Buying in bulk, Trader Joe's, Costco

What do we buy? And what does that say about us? Emily Mester examines what happens when consumption begins to consume you Journalist Ada Tseng visits Costco twice a week for gas, deals, and hidden Asian treasures Benjamin Lorr explores how the sliding doors at American grocery stores stay open Patty Civalleri tells us about the man who created Trader Joe's, which started in Pasadena in 1967 Gustavo Arellano recalls the legacy of Frieda Caplan, who introduced Angelenos to all sorts of exotic produce LA transplant Vanessa Anderson, aka The Grocery Goblin on Tiktok, documents the city by visiting its markets. Sign up for the weekly Good Food newsletter!