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Time for me to chime in. Having been to Earth Fare,Fresh Market, Whole Food and Trader Joes all I can tell you is that Trader Joes once you go you will always go regardless of the other three. Regardless of a Wegman's that some of you may have been to someplace.
You cannot say UNLESS you have been that Earth Fare or Fresh Market dominates a Trader Joes. It is BAR NONE the most affordable place to get specialty foods and Wine. Unequalled but much imitated.
My knowledge of such things is well traveled folks. I have shopped from Maine to Florida. Those who know Trader Joes chime in.
Here's what I love about Trader Joes...
* Incredible wine selection at great prices
* Shopping for only what you need...TJ is a small store and it's not innundated with too many products to distract you.
* Super-friendly and helpful staff
* Amazing prices all around...coffee, baked items, chocolate, cheese, eggs, frozen items, I could go on and on.
* Peanut butter filled pretzels
Actually I just got back from Trader Joe's about an hour ago...I live in San Diego now and want to eventually move to Asheville. I e-mailed the company a few weeks ago just to put in my vote for a Joe's in Asheville.
I agree that a Trader Joes would be great here (Asheville), but we need to take a look at how companies like this tend to expand.
They'll most likely expand their sharehold in larger urban areas on major interstates before attempting smaller towns on smaller roads. This has been their tactic in the DC and Chicago areas. The fact that they have expanded into Atlanta and Charlotte is a good sign, but they will most likely focus on expanding into the suburban areas around those cities before setting their sights on new cities. Asheville may not fit their strategy very well, also - while the town itself would fit demographically, there aren't a lot of viable cities near it to allow them to cluster stores near each other for shipping purposes. I suppose there's Hickory and Johnson City, TN, but the best candidate is probably Greenville, SC. They're all an hour away from Asheville. Not exactly convenient for shipments.
Maybe it's enough to tempt them to expand here - weirder things have happened... even if it is, though, we're looking at a few years.
Yes, they are somwhat owned by/affiliated with Aldi's if you can believe that...and that's where the keep the prices low tactics come in. Cant wait til they open in Charlotte.
Trader Joe's was founded by Joe Coulombe and is currently owned by a family trust set up by German billionaire Theo Albrecht, one of the two brothers behind Aldi.
Actually, I worked at the very first Trader Joe's in Pasadena, CA back in 1979 for several years when there was a homemade sandwich shop inside and we actually squeezed oranges daily in half gallon and quart size containers. Having worked there off and on through the years, I can say that it was easy for me to become addicted (and I would have done so even if I had not been a crew member).
Although I am a bit disappointed with the one in Cary... this location doesn't seem to have the selection and the loaded layout like the ones out there in California. I dunno. Maybe it's due to distribution. And when they open in Charlotte, that will probably help with such distribution.
However, if Asheville wants one, I'm sure they can get one if people rally some support. I think Asheville is a perfect location for Trader Joe's considering the eclectic population there, even more so than RDU and Charlotte.
Anyway, if you ever visit the west, you'll probably see some selection differences. But I will say that our relocation here just before the opening of TJ's out here was a great blessing for us. Sure, no In'n'Out (not for me, really, but for my other half) or Souplantation and the 99Cent Only Store (if you haven't been to one yet, you would find out how pathetic the Dollar store really is) yet, but I don't know how long we could have lasted without our TJ's. We spend at least a few hundred dollars a couple times a month there.
And, of course, a case of two buck chuck (really, it's three bucks here) makes for an economical and tasty addition to our home dining experience.
there will be a lot of tjs in nc very soon,look how many have opened in georgia in the last 2 years i think its like 10 to 12, nc is getting 3 in the next year so be patint they are on thier way.
P.S. im planning on moving tho nc to work at one of the new stores so tell your fiends about it and fill those carts
One note about Trader Joes outside of California...the wine selection is NOT as good and the prices are much higher than in California. Also, like CA there are larger better stocked stores and smaller ones with less selection of their fresh foods and yes, it has to do with distribution and the more stores in an area or state, the better the distribution and ability to fund those stores with fresh foods. Either way...I love TJ's and hope they consider Asheville!!
I loved the wine selection at the TJs in Cary. In Penciltucky we do not have wine, nor in Delaware. I didn't think it was priced out of range at all. Then again here I buy mushrooms for 1.00 a pound and at the grocery store anywhere outside of this area you pay 2.99 for 6 ounces. Locality is important. Here is to many more TJs and I am sure everyone will enjoy the products as much as I have for the last 8 years.
For those of you who have never been, we LOVE Trader Joe's! One of the only things I miss about CA. I shopped at Sam's/Costco and Trader Joe's. Rarely went to the regular supermarket, if I did go it was usually a specialty market for meat, fish, deli, or other products we could not get at the others. Hope they will come this way, but I can be patient. When we first started going to TJ's some 15 years ago it was a 30 minute plus drive, and well worth it!
Charlotte Enjoy!
~Duke101
Last edited by JohnnyBreakdance; 06-05-2007 at 08:21 PM..
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