It looks like Trader Joes is opening in Gainesville:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120806/ARTICLES/120809731
(also confirmed on the trader joes website).
Has anyone heard any plans for them to move to the jacksonville market? It seems weird they'd move to gainesville and not Jax or Orlando.
Quote from: coredumped on August 26, 2012, 10:33:43 AM
It looks like Trader Joes is opening in Gainesville:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120806/ARTICLES/120809731
(also confirmed on the trader joes website).
Has anyone heard any plans for them to move to the jacksonville market? It seems weird they'd move to gainesville and not Jax or Orlando.
I think a Trader Joes would do great at the new 220 Riverside development. Sandwiched right between downtown and Riverside, business shouldn't be a problem.
That being said....clearly I'm in the minority, but I don't see what the big fuss is about a Trader Joes. I've been to them in Arizona, Cali, NY, SC....all of them kinda felt just "OK" to me. I'd rather go to Grassroots or Publix.
http://www.traderjoes.com/
My wife went all the time in Charlotte
Typically I'd guess every major shopping center owner in Jacksonville (Regency, Equity One which has the Whole Foods, even Sleiman, etc) would be all over trying to land a TJ's. TJ's has the highest sales PSF of any grocer, nearly double that of Whole Foods. Its footprint is small, it pays pretty solid rent and it drives a ton of traffic (also doesn't need a fancy store like Whole Foods and tends to sign 10 year leases rather than long term ground leases or own its own land).
However, looking at the Whole Foods center in Mandarin (Mandarin Landing owned by south FL REIT Equity One), it does not appear that landing Whole Foods as an anchor has done much for the center. I'm looking online at their site plan and there are some pretty hefty vacancies right next to the WF, front and center. The only tenant I know of that is new since WF is Aveda, which is a great tenant. Being the only WF in NE FL, you'd think the center would be 100% occupied by great local tenants and lots of credit.
And the other in-line tenants are pretty miserable. Mandarin Landing Shoe Repair. Luxy Nail Spa. Jackson Hewitt (I believe credit but then again it's Jackson Hewitt, the lowest of the tax consultants). Sign-A-Rama. Round Robin Consignment. The Good Feet Store.
WF has been there for years now, so you'd think some of these lesser tenants would have rolled and been replaced by strong national, regional and/or credit tenants wanting to be near Whole Foods' customer base. Apparently not so, not even with the renovation/modernization of the center, the location and trade area, strong upscale customer base going to Aveda and WF, traffic on SR-13, etc. Maybe WF isn't doing well there (that would be something that gets out into the community, especially since it was a test case for Jacksonville).
Contrast, there are 9 Whole Foods in metro Atlanta, and they have all driven strong retail to them. North Face and uber high end salons and restaurants went in next to the self-owned WF in Buckhead. The newest WF in the metro is at Edens and Avant's Merchants Walk location (Edens is an absolutely phenominal retail company, highly regarded and very creative, look them up, based in SC). In addition to securing major credit anchors like Kohls, Ulta, Petsmart, Old Navy and Stein Mart, the center was then able to choose which in-line tenants they wanted because every strong local retailer and lots of nationals wanted in thanks to WF and the center renovation. They chose Savvy Snoot, Cook's Warehouse, Marlowe's Tavern, Rhinoceros Boutique, The Bar Method, Gigi's Cupcakes, Fab'rik, Chipotle and Pinkberry.
Merchants Walk is in the Mandarin of Atlanta - East Cobb County. It's suburban, arterial road oriented, affluent and heavily Jewish. Whole Foods should kill it in Mandarin if it does well in East Cobb.
It's just weird that being the only WF in a large trade area has not driven strong retail to that center. I'm sure developers in town are taking note and using caution when spending resources to secure that one and only anchor tenant that nobody else has, because it may not translate to a better bottom line for them in NE FL.
Several years ago the company was considering opening a store in Neptune Beach. It didn't happen because of the collapse and because they weren't really knocked out by the site. It looks like they are interested in the market and expanding in Florida in general; maybe when they find a site they're enthusiastic about there will be some movement.
Love me some whole foods. There is a Kirkland's there now too. I'm amazed JAX had a WF before Charlotte
I understand WF moving where it did to be central, but I think that location is terrible.
In MandarinLanding in addition to the new Kirklands store recently opened a dentist office is currently doing a build out taking the entire corner area down from Enza's.
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 26, 2012, 04:49:28 PM
I understand WF moving where it did to be central, but I think that location is terrible.
They moved there because of the demographics, not because they though it was 'central'....tons of traffic, heavily-Jewish, higher income, etc
Whole foods has some pretty good competition in that area - the fresh market is just down the road and is less of a headache to get in and out of.
I can't speak for that fresh market, but the FM up on san pablo is pretty busy.
The Fresh Market is down by the Julington Creek bridge now. Can't say I've ever seen it packed though
Did I miss something? What does TJ have to do with being Jewish?
Sorry I meant WF
Certainly the Beach and Riverside would be home runs for TJ.
Quote from: JeffreyS on August 26, 2012, 07:07:16 PM
Certainly the Beach and Riverside would be home runs for TJ.
Or the town center. You can put anything at the town center and people will shop there.
Quote from: coredumped on August 26, 2012, 10:32:43 PM
Quote from: JeffreyS on August 26, 2012, 07:07:16 PM
Certainly the Beach and Riverside would be home runs for TJ.
Or the town center. You can put anything at the town center and people will shop there.
I could see them coming there or the beaches before Riverside. I honestly don't think Riverside could support one. Or at least not the kind of support the store would like. You have to remember the numbers. Besides, Trader Joes looks like they're starting to expand into that type of cookie cutter suburban development stuff (instead of just urban-like settings). The ones they've opened within the past year have been a lot of that. I was up visiting family in Lexington recently & they just got their first one, in suburban hell.
Anyways, like most things, if they open in the Town Center I'd probably rarely even see it. I've been there twice within the past month (once, God help me, on a Saturday) & felt like I needed to take a Valium afterwards. This isn't me being negative towards the suburbs, but its such a clusterfuck. I can't believe people go there honestly. Nightmarish.
Hmm, we'll probably land an Aldi before we get a Trader Joe's.
San Marco is starving for a grocery store. Doesn't look like the Publix is ever going to happen. TJ should jump on the opportunity. TJs has a smaller footprint and a perfect match of products for the San Marco/St Nicholas population.
If/when we get a Trader Joes it likely won't be in the neighborhood with the most potential users (Riverside/Avondale), but instead in the center point of their trade area. Which would probably be a 5 or 10 mile radius of whatever demographics they look for. I'd guess that would rule R/A and the Northbank out.
Quote from: thelakelander on August 27, 2012, 07:27:12 AM
Hmm, we'll probably land an Aldi before we get a Trader Joe's.
well since Aldi now owns Trader Joe's, and is expanding rapidly in FL, you might be correct
QuoteSan Marco is starving for a grocery store. Doesn't look like the Publix is ever going to happen.
