trader joe's.

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chrizow
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trader joe's.

Post by chrizow »

trader joe's is mentioned frequently on this site, but i don't think there is a thread devoted to it.  hence, this thread.

i visited a trader joe's in creve coeur, mo (metro st. louis) yesterday and (as seems to be custom) asked a clerk when TJ's was opening stores in kansas city.  the clerk assured me that KC stores are coming, though she did not know where exactly in KC or when, though she thought relatively soon. 

she said that at the last national TJ's employee conference, there was a computer slideshow presentation that featured a map of the US, with current and planned-future TJ's markets illuminated.  KC was one of the illuminated markets.  the clerk said that her husband is a "Captain" with TJ's, which i guess is a manager, and she indicated that TJ's opening in KC is definitely occurring. 

KC bonus:  she said "i told my husband that as soon as TJ's opens in kansas city, we need to transfer there.  we moved to st. louis from seattle, and st. louis is not seattle.  it seems like kansas city is more our style, and it's closer to colorado." 

KC vs. STL, Trader Joe's Employee edition:  KC-1, STL-0.
Last edited by chrizow on Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by Midtownkid »

Hope you agreed with her and encouraged her to move to KC!  :P
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by ignatius »

I mentioned this before but I often hit the Chesterfield store on my way back to KC and will stock up with many of the same items.  This is apparently an indicator for the cashier to ask if you are from KC.  One told me that on Sundays, sometimes about half the credit card sales at that store can come from KC people on their way back home.

The reason given for no store in KC is that KC is too far from the distro center in Chicago.  So if KC is indeed getting one soon, could we possibly be getting a distro center to cover Denver, Wichita, Omaha, Des Moines, etc?  It would make much sense to put one here.
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Re: trader joe's.

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ignatius wrote: So if KC is indeed getting one soon, could we possibly be getting a distro center to cover Denver, Wichita, Omaha, Des Moines, etc? 
i meant to ask this, and forgot.  TJ's is good about answering emails, i'll try and posit this to them soon. 

according to the clerk i spoke with, she said that her husband the manager indicated that the demand from KC is insane.  it's definitely coming. 

TJ's rules.  i am eating some Trek Mix now...
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Re: trader joe's.

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But don't they usally go to upscale suburban areas?  I think the plaza would be a great location, but I would bet they would put them in JoCo/Platte/LS in metro KC.
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GRID wrote: But don't they usally go to upscale suburban areas?  I think the plaza would be a great location, but I would bet they would put them in JoCo/Platte/LS in metro KC.
they do go to upscale suburban areas, but i think the Plaza area would probably be considered.  the Plaza demographics are probably similar to the demographics around the Galleria-area TJ's in STL. 

there is also a problem with TJ's opening on the KS side due to their arcane liquor laws prohibiting liquor from being sold in a grocery store.  TJ's has its own label for wines and beers (and sells other wines and beers, often at a great discount) so the rumor is that TJ's is looking in the 135th and State Line area on the MO side. 

ultimately i could see (1) 135th/State Line, (2) Plaza, (3) maybe Parkville or something.
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Re: trader joe's.

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GRID wrote: But don't they usally go to upscale suburban areas?  I think the plaza would be a great location, but I would bet they would put them in JoCo/Platte/LS in metro KC.
They are in both urban and suburban settings in Portland.
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Re: trader joe's.

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GRID wrote: But don't they usally go to upscale suburban areas?  I think the plaza would be a great location, but I would bet they would put them in JoCo/Platte/LS in metro KC.
They have a mix of suburban and urban - they seem to like taking over spots where someone else has failed as opposed to build-to-suit.  I don't think I have ever seen a purpose built TJs.  I have seen some in some pretty mediocre if not down right shabby strip malls.  As has been mentioned there is doubt about KS, given the food/booze problem.  
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by KCMax »

It'd be a great fit at the Mission development. Way better than an aquarium, at least.

I don't know about the Plaza - rents too high don't you think? I would think just off the plaza - 50th and Main, or just north, say Midtown Marketplace would be better.

Right now economically it makes more sense for tenants to locate to suburban areas in KC so I'm guessing north of the river is where they would open - somewhere around Zona Rosa.
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Re: trader joe's.

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KCMax wrote:
I don't know about the Plaza - rents too high don't you think? I would think just off the plaza - 50th and Main, or just north, say Midtown Marketplace would be better.
yeah, not the Plaza itself, but the Plaza area.  as you say - 50th/Main, etc.  too bad West Edge is dragging ass, the first floor of that building would be a perfect location. 
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Re: trader joe's.

