Trader Joe’s Episode 100 Reveals Winners of 17th Customer Choice Awards

Trader Joe’s marked a milestone with Episode 100 of its in-house podcast, titled "The 17th Annual Customer Choice Awards," announcing the winners of the retailer’s customer-voted product awards. The episode, published Jan. 26, 2026 on iHeart, revealed fan favorites across multiple categories including favorite overall product, favorite cheese, best snack, and favorite new product for the year.

Company spokespeople and employees Matt Sloan and Tara Miller hosted the episode and guided listeners through the results. The Customer Choice Awards, now in their 17th year, are part of a broader customer-engagement program that blends product promotion with internal storytelling. The episode functions as a company-facing communications piece that highlights employee voices, elevates product teams and gives store employees fresh material to share with customers.

For store crews and product teams, the awards serve several practical purposes. Recognition of winners can validate the work of buyers, suppliers and crew members who recommended or merchandised the items, and can create immediate talking points at registers and sampling stations. Merchandising and inventory planning often follow customer enthusiasm, so winners flagged on a high-profile company channel may influence restocking priorities and promotional displays in the coming weeks.

Beyond tactical stocking decisions, the podcast episode underscores a cultural strategy at Trader Joe’s: use employee-led communications to reinforce brand identity and customer connections. Featuring Matt Sloan and Tara Miller on Episode 100 keeps the message internal as well as outward-facing, signaling that product wins are part of an ongoing conversation between customers and the crew. That approach can help front-line employees feel more directly tied to company initiatives and brand storytelling.

The episode’s transcript and show notes are available via the Trader Joe’s podcast page, providing a record that managers can reference when planning in-store mentions or team briefings. Posting the episode on iHeart on Jan. 26, 2026 extends its reach beyond internal channels, although its tone and structure remain closely aligned with company communications rather than traditional consumer-facing marketing campaigns.

For workers, the Customer Choice Awards episode offers a morale lift and practical leverage: store employees gain clear examples of customer preferences to guide recommendations, and product staff receive public acknowledgment of successful lines. As Trader Joe’s continues to use its podcast for storytelling, employees can expect more moments where product achievements translate into front-line recognition and operational choices.