There is a site on Kings Ave that fits their demographics pretty well(once the highway exit gets built with the Overland Bridge project), EXCEPT that there is no direct competition. You normally don't see Trader Joes locate a store on a grocery island. They typically want a direct competitor within a half mile radius, meaning the site becomes more attractive if a Publix opened up in the square.
There is certainly a better site in Jax for a first TJ.
So will it take TJs to go to every other city in Florida to see the bigger picture. We are low on the cool factor. I know a lot of people on here (MJ) are going to be mad at me, but I'm saying it: Jacksonville is a socially conservative uncool place (as perceived by people from the outside).
All of my relatives live in and around Philly. It is sometimes good for me to leave and hear an outside perspective of this city: Because I like it here and know great people here and sometimes I don't see it.
They usually say- Jacksonville Oh that place is: conservative, high crime (as if Philly is any better), corrupt, sprawl, swamp, Ew Rick Scott, Highway, downtown???, place we drive through when going to Miami or Orlando.
Look I am not saying this, they are!- from the outside. Most people don't even know we have a beach and they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.
You can argue all you want about numbers, but the problem is not the numbers (ok maybe a little), but I guarantee they would go to a peer with the same number and more 'Coolness'.
I always would argue with outsiders that Jacksonville is cool, but after the ruling on the human rights bill and the OK of the outer beltway- I really think the facts are true: We are high on tax breaks for the rich, but very very uncool!
I think it will be a long time before we see Trader Joe's and Ikea coming around here unless we get these stiff politicians out of the way!
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 09:35:05 AM
Most people don't even know we have a beach and they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.
I don't believe that, esp about the Jags 'most' is a very strong word. I don't know what to say for someone who thinks that, trouble with reading perhaps?
Quote from: I-10east on August 27, 2012, 09:52:12 AM
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 09:35:05 AM
Most people don't even know we have a beach and they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.
I don't believe that, esp about the Jags 'most' is a very strong word. I don't know what to say for someone who thinks that, trouble with reading perhaps?
Orlando Jaguars? Philly fans are known to be a little mean at times, but they are smart fans. I don't think that's a mistake they would make.
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 09:35:05 AM
they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.
Who the hell thinks the Jaguars are in Orlando?
Quote from: tufsu1 on August 27, 2012, 09:05:04 AM
Quote from: thelakelander on August 27, 2012, 07:27:12 AM
Hmm, we'll probably land an Aldi before we get a Trader Joe's.
well since Aldi now owns Trader Joe's, and is expanding rapidly in FL, you might be correct
techinically, one of the brothers owns Trader Joes and part of the Aldi's chain (it is split into North and South) through a trust. They are pretty secretive, but most people believe the two chains are operated totally seperate.
QuoteBesides, Trader Joes looks like they're starting to expand into that type of cookie cutter suburban development stuff (instead of just urban-like settings). The ones they've opened within the past year have been a lot of that. I was up visiting family in Lexington recently & they just got their first one, in suburban hell.
Same with Richmond, VA. I've spent a good bit of time in a place they call Short Pump there and it is basically their western suburb. Trader joe's was right by my hotel.
Ok sorry to piss off all the Jaguars fans, but this is more about the city and how it is perceived elsewhere. You can run my family down and call them illiterate, but I hear weird crap like this from friends from NY LA whatever. You can sit and admit we got it all going on, but we have a lot of work do do. Look at all our peers- both bigger and smaller adapting streetcar lines. Where are we on this? Our city leaders/ JTA whatever are running a half baked BRT along our Skyway and future commuter rail lines. Come On? We rejected the human rights stance of a tax paying group of our city. It might seem like political missteps, but add them all up and it directly affects how we are perceived elsewhere when people look at our city from the outside in. You think companies don't do the same?
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 10:48:44 AM
Ok sorry to piss off all the Jaguars fans, but this is more about the city and how it is perceived elsewhere. You can run my family down and call them illiterate, but I hear weird crap like this from friends from NY LA whatever. You can sit and admit we got it all going on, but we have a lot of work do do. Look at all our peers- both bigger and smaller adapting streetcar lines. Where are we on this? Our city leaders/ JTA whatever are running a half baked BRT along our Skyway and future commuter rail lines. Come On? We rejected the human rights stance of a tax paying group of our city. It might seem like political missteps, but add them all up and it directly affects how we are perceived elsewhere when people look at our city from the outside in. You think companies don't do the same?
C'mon, you should know by now that we Jag's fans are a sensitive bunch. :D
About the other stuff.... I don't even think that Jax registers on most radars outside of the immediate SE. If you're trying to tell me that there's discussion in Philly about the ineptitude of JTA, then I would harbor a guess that there's a group of people from Jacksonville visiting Philly.
I would also point out to the Philly locals that cheesesteaks are yesterday's news. Steak in a Sack is what's happening. 8)
And yes, our peer cities are pulling away from us... (sorry in advance) like a train leaving the station, but that's due to stagnation in all levels of our government. One of the few visionaries with expendable money is a transplant with a kick ass moustache. He's doing what he can. Hopefully, he can convince more people like himself to root themselves here in J'ville because the city's ripe for the taking.
yeah I was going to exclude him- because he is quite a Jags promoter and doing a hell of a job of it
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 11:19:19 AM
yeah I was going to exclude him- because he is quite a Jags promoter and doing a hell of a job of it
If you read into his message, you'll see that he's really pushing the city as much as the Jags. The statement's been repeated over and over with this new foray into London for 4 years, but he's really doing the city a great service by exposing us to a greater audience.
^Khan has been doing a terrific job in promoting the city. Unfortunately, our current crop of leaders are doing little to help him, and in some cases openly antagonize him.
I really don't buy that extreme conservatism or "uncoolness" is really the cause of our troubles. The city was just as conservative and uncool, if not more so, in previous times when we had strong leaders and positive growth was rolling along. The difference between then and now is the leadership. For instance, the failure of the HRO is the result of the cowardice and incompetence of some members of the City Council and Mayor Brown.
Quote from: Tacachale on August 27, 2012, 12:17:38 PM
I really don't buy that extreme conservatism or "uncoolness" is really the cause of our troubles. The city was just as conservative and uncool, if not more so, in previous times when we had strong leaders and positive growth was rolling along.
Times have changed in a big way and the "cool" factor is a big driver of growth amongst younger generations. Many of whom can work from home (i.e they can live wherever they want). With our economy becoming more information based and with technological increases, will working from home be an even more common occurrence in the future? If so the cool factor like concerts, arts, sporting events, parks, Trader Joes/IKEA/Etc will be more and more a driving factor for the younger generations.
I am not really trying to diagnose the city with a sickness, just trying to understand how we are being looked at from the outside by companies and retails such as TJs. We are not winning in perception battle. Our political leaders are making considerable missteps that is causing Jacksonville to be labeled (behind the times) and undesirable for fresh companies or retailers to like TJs to consider. Now that our population is starting to drastically slow, maybe our leaders will start to listen. I don't know.
I think the first TJ will open at the beach.
For the reasons that Fieldafm stated, San Marco would be a bad choice for the first TJ in the market. Publix is going to open at the Square sooner than later (I'm guessing construction starts in late 2013). By 2016, when the I-95 interchange is complete at Atlantic and we have several hundred more residents from the new multifamily projects, San Marco should be in a great position for a Trader Joes (or whatever is the rage in 4 years).