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My bet is that Watts Mill at 103rd/State Line will be the first store.  Major freeway access, MO liquor laws, JoCo money.
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

chrizow wrote: yeah, not the Plaza itself, but the Plaza area.  as you say - 50th/Main, etc.  too bad West Edge is dragging ass, the first floor of that building would be a perfect location. 
39th and Main Osco/Katz has to be the most ideal midtown locale - It has a nice big parking lot - perfect sized building - Recently used for similar retail so wouldn't need massive updates.  
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Re: trader joe's.

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chrizow wrote: they do go to upscale suburban areas, but i think the Plaza area would probably be considered.  the Plaza demographics are probably similar to the demographics around the Galleria-area TJ's in STL. 

there is also a problem with TJ's opening on the KS side due to their arcane liquor laws prohibiting liquor from being sold in a grocery store.  TJ's has its own label for wines and beers (and sells other wines and beers, often at a great discount) so the rumor is that TJ's is looking in the 135th and State Line area on the MO side. 

ultimately i could see (1) 135th/State Line, (2) Plaza, (3) maybe Parkville or something.
Good point on the KS thing.

So….

1. Martin City, lots of people with good demos, close to JoCo
2. Plaza/Brookside (would also serve JoCo)
3. Tuileries/ZonaRosa?  GreenAcres already in Briarcliff
4. Summit Fair?  Independence has Nature’s Pantry though which I’m sure gets many of their customers from LS.
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Re: trader joe's.

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GRID wrote:
3. Tuileries/ZonaRosa?  GreenAcres already in Briarcliff
4. Summit Fair?  Independence has Nature’s Pantry though which I’m sure gets many of their customers from LS.
TJ's isn't quite like GreenAcres or Nature's Pantry (or Whole Foods), though i imagine the shopping demos are v. similar.  those places are expensive.  TJ's is more like a dean and deluca-esque "gourmet" market with cheap prices.  they do focus somewhat on organic products and have a small TJ's line of vitamins/supplements, but the emphasis seems to be on cheap/good frozen stuff, cheeses, nuts, wines, sauces, dried fruits, etc.  TJ's rules b/c they can somehow sell expensive things cheaply, and the TJ's line of products is good and very cheap.  you can get a pound of huge, awesome cashews for like $4.

i wonder if they could get some sort of variance or somehow work around the KS law.  a TJ's in Lawrence would do very well, and one in west JoCo/Olathe would do very well and that market cannot really be served appropriately by a MO store.
Last edited by chrizow on Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

chrizow wrote: and that market cannot really be served appropriately by a MO store.
They could put the damn thing in Excelsior Springs and people would drive there in droves.  ~10-15 miles and a state line wouldn't stop faddicts in W. Olathe from making weekly visits. 
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Re: trader joe's.

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Or they could just do what most liquor stores to do in Kansas for their non-liquor merchandise, and have a "separate" store for alcohol.
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Re: trader joe's.

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KCMax wrote: Or they could just do what most liquor stores to do in Kansas for their non-liquor merchandise, and have a "separate" store for alcohol.
yeah, i wonder if they could do something as simple as putting up a wall between the alcohol and the rest of the store.  it must not be that simple, or else the Hy-Vee at 79th and State Line wouldn't have placed their liquor department across the street on the MO side.
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

chrizow wrote: yeah, i wonder if they could do something as simple as putting up a wall between the alcohol and the rest of the store.  it must not be that simple, or else the Hy-Vee at 79th and State Line wouldn't have placed their liquor department across the street on the MO side.
You have to have seperate points of sale as well.  Thus the customer cannot pay for both at the same time - they have to pay for the food then take then go get their booze and take it to a different counter to pay.  Thus the liqour stores that have attempted this have all built off seperate partitioned areas with the mixers, with a seperate cash register and since a lot of liqour stores may only have one or two employees on duty, if you want to buy something you often have to wait for the cashier to finish ringing people up at the booze counter so he can come sell you the tonic.

There is a Sam's Club down in Wichita that actually built a seperate liqour store, with a seperate entrance attached to the front of the store.  I believe they have to let non-members in as well due to liqour laws. 
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Re: trader joe's.

Post by ignatius »

^World Market also builds liquor stores separate from retail store in some states.  There are TJ's in NYC and NY has somewhat stricter liquor laws than KS.  I haven't been to a TJs in NY but they either separate the two or in some cases some stores may not sell liquor.
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Post by dangerboy »

Seems like in most markets TJs has a good balance between urban and suburban stores, so hopefully at least one central store in the Westport/Plaza area and a few in the suburbs. World Market is probably a good model for what TJ's would do here - serving the Kansas suburbs from stores in Westport and far south State Line Road.

I know one KCMO Councilmember was courting TJs for the Valentine Shops by the Uptown Theater. 

The Westport Osco/Katz site has some big challenges.  The land under the building is actually 3-4 different parcels that are owned by multiple people, and then the building itself is owned someone completely different.  Even better, the various groups aren't getting along.  It's gonna be hard to put anything in that building.
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