nationwide retailers

[moosnsqrl]

I want to rant and, after a bit of keyword searching, can't figure out where to put this - feel free to move it if you wish.

After countless years of begging and pleading, facebook groups and other self-effacing efforts, Trader Joe's finally decided our little metro was worthy of their presence. I have to admit, I used to be one of the beggars and pleaders - before I had been to enough of their midwest stores to know that they're not all that and a bag of organic sea-salted chips once they get too far from the coast. I'm embarrassed to admit how many of their Chicago-area stores I went to (while visiting friends) before I realized there just wasn't that much reason to go to them.

That whole TJ's experience has made me wary of other retailers who finally deign to come here when they've run out of anything better to do. So I seized upon this quote in today's KCBJ from Sur la Table. They have been in the St. Louis market for 10 years and were rumored to be considering KC as early as 2002 (according to minutes of exhaustive research conducted by me on our humble forum ), and lo and behold, a scant 9 years later:

“Kansas City is a cosmopolitan, sophisticated and highly educated market,” CEO Jack Schwefel said in a written statement. “Country Club Plaza is a great fit for Sur La Table.”

Oh, THANK YOU Mr. Schwefel. The decade it took you to determine this in no way dilutes your kind words. And, being cosmopolitan, sophisticated and highly educated, we would certainly notice if you were merely pandering to entice us into your over-priced, lame-ass store.

OK. I feel better already. Thanks.

[kcmeesha]

On most trips to St.Louis I make a stop at TJ's and buy $50 worth of snacks. I don't care for organic but I like unique and interesting. I figured when TJ's will open here 1 or 2 trips a year will be plenty for me. The "experience" and atmosphere don't do anything for me, I frequent Aldi which has none of the above.
St.Louis has a store which I would take over TJ's any time:
http://www.globalfoodsmarket.com/ - it has aisles and aisles of international foods, like every ethnic grocery combined in one store with no pretense. There is a deli there as well if I remember correctly.

[bbqboy]

We have a really great chain out here in the far west called Grocery Outlet that gets wonderful overstock foods from around the country and world.
Based in Berkeley, it gets a variety of cool stuff, not a dented can place.
Too bad they are only in 5 western states. I find stuff from back home there, + other oddities that aren't normally available out here, for instance Braunsweiger from Kahn's and Farmland and Bush's beans just yesterday.

http://www.groceryoutlet.com/
We keep pleading for a TJ'S too, but I don't care much.

[pash]

.

[brewcrew1000]

If everything wasn't in such huge bulk, i'd shop at costco full time, they have some awesome cheeses, wines and great looking produce.

[moosnsqrl]

Why all the hype for Trader Joe's?

I mean, it's not a bad store—they have some decent stuff and the prices are all right, but it's not really even a full grocery. ...

That's the conclusion I have come to, at least with regards to the midwest outlets. Some of the CA stores do have pretty amazing produce and great ready-to-eat salads, etc, but the non-coastal stores just don't bring that much to the table, if you'll pardon the pun.

[mlind]

We have a really great chain out here in the far west called Grocery Outlet that gets wonderful overstock foods from around the country and world.
Based in Berkeley, it gets a variety of cool stuff, not a dented can place.
Too bad they are only in 5 western states. I find stuff from back home there, + other oddities that aren't normally available out here, for instance Braunsweiger from Kahn's and Farmland and Bush's beans just yesterday.

http://www.groceryoutlet.com/
We keep pleading for a TJ'S too, but I don't care much.

I shop at Grocery Outlet in Berkeley CA all the time.  It' not gourmet, but you can find interesting items at lower prices. It's definitely hit or miss.  I don't drink, but I've heard you can get some good wines there.  I have seen beer from small breweries. 

I read an article that they are expanding, but probably not as far as KC.

[pash]

.

[kansas]

I shop at Aldi also - don't the same people own Trader Joes?

[KCMax]

I want to rant and, after a bit of keyword searching, can't figure out where to put this - feel free to move it if you wish.

After countless years of begging and pleading, facebook groups and other self-effacing efforts, Trader Joe's finally decided our little metro was worthy of their presence. I have to admit, I used to be one of the beggars and pleaders - before I had been to enough of their midwest stores to know that they're not all that and a bag of organic sea-salted chips once they get too far from the coast. I'm embarrassed to admit how many of their Chicago-area stores I went to (while visiting friends) before I realized there just wasn't that much reason to go to them.

That whole TJ's experience has made me wary of other retailers who finally deign to come here when they've run out of anything better to do. So I seized upon this quote in today's KCBJ from Sur la Table. They have been in the St. Louis market for 10 years and were rumored to be considering KC as early as 2002 (according to minutes of exhaustive research conducted by me on our humble forum ), and lo and behold, a scant 9 years later:

“Kansas City is a cosmopolitan, sophisticated and highly educated market,” CEO Jack Schwefel said in a written statement. “Country Club Plaza is a great fit for Sur La Table.”

Oh, THANK YOU Mr. Schwefel. The decade it took you to determine this in no way dilutes your kind words. And, being cosmopolitan, sophisticated and highly educated, we would certainly notice if you were merely pandering to entice us into your over-priced, lame-ass store.

OK. I feel better already. Thanks.

I get your point of view and don't entirely disagree, but I have seen a bunch of nationwide retailers get into serious financial trouble by overexpanding when perhaps their brand wasn't that established or they didn't have the resources to really make it in new markets. I can understand some hesitancy.

Not sure that really applies to TJ, but maybe being "exclusive" is part of their mystique. I don't really get it based on simply their retail products, but the way people talk about it, it sounds very similar to a new club that only certain cool people know about.

[loftguy]

I shop at Aldi also - don't the same people own Trader Joes?

TJ is owned/operated by a branch of the family that owns Aldi. 

[mgsports]

I like Albertson/Winn Dixie/Publix but none here.

[mlind]

Years ago, Albertson's bought a CA chain call Lucky and changed the name.  It turned out that they had no name recognition and changed it back to Lucky.  They do have nice stores.

Interestingly enough, Albertson's closed a lot of the smaller Lucky's and Trader Joe's bought them. 

In CA TJ's does have nice ready-to-eat items, good selection of cheese at good prices, and interesting frozen food, including Indian.  And they carry a lot of soy dairy products.  I tried their fresh hamburger and didn't like it. Supposedly, the wine selection is good.  In general, the stores are small and they are ruthless about dropping items that don't sell well.  You go to buy something and it's gone.

All that said, I don't go there very often, but the stores are always crowded.