As far as WF in Mandarin goes, the #1 problem is the access. The reason Publix moved across the street was the access. Having them at an easier location directly opposite from WF makes the access situation even worse.
Quote from: CityLife on August 27, 2012, 12:44:43 PM
Quote from: Tacachale on August 27, 2012, 12:17:38 PM
I really don't buy that extreme conservatism or "uncoolness" is really the cause of our troubles. The city was just as conservative and uncool, if not more so, in previous times when we had strong leaders and positive growth was rolling along.
Times have changed in a big way and the "cool" factor is a big driver of growth amongst younger generations. Many of whom can work from home (i.e they can live wherever they want). With our economy becoming more information based and with technological increases, will working from home be an even more common occurrence in the future? If so the cool factor like concerts, arts, sporting events, parks, Trader Joes/IKEA/Etc will be more and more a driving factor for the younger generations.
Perhaps, but our deeper issues underlie any perception issue. Simply getting some ostensibly desirable chain retailer to open up here isn't going to fix anything.
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 10:48:44 AM
Ok sorry to piss off all the Jaguars fans, but this is more about the city and how it is perceived elsewhere. You can run my family down and call them illiterate, but I hear weird crap like this from friends from NY LA whatever.
I'm not calling anyone illiterate, or anything like that, I'm just curious as to how that conversation will go, Aren't the Jags in Orlando, when the team is named the Jacksonville Jaguars? I don't hear anyone else sharing similar stories like that. Recently I have been road travelling alot, out West, and up in the Midwest; I have a Jags license plate, and the people are familiar with the team, so to say MOST people think that we play in Orlando is totally offbase. Another overrated thing is everyone supposedly gonna know exactly where a city is located, like Jax is where I-10 meets I-95. Right off the bat if someone where Austin TX is, I'll say shit I dunno, somewhere in the middle of Texas? If I had a map, I surely can locate it easily, but not to know where the coordinates are right off the bat. That's an example of a classic inferiority complex. Paint me as the sunshiny homer or whatever, I'm just telling it like it is.
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on August 27, 2012, 12:52:43 PM
I am not really trying to diagnose the city with a sickness, just trying to understand how we are being looked at from the outside by companies and retails such as TJs. We are not winning in perception battle. Our political leaders are making considerable missteps that is causing Jacksonville to be labeled (behind the times) and undesirable for fresh companies or retailers to like TJs to consider. Now that our population is starting to drastically slow, maybe our leaders will start to listen. I don't know.
I don't necessarily think we're looked at in a poor light (not that you said we were...)... We are afterall getting the "IKEA" of fashion.... H&M
is opening next week at the Avenues...lol.
Quote from: I-10east on August 27, 2012, 02:09:28 PM
Paint me as the sunshiny homer or whatever, I'm just telling it like it is.
Can I go with Pollyanna? :D
Quote from: Tacachale on August 27, 2012, 01:54:53 PM
Quote from: CityLife on August 27, 2012, 12:44:43 PM
Quote from: Tacachale on August 27, 2012, 12:17:38 PM
I really don't buy that extreme conservatism or "uncoolness" is really the cause of our troubles. The city was just as conservative and uncool, if not more so, in previous times when we had strong leaders and positive growth was rolling along.
Times have changed in a big way and the "cool" factor is a big driver of growth amongst younger generations. Many of whom can work from home (i.e they can live wherever they want). With our economy becoming more information based and with technological increases, will working from home be an even more common occurrence in the future? If so the cool factor like concerts, arts, sporting events, parks, Trader Joes/IKEA/Etc will be more and more a driving factor for the younger generations.
Perhaps, but our deeper issues underlie any perception issue. Simply getting some ostensibly desirable chain retailer to open up here isn't going to fix anything.
Perception and reality are interrelated. A city with perception issues isn't going to be able to overcome its obstacles as easily as one without them.
I never said Trader Joes or Ikea are the magic bullet to our woes...but the cool factor is definitely at play in economic development/growth. Businesses like Trader Joe's, IKEA, H&M, etc are positives that help a cities livability and desirability, especially for the younger generations. Which can certainly help solve Jax's deeper issues.
But Gainesville???
You think Gainesville has a more "cool" factor than Jacksonville?
It's depressing when chains choose a town like Gainesville of us.
Quote from: coredumped on August 27, 2012, 03:41:45 PM
But Gainesville???
You think Gainesville has a more "cool" factor than Jacksonville?
It's depressing when chains choose a town like Gainesville of us.
Gainesville is a hop, skip and a jump of a truck drive to the distribution center.
Quote from: coredumped on August 27, 2012, 03:41:45 PM
It's depressing when chains choose a town like Gainesville of us.
It's depressing to have a pity party because a store isn't located here in Jax. We (well not me) will have this Trader Joes/IKEA for a couple of days, only to find some other old negative news to gripe about. Hypothetically we got the Trader's Joes in the SJTC, then 60% of MJ would cry & moan about it not being in an urban setting, so it's a no win situation either way you look at it. I really feel for some of you sometimes, I hope that life is going okay. 2 million population is 2 million and we don't have it here, so why have a pity party? Can we atleast reserve the Jax doom & gloom scenarios for NEW information?
^^^I'm tiresome, that's laughable. I'm not the one that regurgitate the same info over and over again ad nauseam.
^^^I know, the truth hurts. The only thing that's useless is whining and moaning about something that's out of the city's control, like adding a store that has a population criteria.
^^^So this Roth dude from IKEA (on the Jax Business Journal article) is blowing smoke now? That sounds unlikely, esp with the existing higher population cities that has IKEAs. I can't believe people argue about a freaking store in the internet age; Last time I checked, it is 2012 not 1984.
Quote from: I-10east on August 27, 2012, 05:09:26 PM
I can't believe people argue about a freaking store in the internet age
FYI, its as much a showroom as it is a store. Ever been in one? They have about 20 fully designed kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, etc. They also have a pretty good restaurant.
I know about 5 people who have done their entire kitchens from IKEA. Not exactly an easy or cost effective thing to do via snail mail...nor is it to drive to Orlando.
I don't get the same thing from reading the article Stephen. Roth is identified as "a spokesman"; he's speaking on behalf of IKEA USA. And while he does acknowledge seeing "what about Jax" posts on Facebook, it's clear that the author of the article is quoting him in a conversation she's had with him.
The South Florida Business Journal’s report that IKEA USA will build a second store in the Miami area â€" 40 miles from an existing store â€" begged the question: When will the Swedish home goods mega-retailer open a Jacksonville store?
For Swedish meatball and lingonberry enthusiasts, the answer is unfortunate: Not any time soon. Joseph Roth, a spokesman for IKEA USA, said he noticed posts on Facebook asking “What about Jacksonville?†when the Miami plans were announced.
“Basically it comes down to population size, and you tend to need approx 2 million people within a 40 to 60-mile radius or trade area,†Roth said. “And you guys aren’t there yet.â€
That’s the biggest deciding factor in the store’s expansion plans.
