Anything Close to a Trader Joe's in GR Area? (Forest Hills: buy, college)

[magellan]

Originally Posted by dadr

If you want a Trader Joe's in GR, write to them at:

Trader Joe's

Seriously, I live in a midwest city smaller than GR and I repeatedly wrote them citing reasons TJ's would be a hit here, and there was also a Facebook "petition" group. Maybe not a coincidence that they built one within a couple years!

I'm thinking of a move to GR and would miss TJ's. I'm sure there are good organic food stores there but TJ's makes it more affordable for some things.

People have been trying for 5 or 6 years at least, maybe longer. This is an older blog post from 2010, but it lists all the "Bring Trader Joe's to Grand Rapids" FB pages:

An Anthropologie Study on Grand Rapids Retail Environment | The Ledger

Rumor has it that TJ's has identified a couple of places in the metro area they'd like to set up shop in a few years.

[Moving_2012]

Originally Posted by dadr

If you want a Trader Joe's in GR, write to them at:

Trader Joe's

Seriously, I live in a midwest city smaller than GR and I repeatedly wrote them citing reasons TJ's would be a hit here, and there was also a Facebook "petition" group. Maybe not a coincidence that they built one within a couple years!

I'm thinking of a move to GR and would miss TJ's. I'm sure there are good organic food stores there but TJ's makes it more affordable for some things.

Hi I did email Trader Joe's.. asking why they didn't have a location in GR. Would be a good spot for one!

[dadr]

Well, lookee here:

mLive:Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and H&M coming to Grand Rapids-area market, say developer

No concrete locations or dates, but it sounds like it will happen. Personally I'd rather see only TJ's and not Whole Foods but maybe they can coexist.

I also think an REI would do well in GR.

[Mvl]

If you find something, please let me know!! I miss my WEGMANS something fierce.
(Always ranked as one of the top grocery stores in the country.) We also had a TJ. Meijer just isn't cutting it. Meijer is boring, basic, Walmartish, nothing in the way of prepared foods, organic, fresh sushi, gourmet to go dinners..,..sighing.....no customer service, no selection, nothing but basics. Thank god for MI selling wine in stores. The highlight of my meijer trips!

[take57]

Before everyone loses their dignity, these are DEVELOPERS making these pronouncements, not the companies themselves. In other words, you're getting all moist in the panties on the say of people in the same profession as Donald Trump.

As far as Whole Foods going in the Knapp's Corner area, "The Simpsons" Ralph Wiggum put it best: Unpossible. With Meijer dropping some major coin to upgrade their store in the area and D&W's "$25 million dollar convenience store" as an industry observer called it, there's no chance whatsoever WF puts down in that part of town. Same I suspect with TJ's.

Has everyone forgot how the massive train wreck "Fresh Market" on 28th turned out? I guarantee the people in WF's & TJ's acquisition departments haven't and TJ's isn't all that different than Fresh Market.

Two years at the earliest, and it will be one, maybe two TJ's. Whole Foods is a long ways away.

YMMV

[gr to okc]

How is meijers a copycat of Walmart when Walmart stole everything from meijers. Meijers invented the supercenter concept.

[dadr]

I've never heard of Fresh Market until now. Is it more expensive than Trader Joe's? I think TJs probably has more of a brand recognition so may be more successful.

[take57]

Originally Posted by dadr

I've never heard of Fresh Market until now. Is it more expensive than Trader Joe's? I think TJs probably has more of a brand recognition so may be more successful.

Quite a few of them, a lot are in the South. Yes, more expensive than TJ's for the simple reason they don't rely on 'house brands' the way TJ does. They also carry a better selection of 'international' and, out of lack of a better term, 'exotic' products than TJ.

IMHO Trader Joe's is just not all that great shakes. Again, lots of pre-packaged and frozen products of acceptable but not outstanding quality. The pricing reflects it. Whole Foods does a nice job, but they too are moving a lot of house brand products. A fun place to wander about at 5:00pm to look at folks who can't cook for themselves but have an income that allows it. If you do know your way around a kitchen you're much better off going to real ethnic stores for real ingredients and save yourself a ton of cash although that's too scary for a lot of people. Whatever.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by take57

Before everyone loses their dignity, these are DEVELOPERS making these pronouncements, not the companies themselves. In other words, you're getting all moist in the panties on the say of people in the same profession as Donald Trump.

As far as Whole Foods going in the Knapp's Corner area, "The Simpsons" Ralph Wiggum put it best: Unpossible. With Meijer dropping some major coin to upgrade their store in the area and D&W's "$25 million dollar convenience store" as an industry observer called it, there's no chance whatsoever WF puts down in that part of town. Same I suspect with TJ's.

Has everyone forgot how the massive train wreck "Fresh Market" on 28th turned out? I guarantee the people in WF's & TJ's acquisition departments haven't and TJ's isn't all that different than Fresh Market.

Two years at the earliest, and it will be one, maybe two TJ's. Whole Foods is a long ways away.

YMMV

I actually think that's precisely why Meijer is upgrading their Knapp's Corner store, to try and stave off Whole Foods from going into that corner. It will all come down to whether WF's can work out a deal with Steve Benner/Evergreen Properties. The site plan for Knapp's Crossing, I believe, is set up exactly to fit a Whole Foods type anchor/medium box store at the Northern end of the drive, near PF Chang's. The demographics in the 3 mile area around that corner are perfect for WF's (household incomes north of $100K, something like 75% Bachelor's degrees, median house price over $300k). That's why there are 3 Starbucks near that corner. Although it certainly doesn't really need another grocery option with Aldi, D&W and Meijer.

Fresh Market on 28th was a joke. Ha, sorry, it was. The name even looked made up, in some Aerial font.

My guess is Whole Foods at Centerpointe and shortly afterward at Knapp's Crossing (or vice versa), in 2014. Trader Joe's in Cascade at the end of 28th Street for their first store.

Also, the guy who announced it is a partner at Colliers, a commercial real estate firm. He's not like Donald Trump at all. He wouldn't put his reputation on the line announcing this unless he had a Letter of Intent or something similar from these retailers. The developers and agents always announce before the company does. It's classic PR.

[take57]

WF at Centerpointe would be a fairly decent fit, especially since dirt is being pushed around on the site already. I could also see a TJ at the 28th & Cascade location. I'm sure there's an equally distressed strip mall out near Granville that could accommodate TJ making a twofer debut in the area. However, no way, no how will a Whole Foods go into the Knapp's Crossing development unless:

1. D&W abandons their store there.
2. Any developer associated with allowing a Whole Foods to setup shop in the same project as an established Spartan Stores location intends to commit professional suicide and never work in West Michigan retail development again.

I suppose anything is possible though. Pretty sure Spartan is not making a dime at Knapp. If they are it's because they're making it up on margin rather than volume (the $25 million dollar convenience store) since their basket size counts appear to be pretty small, as well as clues like the produce being kept a few days longer than a higher volume store would experience and the reduction of the fresh fish offerings. Who knows, maybe they will decide to stop the pain, cut a deal and move on.