Trader Joe’s holiday items have begun to arrive—and so has the FOMO marketing

Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. Trader Joe’s is famous for the exclusive store-brand products that fill its shelves. But perhaps the products that do the most to motivate its cult-loyalist shoppers are the ones whose shelf time is fleeting—limited-edition seasonal goods that may never be seen again. That’s never more clear than right now, as the chain’s holiday-only goods start to hit the shelves, from Nuts About...