“If you don’t have population size, you don’t really get to the second point,†he said. “It’s basically our stores are so large, they’re very expensive to build and need lots of customers to support them.â€
There will now be four IKEA stores between Orlando and Miami: IKEA Orlando, IKEA Tampa, IKEA Sunrise, which is north of Miami, and the new IKEA Miami, to be built in Sweetwater.
“We get inquiries from developers and brokers all the time from Jacksonville, and they say, ‘What can we do?’†Roth said. “Well, double your population. It’s nothing personal. We recognize we have many customers up there, but not enough to support a large IKEA store.â€
City Life, no admittedly I haven't been to one, although I saw some of there furniture in catalogs, I can't say that I'm wild about some of the stuff that I saw, I'm a lil' tired of hearing about them, like they are the so much better than something like Ashley, and it is the holy grail of furniture. Unfortunately we aren't gonna get one anytime soon, so I'm gonna be forced to hear about the Jax/IKEA talk for the next decade or so on MJ. I'm glad for the info guys, but I'm done with talking about IKEA. Pity party continues unimpeded.... :-X
It's OK - Their stuff is cheap crap anyway. It makes sense in a market like Gainesville, where you have hordes of poor college students who are going to chuck most of it away after graduation.
^Read carefully. It's trader joes opening in Gainesville, not Ikea.
And I see no reason to doubt Ikea on the population requirement, considering the spokesman specifically said they want an area with 2 million people within 50 or 60 miles, and there are really no exceptions in their current setups.
Quote from: coredumped on August 27, 2012, 03:41:45 PM
But Gainesville???
You think Gainesville has a more "cool" factor than Jacksonville?
please...Trader Joe's opened their first Florida location in Naples...not exactly looking for the 'cool' factor!
Quote from: CityLife on August 27, 2012, 05:33:15 PM
They also have a pretty good restaurant.
Careful here. Some of the powers that be might lump you in with others who made the mistake of calling out Winn Dixie as a food destination.
Meatballs and Hotdogs do not a good restaurant make. ;D
Quote from: stephendare on August 27, 2012, 05:22:36 PM
Jacksonville does not have a combined statistical area (CSA) figure easily available online. Part of that is because our csa would also include parts of georgia.
that's because we don't have a CSA....in order to have one, you need to have more than one metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which we don't.
Quote from: tufsu1 on August 27, 2012, 08:06:07 PM
Quote from: stephendare on August 27, 2012, 05:22:36 PM
Jacksonville does not have a combined statistical area (CSA) figure easily available online. Part of that is because our csa would also include parts of georgia.
that's because we don't have a CSA....in order to have one, you need to have more than one metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which we don't.
We have Middleburg?
Middleburg and Clay County are already a part of Jax's MSA. For Jax to have a CSA, we would need to be grouped with either the Lake City, Palatka, St. Mary's micropolitan areas or the Gainesville or Palm Coast metropolitan areas.
EDIT: Palm Coast/Flagler County is already a part of the Orlando CSA.
Quote from: tufsu1 on August 27, 2012, 08:03:06 PM
Quote from: coredumped on August 27, 2012, 03:41:45 PM
But Gainesville???
You think Gainesville has a more "cool" factor than Jacksonville?
please...Trader Joe's opened their first Florida location in Naples...not exactly looking for the 'cool' factor!
Hipster seniors like trader joes!
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x9eCPwkKUrE/S-U9InPl8ZI/AAAAAAAABJc/0Mi8QiUzR9U/s1600/hero1.jpg)
Quote from: Tacachale on August 27, 2012, 07:57:30 PM
And I see no reason to doubt Ikea on the population requirement, considering the spokesman specifically said they want an area with 2 million people within 50 or 60 miles, and there are really no exceptions in their current setups.
Taca, the voice of reason. It's crazy, I can't think of a post that I disagreed with you on. You are one of the few very objective posters on MJ. You want a progressive downtown, but you analyze Jax related topics LOGICALLY with no bias. You are not the radical "Mr 800 square miles of Jax gotta be bustling urban grid streets" like some on here. I had to get that out there.
Just circling around to the original topic. Went to see my BIL in Charleston this weekend and my wife demanded we stop at Trader Joes. They built out their own store on a corner in Mount Pleasant, so it seems like the whole "needs to be in a strip mall" or other development isn't set in stone with the people who own the company.
Just an observation.
QuoteThey built out their own store on a corner in Mount Pleasant, so it seems like the whole "needs to be in a strip mall" or other development isn't set in stone with the people who own the company.
I can think of very few TJ's that are in strip malls. Most are standalone stores or urban stores with some type of dedicated parking.
Quote from: fieldafm on September 04, 2012, 10:59:24 AM
I can think of very few TJ's that are in strip malls. Most are standalone stores or urban stores with some type of dedicated parking.
Plenty of them in the DC area are in strip malls. They don't seem to be very restrictive in that regard. Standalone, urban or suburban, they seem to do it all.
You kind of have a point. You have a model like say the store in West End that is part of a larger mixed use building (with self contained parking) and then places like the Trader Joes in Reston (a Regency property) which is still a standalone store in the burbs... but are unlike the boxes Regency puts up around Jax in some small but poignant ways. Although the stores in some of the VA bedroom communities are grocery anchors as part of a larger 'strip mall' they are still typically detached from the rest of the commercial unites and yet still others are the only potion of a self-contained parcel.
Overall you are correct in that they certainly don't have design limitations. As long as the demographics fit, the supply chain is kept at a minimal distance (their backroom operations are typically lean) and they have certain site characteristics (such as they prefer sloped loading docks to scissor lifts, etc) there isn't much they won't do.
They aren't your typical grocery store layout in Florida though. Even the two in Florida (Naples and Sarasota) are standalones.
For what it's worth, there are two Trader Joe's here on the Virginia Peninsula - one is in a large big-box center/strip mall hybrid in Newport News, and one is in a new urbanist development in Williamsburg.
I do not think the absence of Trader Joe's from Jacksonville says anything negative about Jacksonville's cachet, market size, or buying power. If a smaller, largely blue collar community like Newport News has one (though it's in a more upscale part of town), there's no demographic boundary to Jacksonville's having one.
Trader Joe's coming to Tallahassee . . . .
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20120907/BUSINESS/309070031/Trader-Joe-s-coming-Tallahassee?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7Cfrontpage%7Cs&nclick_check=1
well the good sign here is that the first 2 stores are in SW Florida...with the announcements now for Gainesville and Tallahassee, northeast Florida is on their radar
That couldn't be in a less sexy place in Tally. Really surprised they didn't put it in the Midtown area. Though perhaps they eventually plan to have two stores there. If not, their demographics analysis failed them.
Anyone know what TJ's Florida expansion plans are? I heard something from someone and wanted to double check first.
no one really knows, they are a pretty secretive bunch.
