Oxnard 200,004 and growing (Sacramento, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara: middle-class, crime rate, Home Depot)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

How many Valartas do they have in Thousand Oaks? I like our Oxnard store and find it more appealing than a Trader Joes anyway.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

How many Valartas do they have in Thousand Oaks? I like our Oxnard store and find it more appealing than a Trader Joes anyway.

I've never been in that store before, from looking it up online it seems pretty awesome. Unfortunately the demographics in the TO area wouldn't support such a large Mexican grocery store. Next time I'm in the valley I think I'll stop by one of the Valartas stores.

Personally I rarely shop at Trader Joes, my diet doesn't consist of that much Granola and its fairly overpriced for basic foods (steak, chicken, milk, butter, vegetables, etc).

[LadyKLO]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

LadyKLO, I have no idea if it will make the place better or not. I know many great people that at most graduated high school and are contributing to their communities making them great places. I have also heard of college educated people destroying communities and peoples lifes. Using Haas as an example many of the people that work there and rose thru the ranks only had high school educations. The company thought that it would be better to help pay for their managers to go to school. Not that they weren't successfull without the extra education.

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

I'm of the opinion that what makes for a successful city is a mix of income and education. For instance, segregating people by income -- the rich live in a gated community over there, while professionals live in some other suburb over there, and working class live in a huge apartment complex down there -- divides people, breeds suspicion and contempt.

Likewise, concentrating poverty into big projects or relegating the poor into certain sections of town breeds hopelessness, misery and further isolates them from the broader community.

In traditional American towns, the super rich, merchants, workers and the poor all lived in close proximity to each other and mixed with each other regularly. I support the idea that this dynamic fosters a more healthy community than dividing the population into each their own faction based on income or education. Just my opinion.

Thanks so much...I think we three are of the same mindset. It appeared as if user_id is implying that having college educated people would be better for a city but that is not necessarily the case. Thanks to you two for answering my question.

[OxnardNative]

I wonder what Oxnard would look like in 20 years?

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by user_id

Not biting what? Just pointing out that your explanation has holes in it...

Don't really care what you have to point out, nor to discuss much with you until you grow out of your petulance. Your whole purpose here seems to be to endlessly "poke holes" in the observations of others and what they have to say. No one is 100% correct 100% of the time, but there is an adult and civil way to enhance the discussion at those times. For example, "Hey, that's a good point and an interesting observation, but what about this?" You have yet to learn that skill. Instead of approaching your disagreements with other users on this board with respect and civility where one might learn from you -- and where the discussion is kept on the upbeat and positive side -- you tear others down ad nauseam in a boring spirit of "I'm right and you are wrong -- again." (yawn)

As to TJ's, go back a few posts and read the very long and detailed article from CNN Money that I posted, where it explains the corporate logic behind that store, and how they differ from other grocery outlets. Cheers.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

How many Valartas do they have in Thousand Oaks? I like our Oxnard store and find it more appealing than a Trader Joes anyway.

I agree with this. Though I like TJ's, I get taxed by their feel-good hippie approach. There is only so much I can take of being asked "what I'm doing this weekend" from total strangers scanning my groceries. It feels invasive and contrived.

If there is any truth to the "demographic" argument of why TJ's has a store in Ventura and not Oxnard, then I would say that TJ's corporate understands that Latin Americans don't buy into all that touchy-feelyness of TJ's. At least the Latin Americans I know don't buy into it. They see right through it for the marketing scam that it is. But anyway, as stated, the Ventura TJ's is actually more convenient to Oxnard than many areas of Ventura. I have a feeling corporate TJ's looked at this aspect of it more than a prejudice against Oxnard. Just MHO. Lots of Oxnardians shop at TJ's.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by LadyKLO

It appeared as if user_id is implying that having college educated people would be better for a city but that is not necessarily the case.

Not really, just noting that the reason Oxnard has zero Trader Joes and Thousand Oaks has three is related to demographics of the two cities.

The last thing Oxnard should worry about is not having a Trader Joes.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

Don't really care what you have to point out, nor to discuss much with you until you grow out of your petulance.

If you think my cantankerous personality outweighs any contribution I make then by all means ignore my comments (I thought I was on ignore anyways...).

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

and how they differ from other grocery outlets. Cheers.

What Trader Joes says about themselves is just marketing, at the end of the day they are just a small grocery store that has been branded towards a particular niche market. Nothing really special about their operations.

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

then I would say that TJ's corporate understands that Latin Americans don't buy into all that touchy-feelyness of TJ's.

Yeah that's it, it has nothing to do with the fact that Trader Joes doesn't sell the products that Latin Americans typically purchase. Try buying the ingredients for Mexican food at Trader Joes.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by user_id

What Trader Joes says about themselves is just marketing, at the end of the day they are just a small grocery store that has been branded towards a particular niche market. Nothing really special about their operations.

Wasn't really referring to what TJ's says about themselves. I was referring to what the CNN Money article says in analysis about TJ's from researching them. But what's the use. You're always right and will fight tooth and nail to make that point, so....

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by user_id

Not really, just noting that the reason Oxnard has zero Trader Joes and Thousand Oaks has three is related to demographics of the two cities.

The last thing Oxnard should worry about is not having a Trader Joes.

What demographics? Based on what I've come to understand of TJ's corporate planning, I'd say they figured out that strategically they would get the best bang for their buck with a store -- in an old cheap building -- in Ventura, very near the border with Oxnard, along the major artery connecting the two cities, thereby easily capturing both their Ventura and Oxnard customers in one simple location. I suspect that TJ's decided through their market research that they had customers in Oxnard and that those customers would make the trip to Ventura, and folks in Oxnard do. So what demographics in Oxnard are you referring to, and in what breakdown? Any data or articles to share? Something besides your opinion?

ETA: Please enlighten us. What should Oxnard be worrying about, if not the lack of a TJ's feather in its cap?