Trader Joe's??? (Lexington, Louisville, Prospect: leasing, house, buy)

[nik]

We're moving to Louisville from Charlotte, NC (by way of Chicago). Does anyone know if there are any (serious) plans for a Trader Joe's in the area in the near future?

I will miss TJs!!

Thanks in advance.

[Cattknap]

We are moving to KY next year and will so miss Trader Joe's too...we have driven from Louisville to the TJ's in Cincinnati - long drive. I just don't understand why Trader Joe's doesn't have a store in KY. We have 3 TJ's within a short distance of our house and it is by far our favorite grocery store.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by nik

We're moving to Louisville from Charlotte, NC (by way of Chicago). Does anyone know if there are any (serious) plans for a Trader Joe's in the area in the near future?

I will miss TJs!!

Thanks in advance.

Yes, the company indicated to our mayor in the spring at the Las Vegas retail convention that they have plans for three area stores. I would definitely expect them here and open by 2009-2010, but your guess is as good as mine. Either way, they publicly announced they will enter this market...I assume they are still scouting sites as they have a unique leasing strategy that includes finding the lowest rent shopping centers in the highest income areas.

[nik]

Thanks for the info! It will be something to look forward to.

When I found out that we were moving, I also emailed Earth Fare, which is a NC based Whole-Food like store that stresses locally produced foods (the closest store to L'ville is Knoxville) and they sounded like they had also scouted Louisville for a possible store. I am a big fan of Earth Fare because they have had such a strong commitment to supporting the farmers here in NC and would continue to do so wherever they expand.

[goldenmom7500]

I am also a fan of Trader Joe's. We just moved to Lexington and there is something called "Wild Oats" (that looks like the same concept) but I haven't had a chance to try it out.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by nik

Thanks for the info! It will be something to look forward to.

When I found out that we were moving, I also emailed Earth Fare, which is a NC based Whole-Food like store that stresses locally produced foods (the closest store to L'ville is Knoxville) and they sounded like they had also scouted Louisville for a possible store. I am a big fan of Earth Fare because they have had such a strong commitment to supporting the farmers here in NC and would continue to do so wherever they expand.

Louisville has the state's only Whole Foods, which recently bought Wild Oats. It is probablty the best organic store of any genre. Louisville has its own chain of locally owned organic stores that are very nice, Rainbow Blossom:

Rainbow Blossom

Much of the stores items come from local farmers and stores I think. This is a very popular concept in Louisville, which I find to be several times more unique than what I have seen out of Charlotte or Raleigh metros (which are great cities in their own right):

Keep Louisville Weird - Buy Local First

There are also several other locally owned organic stores like Amazing Grace where the staff are really friendly and knowledgable:

Amazing Grace Whole Foods

[Cattknap]

The thing about Trader Joe's is that they are relatively inexpensive on many specialty and everyday items and downright cheap on others (compared to Whole Foods and chain grocery stores). For specialty foods (their wide variety of imported cheeses for example) they usually substantially undercut prices in local grocery stores in our area. The turnover of merchandise is so quick that food is really fresh. Much of what they sell is organic or "green." They are constantly introducing new and innovative specialty foods and products and prices on their flowers and plants are hard to beat. We don't drink, but understand they have excellent wine at very inexpensive prices (will the liquor have to be in a separate room in KY?).

Groceries are not particularly cheap in Louisville (I've done online comparisons to other areas and also shop in Louisville 2 or 3 times a year when I visit - I'm always surprised at how expensive groceries are), so it should be interesting to see if Trader Joe's inspires some competitive pricing among the local markets.

[nlschr0]

Originally Posted by Cattknap

(will the liquor have to be in a separate room in KY?).

I had an "unofficial" talk with a Trader Joe's corporate rep a while ago, and he mentioned that the liquor laws were a big factor for not having stores in KY, similar to CO. After all - what good is Trader Joe's without the three-buck-chuck?

I still think it is weird to go into KY places like Fresh Market that have big wine selections in their other states but just sell beer here. KY's loss, I think - it seems that they might have to reconsider that if they do want to bring in more national companies.

[Cattknap]

I figured that was the reason nschro.....there is a party store in Prospect off of Highway 42 - I think their liquor is in an adjoining room...seems like TJ's could do the same.....I personally don't get the separation of liquor thing - does it make people drink less? What is the thinking behind that law?

[goldenmom7500]

Originally Posted by nlschr0

I had an "unofficial" talk with a Trader Joe's corporate rep a while ago, and he mentioned that the liquor laws were a big factor for not having stores in KY, similar to CO. After all - what good is Trader Joe's without the three-buck-chuck?

I still think it is weird to go into KY places like Fresh Market that have big wine selections in their other states but just sell beer here. KY's loss, I think - it seems that they might have to reconsider that if they do want to bring in more national companies.

Right, I mean you can get liquor at "Rite-Aid" so what's the deal?

[I don't even know the liquor laws beyond the fact that you can't get a bottle of wine on Sunday].