Quote from: CityLife on September 07, 2012, 08:51:33 AM
That couldn't be in a less sexy place in Tally. Really surprised they didn't put it in the Midtown area. Though perhaps they eventually plan to have two stores there. If not, their demographics analysis failed them.
from what I hear its a chain of events....there's a new Publix about to open on Mahan Drive...the oldfer Publix across the street as well as the one at Centerville/Cap Circle will close...TJ Maxx will move from Thomasville Road down to Centrerville/Cap Circle Publix location....and then Trade Joe's will back fill the TJ Maxx space
Looks like the Trader Joe's in Gainesville opened yesterday. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20121212/ARTICLES/121219904/1002/news?Title=600-customers-flood-Trader-Joe-s-within-an-hour-of-its-opening
Good for Gainesville. Unfortunately I'm not down there as much as I used to be, but I'll have to make a trip down one weekend to stock up. It is a shame that the store isn't closer to campus. There is plenty of infill going in along University and 2nd between DT and campus that should have gotten this instead of Butler Plaza. For those that don't know, Butler Plaza is 3 adjacent stip malls that make a 1 mile stretch of parking lots. It's very Beach blvd-esque and a horrible black mark on the city.
I think that is what Trader Joe's is going for.
Coming Soon: Trader Joe's
Houston (Memorial Area), TX - Jan. 4th
Mission Valley, CA - Jan. 25th
Asheville, NC
Austin, TX
Baton Rouge, LA
Boulder, CO
Dallas (Lower Greenville), TX
Dallas (North), TX
Denver, CO
Evanston, IL
Los Angeles (Burton Way), CA
Stamford, CT
Quote from: Captain Zissou on December 13, 2012, 11:19:51 AM
Good for Gainesville. Unfortunately I'm not down there as much as I used to be, but I'll have to make a trip down one weekend to stock up. It is a shame that the store isn't closer to campus. There is plenty of infill going in along University and 2nd between DT and campus that should have gotten this instead of Butler Plaza. For those that don't know, Butler Plaza is 3 adjacent stip malls that make a 1 mile stretch of parking lots. It's very Beach blvd-esque and a horrible black mark on the city.
I think the Butler choice was to give TJ's a larger shopper base. I'm sure the proximity to Haile Plantation and other developments West of 75 between Gainesville and Archer/Newberry was a major consideration.
Not sure if it was mentioned, but Tallahassee as well. http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Trader-Joes-to-Open-in-Tallahassee-168934256.html
So I have an question and someone please provide an intelligent answer. Why is the Jacksonville market overlook so much for smaller markets that surround us? That is troubling to me? Hell tiny as gainesville is they even have a Macy and a Trader Joe's. There must be a reason that people are staying away from our market. Thoughts?
I wouldnt worry about the whole Macy's thing. It is an old Burdines store and not even worthy of being called Macy's, same with the one in Tallahassee and Daytona Beach. Tally is also getting a Bass Pro Shop, only because the city is basically paying them to open in a defunt outdoor store (cant remember the name) location.
Quote from: Gators312 on December 13, 2012, 12:49:59 PM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on December 13, 2012, 11:19:51 AM
Good for Gainesville. Unfortunately I'm not down there as much as I used to be, but I'll have to make a trip down one weekend to stock up. It is a shame that the store isn't closer to campus. There is plenty of infill going in along University and 2nd between DT and campus that should have gotten this instead of Butler Plaza. For those that don't know, Butler Plaza is 3 adjacent stip malls that make a 1 mile stretch of parking lots. It's very Beach blvd-esque and a horrible black mark on the city.
I think the Butler choice was to give TJ's a larger shopper base. I'm sure the proximity to Haile Plantation and other developments West of 75 between Gainesville and Archer/Newberry was a major consideration.
I am sure that is what they were going for. I just associate the things TJ stands for with smart design/planning, so I'd like to see them closer to DT and campus. Haile will make up a large portion of their customer base. My assumption is also that they wanted to stay away from the 43rd and 16th area where Fresh Market is located.
G-ville's Macy's is terrible
Quote from: duvaldude08 on December 13, 2012, 01:10:55 PM
So I have an question and someone please provide an intelligent answer. Why is the Jacksonville market overlook so much for smaller markets that surround us? That is troubling to me? Hell tiny as gainesville is they even have a Macy and a Trader Joe's. There must be a reason that people are staying away from our market. Thoughts?
If I have to take a guess based on the upcoming locations I would think a higher percentage of residents with higher education per capita?
Most on the upcoming lists are college towns, or very large cities that already have a TJs in the area.
Quote from: fsujax on December 13, 2012, 01:15:03 PM
I wouldnt worry about the whole Macy's thing. It is an old Burdines store and not even worthy of being called Macy's, same with the one in Tallahassee and Daytona Beach. Tally is also getting a Bass Pro Shop, only because the city is basically paying them to open in a defunt outdoor store (cant remember the name) location.
Ahhhh I forgot about the Burdines turned Macy's.
The main reason Jax doesn't have Macy's is that Burdine's never got in here. It was a Cohen's and Ivey's dominated market, as Lake's book describes in detail. Then when Dillard's consumed Gayfer's (Cohen's successor) after having already devoured Ivey's, it needed to divest itself of extraneous stores, and Burdine's was interested...but Dillard's sold to Belk instead, possibly because it was Belk as a weaker competitor.
TJ's does tend to target college towns, but the one here in Newport News, VA is very successful, and one can't make the argument that "TJ's doesn't go to Jacksonville because it's not big or educated enough" when they're happily doing business in a smaller, demographically similar, probably less wealthy and educated, non-college-dominated city like this one.
Isn't Nordstrom coming to SJTC? That certainly hits all the upscale notes.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on December 13, 2012, 01:18:00 PM
I just associate the things TJ stands for with smart design/planning, so I'd like to see them closer to DT and campus.
sadly, that's not really the case...lately, they've been opening stores in strip shopping centers with low rents
I've only been to the TJ in Atlanta. In terms of look and layout, it was a smaller, crowded version of an average suburban supermarket. I wasn't impressed by the selection/prices, either. If I'm gonna pay more than what I would at Publix, I'd rather go to Whole Foods.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on December 13, 2012, 01:38:58 PM
Quote from: fsujax on December 13, 2012, 01:15:03 PM
I wouldnt worry about the whole Macy's thing. It is an old Burdines store and not even worthy of being called Macy's, same with the one in Tallahassee and Daytona Beach. Tally is also getting a Bass Pro Shop, only because the city is basically paying them to open in a defunt outdoor store (cant remember the name) location.
Ahhhh I forgot about the Burdines turned Macy's.
I believe it was a Maas Brothers before it was a Burdines. A lot of merging took place in the late 1980s/early 90s.
I was at the Gainesville store yesterday and asked one of the employees about expansion, and specifically to Jacksonville. He said Miamia area, Tallahassee, and Orlando are next. Jacksonville on the horizon next year. He did say they are expansion in Florida will continue.
Hopefully he is right.
Trader Joe's kinda have that feel of Whole Foods (organic foods, caters to yuppies etc) meets Save-A-Lot (store layout, laid back with music, generic/store branded items) two very contrasting supermarkets.
Quote from: gchasse on May 19, 2013, 04:17:09 PM
I was at the Gainesville store yesterday and asked one of the employees about expansion, and specifically to Jacksonville. He said Miamia area, Tallahassee, and Orlando are next. Jacksonville on the horizon next year. He did say they are expansion in Florida will continue.
correct...expansion in the 3 cities above is already underway....and recent semi-announcement about stores in Tampa too
when it comes ill be poorer due to the wife.
