Trader Joe's explains why the store won't be starting curbside pickup or grocery delivery

A shopper exits Trader Joe’s, in Orange, Conn. April 21, 2020. In a recent episode of its podcast, Trader Joe's explained why it hasn't added curbside pickup or delivery to its store offerings during the coronavirus pandemic. less A shopper exits Trader Joe’s, in Orange, Conn. April 21, 2020. In a recent episode of its podcast, Trader Joe's explained why it hasn't added curbside pickup or delivery to its store offerings during the ... more Photo: Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Trader Joe's explains why the store won't be starting curbside pickup or grocery delivery 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

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Grocery stores have felt the pressure of stepping up conveniences such as curbside pickup and grocery delivery in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but Trader Joe's recently spent some time on an episode of its podcast, "Inside Trader Joe's" explaining exactly why they haven't moved in that direction despite calls to do so.

The reason the grocery store chain hadn't implemented curbside pickup, or even self-checkout, is a simple one. The company would rather invest in its employees, said Matt Sloan, TJ’s Vice President of Marketing.

"Creating an online shopping system for curbside pickup or the infrastructure for delivery, it's a massive undertaking," Sloan said on the podcast, which was released Monday. "It's something that takes months or years to plan, build and implement and it requires tremendous resources. Well, at Trader Joe's, the reality is that over the last couple of decades we've invested those resources in our people rather than build an infrastructure that eliminates the need for people."

Besides, offerings such as curbside pickup and grocery deliveries "don't always translate into positive results" said Tara Miller, Trader Joe's Marketing Director.

"The bottom line here is that our people remain our most valued resource," Miller added. "While other retailers were cutting staff and adding things like self-checkout, curbside pickup and outsourcing delivery options, we were hiring more crew, and we continue to do that."

Trader Joe's has recently faced criticism from its employees over moves by the company to keep its employees from forming a union, the New York Times reported in early April, and for not offering hazard pay for employees working during the pandemic. At the time, Trader Joe's had reportedly reduced hours and closed various stores, as well as given employees a week of paid sick leave, but employees told the Times that the leave was "insufficient" and bonuses paid to employees worked out to "only a couple of hundred dollars or less."

In an updated post to the Trader Joe's site published April 21, the store outlined its COVID-19 response for employees and customers, detailing "wellness checks" for workers, increased cleanings, installation of temporary plexiglass barriers for check stands and "providing up to two weeks of additional paid sick time to Crew Members who have any symptoms of illness." The store also said it is giving employees an extra $2/hour "thank you" wage. To read more, head over the Trader Joe's site here.

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Dianne de Guzman is a Digital Editor at SFGATE. Email: dianne.deguzman@sfgate.com