Anyone who has ever stopped into a Trader Joe’s grocery anywhere around the country couldn’t help but get excited about the place, especially after realizing how inexpensive everything is there. (Seriously, a big bottle of drinking water for under a buck? This ain’t no convenience store!)
For anyone wishing for a Trader Joe’s to open in Florida, the wait may soon be over. Retail brokers say the Monrovia, CA-based chain is scouting several potential sites statewide, in urban and suburban areas with affluent, educated shoppers. The only possible hiccup to the process is distribution, since it doesn’t make much sense to truck bottled water or fresh produce all the way across the country. “It’s a question of logistics rather than location,” says one broker who is familiar with Trader Joe’s plans.
A spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s says the chain has a “no-press policy” (whatever that means) and will neither confirm nor deny what brokers are saying lately. However, there could be some credence to those rumors since Trader Joe’s is related to Aldi, which is in fact expanding rapidly into Florida and has opened a distribution center near Interstate 4 in eastern Polk County.
Florida would be a solid market for Trader Joe’s for three reasons: transplanted residents who left cities where it has stores (300 in half the US) sorely miss them, Floridians who have been there in other states liked them and the 10,000-sf stores would fit nicely into new urban enclaves being developed in the state’s larger CBDs.
The nearest Trader Joe’s to Florida is in Atlanta, which is a good sign considering other retailers have followed the same path to Southern expansion. Remember, Ikea tested the market up there before deciding to build three stores down here.
I recently moved back to Florida from Maryland. One of the stores I really missed was Trader Joe’s. In fact, when my family would come up for visits, they would make a special trip to T.J.’s to pick up items to bring back home.
The price points are incredible, the food & wine (especially the wine) is delicious and the service is great. I do hope the chain decides to expand here. There is definitely one South Florida family ready to shop!
Great news!! How wonderful it would be if they come to the Tampa Bay area. Shopped there all the time in Southern California.
GREAT NEWS!!! Hope it’s near Lakewood Ranch.
Wow – it is about time.
Missed them from my days in Southern California.
Hopefully they will choose Tampa ( as did Ikea )
This is one family ready to go shop there today
I hope they do come. Incredibly they are not in Texas either. By not being in Florida or Texas, they are missing out on two of the largest retail markets in the country.
Anyone know of any updates on this story?
Trader Joes will be a huge presence in South FL in early 2010.
I live in Brooklyn and love Trader Joe’s. My mom, who lives in New Port Richey, came to visit and is now obsessed with finding one near her. I’m hoping that one eventually does open up. I think Florida would be an excellent choice. I know that Publix does ‘organic’ food but the prices are insane. Some people prefer Whole Foods because, if you want to get technical, WF’s has more ‘fresh’ items where TJ’s is more pre-packaged goods. But the price at WF’s is definite too much for me. Either way, the prices are great at TJ’s and I do almost all my shopping there. C’mon TJ’s, let’s get one in Florida!
Trader Joe’s would be a fantastic addition to downtown St Pete. There is a great retail space available with a large parking garage on top in downtown St Pete. Everyone I know and have mentioned this to would love a Trader Joe’s in St Pete!!
O.K., so maybe northeast Florida isn’t exactly the retail nirvana of central and S. Florida, due to fewer tourists. But there would be a big drawing area from S.E. Georgia and N.E. Florida. WF opened a Jacksonville store and they usually know what they are doing (even if they are VERY proud of their products, judging from the pricing). At least open a TJ’s 3-Buck Chuck outlet store. Getting tired of waiting for Charlotte trips, or having friends/relatives haul it in!
HEY YOU GUYS!
I AM A FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND GETTING TIRED OF FILLING MY SUITCASE
ON MY L.A. LAYOVERS WITH STUFF ESPECIALLY WINE TO CARRY BACK TO FLORIDA. I AM IN A UP AND COMING AREA IN FT. MYERS AND WE GOT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING BUT WHAT SOME OF US FROM UP NORTH ARE WAITING FOR—A TRADER JOE’S!!!
ANY CHANCE OF GETTING ONE SOON?
Trader joes is in the process of florida expansion more than likely it will be by the end of the year and they will open store in the south florida metro first followed by orlando, tampa bay and daytona.
I’ve been back to So. Florida for almost 3 years. I was living in Monrovia, CA and I sure do miss my Sunday trips to Trader Joes!!! Please bring them to the SE! May I suggest Boca Raton?? LOL
Miami is the best choice… We are waiting for you guys!
Trader Joe’s is entering the Florida Market in Early 2010. Everyone be patient. They are coming!
I am moving to Florida, having lived in Southern California and New Mexico, and I am devastated that TJ’s is not in Florida. I can’t wait for them to open a lot of stores there…they would do soooo well.
Nancy
I would love to have a Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood. There is a a vacant market that went out because everything was too expensive. It is in a beautiful shopping center. Trader Joe’s would do great here in Manalapan, Florida. It is right on South Ocean Blvd. with miles of homes and condos here. A Senior residence across the street. The Village Market and the Market Place went out of business because people just bought what they absolutely needed not did not do a serios shopping there. They were highway robbery prices. I visited my daughter in Los Angeles many times and shopped there to do a big shopping. er. She too, liked it and now she lives in S. Fl near us. Think about it Iris Lieberman
I have written to Trader Joes’ over so many years now, asking for them to start opening up in Florida, that I must have them screaming. However, I’m afraid that as TJ’s is not a franchise, but a family owned business (as far as I know) they really have no huge necessity to open up any more stores. This places all of us who just swear by them to be at a terrible disadvantage.
Let’s hope they start paying attention to their many fans outside of the western half of the country and start opening up in various parts of Florida. I can think of a few very strategic locations for them:
Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Ft.Meyers, Coral Springs and Pembroke Pines….just for starters!!!
They really have no idea just how well they would do.