Quote from: fsquid on May 19, 2013, 09:17:42 PM
when it comes ill be poorer due to the wife.
Every man is poorer when he has a wife ;)
It's hard to believe that Trader Joes would build/expand in Tallahasse before Jacksonville. You would think Tony Sleiman or Chris Hionides would give them a building if they would come here.
Quote from: MusicMan on May 20, 2013, 09:38:01 AM
It's hard to believe that Trader Joes would build/expand in Tallahasse before Jacksonville. You would think Tony Sleiman or Chris Hionides would give them a building if they would come here.
They seem to prefer college towns. I know they opened one in Athens before a few seemingly better markets in the Atlanta area.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/2013/07/sources-trader-joes-considering.html
Sources: Trader Joe's considering Jacksonville Beach location
Specialty grocer Trader Joe's may make a Northeast Florida debut in the Beaches area.
Trader Joe's is considering a location in the South Beach Regional Center, a Jacksonville Beach shopping center anchored by Home Depot, said three real estate sources, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the deal.
California-based Trader Joe's has a cult following, specializing in gourmet grocery items and its beer and wine selection. Its offerings include fresh and frozen foods, organic meat and produce. It also sells Trader Joe's brand items — everything from specialty cheeses to wine to pantry staples.
Equity One Inc. owns the center north of the intersection of state road A1A and J. Turner Butler Boulevard. Neither the Equity One leasing agent, Sandy Perez, nor a Trader Joe's spokeswoman returned phone calls and emails seeking comment earlier Monday.
Trader Joe's stores range from 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet. Sources said Equity One is looking at assembling several contiguous spaces, possibly redeveloping that portion of the center, to make way for Trader Joe's, likely on the side of the center closest to Butler Boulevard.
Many of the storefronts in that portion of the center are vacant. Existing tenants include H&R Block, AT&T, a nail salon, a gardening store and a hearing aid store.
One tenant on that side of the center who asked not to be named, fearing retaliation from the landlord, said her business has been on a month-to-month lease for three months. She said the landlord has also approached her about moving from her space to make room for another tenant, but she didn't know the identity of the potential tenant.
The closest Trader Joe's location to Jacksonville is in Gainesville. Trader Joe's has been expanding in Florida, signing a deal in Winter Park in May and is rumored to be considering a Tampa location. The company has confirmed a Boca Raton location is in the works.
I'm surprised they would consider that location. It would limit their customer base.
Quote from: Bill Hoff on July 22, 2013, 09:43:51 PM
I'm surprised they would consider that location. It would limit their customer base.
they are pretty strict about their demographic requirements, so that area must have what they want.
It's close enough to Ponte Vedra, and yet in Jax Beach can easily pick up the crowd west of the ditch, probably as far west as UNF as regular customers. Lots of "townies" trek to the beaches regularly, and may stop in. At first, the cache' of Trader Joes will pull from all over the city. (Renee is already planning a road trip of Springfielders.) But day to day, those within 5 miles or so would be their regular customers, and that's a good central spot, right on Butler Blvd. Plus, that's a distressed shopping center, and they probably got a good deal.
Quote from: Bill Hoff on July 22, 2013, 09:43:51 PM
I'm surprised they would consider that location. It would limit their customer base.
Heard about this specific site a few days ago, same person told me there's a good chance it won't be their only Jax location.
That shopping center would be a pretty good location, but keep in mind that "sources say they're considering" means pretty much nothing. Most of those never turn out to be true.
Quote from: river4340 on July 23, 2013, 09:37:11 AM
That shopping center would be a pretty good location, but keep in mind that "sources say they're considering" means pretty much nothing. Most of those never turn out to be true.
In this case it does mean something.
That location sounds about right. They'd do very well there. After all, strip malls are the new face of TJs. Seriously...the past four I've been to, while traveling, have been in high traffic strips.
Quote from: CityLife on July 23, 2013, 09:57:31 AM
Quote from: river4340 on July 23, 2013, 09:37:11 AM
That shopping center would be a pretty good location, but keep in mind that "sources say they're considering" means pretty much nothing. Most of those never turn out to be true.
In this case it does mean something.
No offense, but how do you know?
I'm hoping for a Roosevelt Mall location. It would draw customers from Riverside/Avondale/Ortega and along with the new Metro Diner pump some new life into that center.
Edit: I forgot about Publix which would probably prevent TJ's from opening there.
Quote from: ben says on July 23, 2013, 10:05:25 AM
That location sounds about right. They'd do very well there. After all, strip malls are the new face of TJs. Seriously...the past four I've been to, while traveling, have been in high traffic strips.
I've noticed that too
http://jacksonville.com/business/2013-08-29/story/trader-joes-coming-jacksonville-beach
Looks like we have some confirmation that Trader Joe's is coming to the Jax Beach location previously discussed.
I'm stoked. I love this store.
I don't know when, but I think its a safe bet that there will be at least 1 more if not 2 future TJ locations in Jax. I've been told of 2 prospective/potential spots, but obviously not going to say anything.
Jacksonville in the running for Trader Joe's distribution centerQuoteIn addition to retail locations, Trader Joe's is scouting Jacksonville for a mega-size distribution center site that would support its rapidly expanding presence in Florida and the Southeast.
Real estate sources, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the deal, say Jacksonville and Southeast Georgia are in the running for a Trader Joe's warehouse facility up to 750,000 square feet, with refrigeration, to support its new stores.
full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/trader-joes-sniffing-around-northeast.html
The center that size would have to be either on the Northside or Westside.
Quote from: CityLife on August 29, 2013, 11:41:58 AM
I don't know when, but I think its a safe bet that there will be at least 1 more if not 2 future TJ locations in Jax. I've been told of 2 prospective/potential spots, but obviously not going to say anything.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540542
QuoteSeasoned retail developer Ben Hakimian says his Shoppes of San Jose at University Boulevard West and St. Augustine Road is in a prime Jacksonville location for either an Aldi or a Trader Joe's grocer.
As reported, both chains, owned by the same German family, are looking for Northeast Florida sites.
Hakimian said he has been talking to real estate representatives of both chains, considering his renovated 57,000-square-foot Shoppes of San Jose at 2777 University Blvd. W. can serve a wide area of Southside.
Hakimian said Trader Joe's, a popular chain for its "unique" grocery items, indicates it is interested in at least three stores in Northeast Florida, especially Mandarin, Ortega and the Beaches.
His location could serve the Mandarin area, while a Beaches site has been rumored in South Jacksonville Beach. No specific Ortega or other West Jacksonville location has surfaced.
This is the general area of where I was expecting 1 of the other TJ's to go (as mentioned above)...but no clue which specific site they will end up choosing.
Oh great, they're going to go near the Target on Roosevelt. :-\
I want an ALDI.
Quote from: TheCat on September 17, 2013, 01:19:58 PM
Oh great, they're going to go near the Target on Roosevelt. :-\
Why is that a bad thing?
