behind its success. What are the biggest innovations that Joe Coulombe and Trader Joe’s brought to the grocery marketplace?

Outside of chains like Trader Joe’s, most retailers remain fairly risk-averse with their private label food offerings. Most are more comfortable following — albeit faster than in the past — than leading. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for grocers to elevate their food private-label offerings?

Last week, People magazine profiled Trader Joe’s practice of hiding stuffed animals in most of its stores for kids to find and earn prizes. What do you think of Trader Joe’s covert stuffed animal, hide-and-seek game?

Cleanliness in grocery stores means much more than “clean up on aisle five,” according to a recent survey of Consumer Reports members. What do you think registers as cleanliness at grocery stores in the eyes of consumers?

Running counter to one of grocery’s biggest trends, Trader Joe’s announced it is ending its delivery service in New York City. Is Trader Joe’s wise to end its delivery service in New York City and plans for other markets?

Trader Joe’s ability to attract its throngs of customers/fans comes down to a set of corporate values embodied within the organization, from the c-suite to the store-level. From the vantage point of a customer, which of Trader Joe’s seven values are most important and why?

Geoffrey Owens, best known for playing the character Elvin Tibideaux on “The Cosby Show,” has more recently gained notoriety after the Daily Mail and Fox News tried to job shame him by publishing photos of him working at the checkout in a Trader Joe’s. What lessons can other retailers learn from Geoffrey Owens’ experience in addressing the nature of work with their own employees?

Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have successfully expanded in lock step over the last few decades, but a new report asserts the arrival of Amazon Prime discounts is helping Whole Foods pull ahead. Is Amazon building Whole Foods into a significantly larger threat to Trader Joe’s?

Trader Joe’s wants to explain while Barneys New York looks to inspire as each launch their first podcasts. Do you see podcasts opening a deeper level of engagement with consumers for retailers?

Americans love Publix and Wegmans best. The two chains came out tied for the top spot in a consumer survey of more than 12,700 shoppers by Market Force Information. If you were running a grocery business, how would you prioritize the factors used in Market Force’s rankings

Trader Joe’s is no longer America’s favorite grocery retailer, according to a survey of more than 10,000 consumers by Market Force Information. What factors do you think are most important in determining favorite grocer status among consumers?

Recent price checks by Deutsche Bank show that there really is no comparison between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. What is your analysis of the pricing disparity between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, particularly as it relates to private label?

Last weekend’s blizzard was particularly tough on Trader Joe’s in Westfield, NJ, which had its roof collapse under the weight of the snow from last week’s blizzard. Westfield officials said the building would have to be razed. What are the best approaches for retailers when dealing with customers and employees following catastrophic events?

According to a new study, homes near a Trader’s Joe’s increase in value as much as 40 percent. By comparison, homes near a Whole Foods have seen 34 percent appreciation since they were purchased. What correlation do you see between coveted retailers and rising local home values?

With retailers from Aldi to Wegmans selling organic foods and other products, Whole Foods has never faced so much competition. The evidence is clear in the company’s third quarter results. What would you do at this point to address challenges to the company’s competitive position and brand reputation?

Trader Joe’s is going to have to up its fresh foods game or the grocery could be in serious trouble with the launch of Whole Foods’ new “365” concept. Do you think Whole Foods should focus on the customers of specific competitors as it rolls out its new 365 concept beginning next year?

Will raising prices be necessary to offset the cost of higher wages? A Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher found that strong retailers treat the money spent on workers as a strategic investment and design operational systems that enable their workers to be more productive. What’s the secret to keeping prices low and wages attractive?

Trader Joe’s has its strong private label showing and talkative cashiers, and Whole Foods has its immersive shopping experience. But the two grocers may have a new wildcard to contend with as Earth Fare, a natural grocery chain based in Asheville, N.C., embarks on a nationwide expansion. Which chain is more vulnerable to competition within the natural grocery space?

For the second year in a row, Trader Joe’s ranks as the favorite grocery store chain in a survey of North Americans by Market Force Information. Which is your favorite grocery store to shop in and why?

When it comes to the brand experience, retailers should be thinking inside the box – that is, the box of detergent, cereal or juice on the shelf. It’s a matter of extending the retailer’s customer-committed focus to include its manufacturer partners. What are the hurdles preventing vendors from better utilizing retail partners’ customer data for collaborative purposes? How can enterprise loyalty help drive merchandising decisions?

While much of the press coverage of Consumer Reports’ supermarket ratings has focused on the usual suspects getting the highest scores, a troubling point is that one-third of subscribers to the magazine said they had stopped shopping at their main grocery store over the past year. Do you think consumers are quicker to switch grocery stores today than in the past?

