Felix Salmon, chief financial correspondent at Axios and Slate Money host, discusses NYC dining, Eater snark, Keith McNally legacy, early 2000s trends, and the future of food media. He explores family's London food history and the controversial practices of Trader Joe's with Adam Reiner.
Trader Joe's copying practices impact small brands' growth and uniqueness in the food industry.
Lack of legal protection for recipes complicates small brands' ability to prevent product duplication by large retailers.
Trader Joe's behavior mirrors fast fashion brands, hindering small brands from competing and innovating effectively.
Deep dives
Trader Joe's and Small Brands Partnerships
Trader Joe's has been accused of copying the products of small consumer packaged goods brands after initiating partnership discussions with them. Brands like Brooklyn Delhi and Fly by Jing have reported instances where Trader Joe's released products similar to theirs soon after negotiation talks.
Ethical Concerns in Trader Joe's Business Practices
Small brands feel that Trader Joe's may not engage in partnership discussions in good faith, as they seem to use these discussions to gather insights and then release similar products on their own. The lack of legal protection for recipes adds complexity to the situation.
Specific Case Studies with Brooklyn Delhi and Fly by Jing
Brooklyn Delhi's roasted garlic achar and Fly by Jing's Szechuan chili crisp have faced issues where Trader Joe's released similar products shortly after communication with the brands. Trader Joe's copies not only recipes but also certain aspects of packaging to create comparable products.
Implications of Trader Joe's Actions on Small Brands
Trader Joe's practices resemble those of fast fashion brands, where trendy yet unknown designs are adopted inexpensively for mass sale. This approach can hinder the growth and uniqueness of small brands, impacting their ability to compete in the market.
The Challenges for Small Brands Against Trader Joe's
The lack of legal protection for recipes and the leverage held by large retailers like Trader Joe's make it difficult for small brands to prevent the unauthorized copying of their products. This creates an imbalance in the food industry, affecting the innovation and growth of artisanal products.
Felix Salmon has lived in and around NYC for over 25 years, and he’s one of the sharpest observers of food culture and trend without officially writing about food. He’s the current chief financial correspondent at Axios and host of the terrific podcast Slate Money. He’s also the author of The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal. On this episode we talk about NYC dining, in and out, and his family’s fascinating history in the London food world. We also discuss the early snark of Eater, the Keith McNally legacy, early 2000s dining trends, and what he thinks about the future of food media. What a great talk! Felix is one of our faves, and we hope you enjoy it.
Also, did you read our big story about Trader Joe’s this week? It got a lot of attention and we are joined by the piece’s terrific writer, Adam Reiner, to talk about the company’s questionable private label practices.
Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.