Aldi would be a good fit for Springfield. Probably the best possible chain for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, TJ's will probably locate a little further south along Roosevelt than R/A to be able to also draw people from Fleming Island/OP/Oakleaf.
Quote from: TheCat on September 17, 2013, 01:19:58 PM
Oh great, they're going to go near the Target on Roosevelt. :-\
I always thought the industrial/business park across from NAS Jax was a great location to put an Aldi's.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/10/11/trader-joes-confirmed.html
Ask Mr. Ed what he thinks about Aldi's.
Trader Joes is a big win for Jax Beach.
Quote from: billy on October 14, 2013, 05:40:32 PM
Ask Mr. Ed what he thinks about Aldi's.
I'm not sure what place Aldi's has. There's much more need for high end groceries than low end. I know the economy is crappy but on the low there's:
Winn Dixie
Wal Mart
Aldi
Sav-a-lot
Kash and Karry/Food Lion (no longer around?)
On the higher end:
Publix
Whole foods
Fresh Market
Harris Teater (Gone from jax?)
still a teeter in Fernandina Beach. soon they will be Krogers
Quote from: fsquid on October 14, 2013, 09:23:10 PM
still a teeter in Fernandina Beach. soon they will be Krogers
Is Kroger taking over the Harris Teeter site? Or is it in addition. Haven't been to Krogers in a long time. How do they compare to Harris Teeter?
I think of kroger as middle tier, like an Albertsons. I've only been to the ones in the Midwest though.
It seems like BI-LO is pleasantly leaving it's mark on Winn-Dixie in subtle ways. I recently noticed that the meat prices have DRASTICALLY reduced. A family pack of chicken wings there was like a lil over 7 dollars, that's comparable to any civilian supermarket in Jax. I'll be happy to pay for reasonably priced items at (supposedly low class) W/D then spending like over 10-11 dollars at a place like 'high society life' Publix for wings. I never brought into these socio-demographic labels with supermarkets; Most of the crap that's inside all of them (maybe outside of Whole Foods & a very few others) are basically the same anyway. Freelancing different stores is the best way to get the big deals, opposed to shopping exclusively only at one store.
Quote from: avonjax on October 14, 2013, 10:09:28 PM
Quote from: fsquid on October 14, 2013, 09:23:10 PM
still a teeter in Fernandina Beach. soon they will be Krogers
Is Kroger taking over the Harris Teeter site? Or is it in addition. Haven't been to Krogers in a long time. How do they compare to Harris Teeter?
Kroger is buying Harris Teeter as in the whole corporation.
Quote from: coredumped on October 15, 2013, 12:03:08 AM
I think of kroger as middle tier, like an Albertsons. I've only been to the ones in the Midwest though.
In Atlanta, I see a huge difference between Kroger and Publix. The Kroger are definitely not as clean or organized.
In Cincinnati, the Krogers I have been to are a little nicer but that is where they are based.
Quote from: fsquid on October 15, 2013, 08:20:14 AM
Quote from: avonjax on October 14, 2013, 10:09:28 PM
Quote from: fsquid on October 14, 2013, 09:23:10 PM
still a teeter in Fernandina Beach. soon they will be Krogers
Is Kroger taking over the Harris Teeter site? Or is it in addition. Haven't been to Krogers in a long time. How do they compare to Harris Teeter?
Kroger is buying Harris Teeter as in the whole corporation.
My visits to Krogers made the impression that they were a middle of the road store but it's been so long. I'm sure they will strip Harris Teeter of all the products that made me drive to Fernandina just to shop for some special items that are hard to find elsewhere. That location is terrific and it will be interesting to see how the neighborhood responds. I would dare say they are surrounded by great affluence. I'm not sure their high end customer won't abandon them for Publix. I sure would. As for I-10 weird "high society life,' take on Publix I don't think that it's all that "high society" to prefer a store that is clean, bright, with a nice selection of product, mostly very good private label food and a quick checkout as opposed to the snail's pace chatting among themselves cashiers that Winn-Dixie prefers to hire. Kroger will not be on my radar for a trip to Amelia Island.
Quote from: coredumped on October 14, 2013, 09:19:34 PM
Quote from: billy on October 14, 2013, 05:40:32 PM
Ask Mr. Ed what he thinks about Aldi's.
I'm not sure what place Aldi's has. There's much more need for high end groceries than low end. I know the economy is crappy but on the low there's:
Winn Dixie
Wal Mart
Aldi
Sav-a-lot
Kash and Karry/Food Lion (no longer around?)
On the higher end:
Publix
Whole foods
Fresh Market
Harris Teater (Gone from jax?)
and this is the rub...most people haven't yet figured out that Aldi and Trader Joe's are basically the same company....and I'm willing to bet they also share some of the store-brand foods
It's no so much of "high society life" (whatever that is???) but more of "I'm buying food here, it should be clean." I always feel that if it's dirty out front where the customers are, how clean can it really be in the back?
That being said, we all cook our food so it's probably safe regardless of if the steak falls on the floor in the back. But I still want it clean and well lit when I shop for my food.
^^^I went to the Normandy W/D (near Lenox), Wal-Mart, and Publix two days ago to get individual items; The W/D looked CLEANER than the Publix. More than not, the homeless are often there begging for money, and I never see that at W/D near Lenox (it's not a big deal though). Hell, Fresh Market is more dimly lit than W/D, petty stuff like that don't bother me. I'll still try to keep that in mind though, Publix is VASTLY superior to W/D, okay....
Quote from: coredumped on October 15, 2013, 12:03:08 AM
I think of kroger as middle tier, like an Albertsons. I've only been to the ones in the Midwest though.
Krogers can vary widely. There are a lot of small towns in western Virginia with small, out-of-date, poorly maintained Krogers as the only store in town. Wealthier areas of the state have some high-end Krogers that are impeccably maintained with a wider selection, more expensive products, etc.
Several years before Kroger bought the Harris Teeter chain, the chains traded some stores among themselves in Virginia, and the former H/T stores that became Krogers remained more upscale stores.
I went to Harris Teeter at Fernandina a couple of months ago to check it out, they are SKY HIGH in prices good grief. Maybe it's that expensive Amelia zip code or something.
Quote from: I-10east on October 15, 2013, 12:03:34 PM
I went to Harris Teeter at Fernandina a couple of months ago to check it out, they are SKY HIGH in prices good grief. Maybe it's that expensive Amelia zip code or something.
Same with the HT stores up here. Worst prices of any of the local chains.
Kroger is more reasonably priced, even in its more upscale stores.
^^^You must be up there in Carolina.
Close enough; southeast Virginia.
Quote from: I-10east on October 15, 2013, 11:56:36 AM
More than not, the homeless are often there begging for money, and I never see that at W/D near Lenox
That's because they're all shopping INSIDE wd! :D :D :D
Quote from: I-10east on October 15, 2013, 11:56:36 AM
I'll still try to keep that in mind though, Publix is VASTLY superior to W/D, okay....
I don't know about VASTLY (not sure any one said that) but there's a reason Publix is consistently voted top 100 places to work for, and WD was struggling so bad they closed a bunch of stores and was bought out.