Walmart knows all about resistance to opening a new store in a community. Trader Joe’s — based on its relatively small store size and the fact that people have been known to start petitions to bring stores to their towns — probably not so much. What are the keys to opening successful new stores in the face of community opposition?

Regular readers of RetailWire know that George Anderson spent time working “over cover” at Trader Joe’s a number of years ago, with the goal to find out just what there was about Trader Joe’s that made it so much different. What are the keys to building a winning team at store-level? Do you have a story from your career to demonstrate the upside or downside to team building at retail?

Frequently praised for extending healthcare coverage to many of its part-time employees at a reasonable price, Trader Joe’s last week told workers who log less than 30 hours a week that they will need to find insurance on the Obamacare exchanges next year. How important is healthcare coverage as a tool for recruiting and retaining part-time workers in retail?

With no Trader Joe’s in Canada, a store has opened in Vancouver selling inventory bought at retail prices at Trader Joe’s locations in the state of Washington. Trader Joe’s has sued. What do you think of Trader Joe’s response to its products being resold in Canada, where it doesn’t have a retail presence?

Aldi has acknowledged plans to open stores and a regional headquarters and distribution center in California, the home of its wildly successful cousin, Trader Joe’s. What do you think of the national rollout potential for Aldi?

A new study of consumers in North America finds that, when it comes to customer satisfaction, no grocery chain tops Trader Joe’s. Which operational area identified in the Market Force research is most important for grocery chains looking to differentiate from the competition?

It’s been often stated in one way or another on this site that loyalty is not a card. Demonstrating loyalty — to go all Merriam-Webster here — is “having or showing complete and constant support for someone or something.” Why do you think so many retailers struggle with figuring out what it takes to create a bond of loyalty with their customers?

The former president of Trader Joe’s, is looking to bring more nutritious foods to low-income consumers in Boston, but there’s a catch; the foods will have passed their sell-by dates. How will the Urban Food Initiative overcome the negative perceptions associated with food that is past date?

Benefiting from its work culture as well as the many perks that extend to part-timers, REI for the second year in a row ranked highest in Glassdoor’s 2013 Best Place to Work. Are perks and overall culture becoming more important drivers of employee satisfaction for stores vs. pay levels?

Trader Joe’s describes its monthly mailer, The Fearless Flyer, as “A cross between Consumer Reports and Mad Magazine, The Fearless Flyer is kind of like a newsletter, a catalog and a bit of a comic book all at the same time.” Can other retailers use similar content approaches in marketing and messaging?

According to research from Onesixtyfourth LLC, Trader Joe’s has cultivated an eclectic, cult-like following among Millennials, particularly those identified as trendsetters and early adopters. What makes Trader Joe’s “hip and cool” to Millennials?

Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw Wine turned ten years old in 2012. The anniversary has elicited homages to “Two-Buck Chuck” from many of its ardent fans, but it’s also fed another round of catcalls from some in the wine establishment. Are Two Buck Chuck and its imitators a positive or negative development for the wine category from the retail industry’s perspective?

A study identifying America’s top-100 brands delivering the best customer experience found four retailers in the top 10 landed there largely due to their ability to create a “sense of theater” around in-store experiences. To what degree does the ‘theater’ metaphor explain the success of chains such as Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Publix and H-E-B?

At least according to an article in USA Today, a growing minority of frequent travelers are plotting trips based on how close their hotel is to their favorite grocer. Do you see an opportunity for supermarkets to market themselves as travel destinations?

The usual suspects made the list of companies that 24,000 consumers rated as best and worst among grocery store operators in the U.S. as part of Consumer Reports annual survey on the subject. Why apparently do so few operators choose to address obvious problems?

Trader Joe’s is opening bigger stores to accommodate the many fans that flock to its locations wherever they open. While the size change is not dramatic, a concern is whether it can hold onto the “quirky vibe,” as the Los Angeles Times calls it, that made the chain great. Will Trader Joe’s be able to hold onto what has made it successful as it opens larger stores?

Many gourmet grocers feel pressure when a Trader Joe’s opens nearby and Fairway Market, a Manhattan institution on the Upper West Side, is no exception. What type of competitive pressures does Trader Joe’s place on local gourmet retailers?

Only a few stores have at least a few ‘super fans’. These are fanatics who will drive hours to reach their favorite store, follow rumor mills regarding nearby store openings and even sleep overnight in parking lots. What do you think makes ‘super fans’ of stores?