Wait, What Does the Trader Joe's Bell Mean?

If you are a die-hard Trader Joe's fan, then you already know that the fan-favoite grocery chain has the best prices on bananas and an ever-changing array of snacks, frozen foods, cheeses, condiments and more that have shoppers lining up. The employees wear Hawaiian shirts, instead of uniforms, making the environment even friendlier, and the stores offer a huge selection of foods you won't find elsewhere, all displayed with handwritten price tags.

And every now and then you'll hear the sound of a bell—sometimes it's one ding, and other times it's two or three. Have you ever wondered what it means when they ring the bell at Trader Joe's? The sounds aren't just there to make it more fun to shop for Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, though they do that too.

Recently, Matt and Tara, Trader Joe's team members and hosts of the Inside Trader Joe's podcast did a deep dive into the meaning of all this ringing and dinging. We took notes so we could share the intel with you.

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Why Do They Ring a Bell at Trader Joe's?

In the podcast episode, Tara explained that the large brass bells, which you will find at each cash register and at the crew station, are used to communicate with staff members throughout the store.

What's the Meaning of the Bells at Trader Joe's

You'll most often hear one, two or three bells while you're shopping, though on rare occasions you might hear four chimes ring out. Matt and Tara went through what each ring and ding means.

One bell: If you hear one ding, it means they need another cashier.

Two bells: Was that two chimes? If so, it means they need someone to find an item for a customer. 

Three bells: Three dings mean a manager is needed.

Four bells: "I've even heard tell of a four-bell situation, and I think this can vary store by store. At my store, it means all hands on deck at the front, baggers at each register, the lines are building, we want to help get customers out into their day with their groceries. Everybody come on up front. That's what I've seen with the four bell," he said.

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Why Bells?

"Well, there's this whole maritime aspect, a nautical theme, if you will," Matt explained. "If the crew is on a ship, a way to signal and communicate, well, that could be a bell. Once upon a time—because of our frugal nature and we just have been sticking with it for decades—a bell was less expensive than a public address system, and I think that they sound a little more interesting."

According to the Trader Joe’s website, the bells are a kind of Trader Joe’s Morse code. We agree with Matt that they are much more interesting and way more fun than making an announcement over a PA system. Matt said the bells are "perfectly representative" of the tools Trader Joe's likes to use.

"Simple, effective, and open to everyone," he said. So the next time you are in a Trader Joe's and you hear those bells, just know that they're the store's way of providing top-notch customer service.

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