It's not that I wish anything bad on WD, I want them to succeed, they're just considered more "low end." They have less specialty items, less employees to pick up carts in their lot, etc. It's a different experience.
Competition is good, and I'm glad both exist. I just WD would step up their game a bit...
Privately held company vs publicly traded. It makes a huge difference.
Quote from: thelakelander on August 29, 2013, 06:03:58 PM
Jacksonville in the running for Trader Joe's distribution center
QuoteIn addition to retail locations, Trader Joe's is scouting Jacksonville for a mega-size distribution center site that would support its rapidly expanding presence in Florida and the Southeast.
Real estate sources, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the deal, say Jacksonville and Southeast Georgia are in the running for a Trader Joe's warehouse facility up to 750,000 square feet, with refrigeration, to support its new stores.
full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/trader-joes-sniffing-around-northeast.html
Trader Joe's warehouse headed to Volusia County.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/morning-edition/2014/03/trader-joes-warehouse-going-to-daytona.html
QuoteIt's official: Trader Joe's newest warehouse will be built near Daytona Beach, not in Jacksonville.
Volusia County officials have been working with the cult favorite retailer since last summer, according to the Daytona Beach News Journal, and city and county governments have proposed up to $8 million in incentives.
Volusia is an interesting selection. You don't hear of many major logistics facilities heading that way over other areas of Central Florida.
I95 and I4 seems like a good Florida distribution point.
Yeah but from my recollection, these types of facilities have located a little closer to US 27, the Turnpike and along rail lines in Central Florida. In any event, this is great news for Volusia. Right now they have a lot going on, especially along the ISB corridor.
Atleast with a distribution center nearby more locations will open. I like Trader Joe's, but I'm not driving all the way out to the beaches.
I was quite impressed when I visited Trader Joe's in the Detroit area. I don't normally cross the 'ditch' but it would be an occasional treat to drop by Trader Joe's...
The parent company of Trader Joes, Aldi is coming to St Augustine.
www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/07/02/trader-joes-cousincoming-to-st-augustine.html
This is trader joe:
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NRylYLaAAgA/0.jpg)
Is there a port in Daytona?
Trader Joe's opening on October 3.
http://jacksonville.com/roger-bull-rogerbulljacksonvillecom/2014-07-10/story/trader-joes-open-oct-3-jacksonville-beach (http://jacksonville.com/roger-bull-rogerbulljacksonvillecom/2014-07-10/story/trader-joes-open-oct-3-jacksonville-beach)
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/morning-edition/2014/07/its-a-date-trader-joes-announces-opening-date.html (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/morning-edition/2014/07/its-a-date-trader-joes-announces-opening-date.html)
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/trader-joes-jacksonville-beach-set-open-oct-3/ngcP2/ (http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/trader-joes-jacksonville-beach-set-open-oct-3/ngcP2/)
(http://www.news4jax.com/image/view/-/21625206/medRes/2/-/maxh/360/maxw/640/-/pt942j/-/Trader-Joe-s-blurb-jpg.jpg)
Image from www.News4Jax.com (http://www.news4jax.com)
Trader Joe's officially open as of last Friday.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/trader-joes-opens-in-jacksonville-beach/28384162
(http://www.news4jax.com/news/trader-joes-opens-in-jacksonville-beach/28384162)
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2014/10/01/trader-joes-jacksonville-beach/16545863/
(http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2014/10/01/trader-joes-jacksonville-beach/16545863/)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/Voila_Capture2014-10-06_12-44-17_PM_zps6588fa61.jpg)
Aldi isn't a bad thing either. For the thrifty, it is similar to a Save-a-Lot store, private labeled mixed with brand names in warehouse stacked setting. Add a Family Dollar Store for variety with the two halves about equal in size... SMALL. Really though a pretty cool little place for those deep discount things that you probably don't need. The potato chips were quite good in any case! ;)
Aldi would be idea for some of our neighborhoods struggling to land the full size traditional stores like Publix and specialty stores like Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, and Earth Fare. They are all over the smaller lower income Central Florida towns now. Hopefully, they'll find their way into Jax's market.
I miss Food Lion. :)
Quote from: thelakelander on October 06, 2014, 02:50:10 PM
Aldi would be idea for some of our neighborhoods struggling to land the full size traditional stores like Publix and specialty stores like Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, and Earth Fare. They are all over the smaller lower income Central Florida towns now. Hopefully, they'll find their way into Jax's market.
they will be entering northeast Florida next year....the first store will be in Middleburg
^^^They are coming to St Aug this year.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/07/02/trader-joes-cousincoming-to-st-augustine.html
Here's the announcement (from January) about the Middleburg store...maybe it will open this year too.
http://jacksonville.com/business/2014-01-22/story/aldi-files-plans-middleburg-grocery-store
my wife is part of this cult, I will be forced to be there on Saturday. Ring the stupid bell.
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I spoke with Aldi's regional/state rep a few months back and they plan to open a significant amount of stores in North Florida. Exact number escapes me now, but it was substantial, like in the 15-25 range.
Quote from: CityLife on October 24, 2014, 09:10:09 AM
I spoke with Aldi's regional/state rep a few months back and they plan to open a significant amount of stores in North Florida. Exact number escapes me now, but it was substantial, like in the 15-25 range.
They should open one in Macclenny.
only had one experience with an aldi's and that was in chicago when I had rented a zip car for an unexpected airport run. on the way back was passing by an aldi's and decided to take advantage of the extra time on my rental and stop for some basic groceries. rather unmemorable except for the surprisingly small inventory/floor space as well as the fact that it was cash only.
Can't wait to hear about more Trader Joe's opening around town. It takes me about an hour to get to the beach, so this one is not very convenient for me. I did go visit and it was packed out. Many people are very loyal to Trader Joe's brands like the cookie butter In fact, it is traded on eBay to people who don't have Trader Joe's near them for far more than you can buy it for at the store.
Quote from: Dapperdan on October 24, 2014, 02:05:39 PM
Can't wait to hear about more Trader Joe's opening around town. It takes me about an hour to get to the beach, so this one is not very convenient for me. I did go visit and it was packed out. Many people are very loyal to Trader Joe's brands like the cookie butter In fact, it is traded on eBay to people who don't have Trader Joe's near them for far more than you can buy it for at the store.
I am not one for crowds. I finally went to Trader Joe's this past Tuesday night. Not overly crowded but still very busy. They had a ton of registers open and everybody was really helpful. It won't replace my stops at Publix. But for some niche items (and cheap wine) it is great.
As for the cookie butter, I don't get the appeal. I saw Cookies and Cream butter and had a hard time imagining an adult eating it.
I like Biscoff cookie butter. It's amazing!
Quote from: benfranklinbof on October 25, 2014, 09:37:09 AM
I like Biscoff cookie butter. It's amazing!
You must love flying Delta
Just saw on Daily Record that it looks like a Trader Joe's will be opening in Mandarin next to Miller's Ale house in the space vacated by World Market when they moved across the street. Mandarin will now have Native Sun, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Earth Fare and Trader Joe's within a 3-4 mile stretch on San Jose.