Trader Joe's Coming to Manhattan!

[JohnL]

No matter how you slice it--Trader Joe's is IMOP just not that special. If you love generic stuff at low prices--they are the place for you!

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I guess I'm not as interested in the store and whether it's special...more in whether it will catch on. Not-so-special things are a hit here all the time, no matter how picky we like to consider ourselves!

ETA: I also think that the fact that you have to compare different pieces of TJ's inventory to things available in a variety of stores sort of backs up the point I was trying to make above - while they may not be bringing anything new or special to the scene in terms of product, there may not be another store where those products are all available under one roof. This, from what I can tell from the other posts on this thread, is part of their appeal.

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It's the other way round!

Other stores carry pretty much what Joe's does only more of it under one roof. that is my point re:"special."

Again--Joe's has a quirky limited selection--their strategy is to buy in bulk and force producers prices down a la Wal Mart. They sell a smaller selection of what they (and many) consider reasonably good quality items at reasonably low prices.

There is a trade off.

Thus my point is--if you compare them to anyone compare them to large chains who offer store brand items and bulk stuff.

It is clear that Joe's strong points are not --fresh anything--save for some limited dairy offerings.

(I do not mean their stuff is stale--on the contrary most of what they offer is in good condition).

Meat and produce--they don't even compete well with our chain supermarkets for the most part.

at any level.

I believe that is part of the trade off--fresh produce and meat and poultry as well as fresh prepared (on premise) items are costly to buy and maintain.

Their balliwick seems to be easy to handle stuff with a long shelf life. Stuff in packages and bulk things like nuts etc. and frozen items.

So give them their due but let's not make them out to be something they are not.

They are owned by two German billionaire supermarket entrepreneurs who are good at marketing. They have a schtick that one either buys or doesn't. They have created an aura much as Whole Foods has. it is about marketing--they do a good job of taking some good/decent quality products and making them seem better or more than they really are.

I do think they can be successful here--but I would argue that some of that success will be dependent upon whether or not people buy into the schtick.

With all the choices people here in Manhattan have--it is doubtful that without drinking the coolaid--people will travel on a subway to buy the things they do best at any cost.

So--I think they will do ok with the considerable neighborhood traffic.

[bushey]

Mochi ice cream by Mikawaya (the inventor) is carried by Trader Joes. I dare anyone who has tried them not to get addicted to that stuff.

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I adore Mochi, especially the green tea and mango flavors.

[SJ Shappee]

A satisfying trip there will hardly make a dent in the food budget.

The 'low cost' items add up to $100 in no time ! (Worth it.......)

Just got some Lemon Balsamic vinegar and some Stilton w/ ginger and mango (for $4 less a lb than my local cheese shop), herb salad mix (so easy) and the yummy Mediterranean Greek Yogurt (Cheese style) to have with fruit.......and the crunchy little Savory Rounds.......

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I love TJ's - and have been to the stores in Concord, Ca, SF, Sacto, and now here in Pacific Grove, Ca. We are getting a new TJ's in downtown Monterey - they are replacing a Safeway that refused to upgrade their store. I love the products - especially the fresh whole wheat pizza dough, the wide varieties of cheese and wines, frozen foods - like the slender green beans and the 'chokes. While I live only a few miles from Castroville, artichoke center of the universe, they aren't always in season - and the frozen TJ's are there for me anytime I need them. And the frozen blueberrys are GREAT! Half the fun of shopping at TJ's involves interacting with the other customers....I'll find new different products that other shoppers are crazy about - and, sure I do end up actually buying some of these items even tho I don't really need them and didn't come in just to buy them. I sometimes find IQF slipper lobster in the shell - which is great to quick thaw and add to other dishes, or just steam and add to pasta. I love their diary products - milk and cream are always significantly less expensive than other brands. We get fresh meats here and I don't think I could live too far from a TJ's and still enjoy grocery shopping. We don't have something special like Eli's or Zabars here - and I love to visit them when I'm in NYC - but we do have TJ's.

[andiesenji]

Apparently there is the "Eye of the Beholder" factor in those who like TJs.

I stopped at TJs Palmdale on my way home this evening. I chatted with a woman who was buying some of the packaged vegetables and fruits that so many here have decried. I asked why she liked the packaged produce and she gave me an insight that had not occurred to me.

She said she liked them because other people had not been able to "paw over them with their grubby hands, sneezing and coughing their germs all over them." She went on to say that since she has been buying her vegetables and fruit at TJs she has not had a single cold or the flu. She said she would rather pay more for the washed and packaged salad makings instead of lettuce and cabbage that has been handled by "God knows who" etc., etc., etc. Another woman chimed in and said she felt the same way and had stopped buying vegetables and fruit at Vons after watching an employee who looked like he had a bad cold, sneezing and snuffling, arranging tomatoes.

One of the employees who was stocking the salad stuff (and who handed me a bag of the "Chard of Many Colors") said that a lot of the customers said they liked having the veg and fruits "hermetically sealed" - although the hermetic part seemed to me to be an exaggeration.

So obviously some people look at the style of merchandising differently.

I bought some bananas, unwrapped, which are priced at 19 cents each. 10 bananas weighed 4 pounds, 7+ ounces = 1.90. At Ralphs they were 59 cents a pound and would have cost 2.77.

[raji]

Is Trader Joe's a franchise?

[artisan02]

Interesting...you also have to wonder how much real estate is left in the immediate Union Square vicinity for a large store like TJ's...though if what's being said above is true, that TJ's is a sort of cheaper alternative to the gourmet market, then its location may make sense.

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My experience with Trader Joes is that the stores are not large at all, and in fact can be rather cramped. They are certainly no where near the size of many supermarkets.

[Megan Blocker]

Interesting...you also have to wonder how much real estate is left in the immediate Union Square vicinity for a large store like TJ's...though if what's being said above is true, that TJ's is a sort of cheaper alternative to the gourmet market, then its location may make sense.

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My experience with Trader Joes is that the stores are not large at all, and in fact can be rather cramped. They are certainly no where near the size of many supermarkets.

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Compared to most supermarkets here in the city, the TJ's I visited (albeit only once, and very briefly) in CT felt quite big...

[Maison Rustique]

No, they are not franchised.

[alanamoana]

i just moved back to northern california after having lived in new york for the past four years. i definitely missed tj's while i was gone, but not enough to drive to the 'burbs. now that i'm back, i've been happily surprised by what tj's still has to offer.

whether they survive in new york will be decided by time. i can compare tj's loosely to some of the strange bodegas i used to see on the ues that had nuts/seeds/trail mixes in plastic containers sitting outside in all kinds of weather, day after day. the products were overpriced and certainly past their prime. how these guys survive is beyond me. tj's carries similar products, stored properly, rotated and the turnover is so high that you're guaranteed something fresh. i would think their survival is more likely as they do offer more than these bodegas.

tj's might not carry staples (flour, etc) but as a baker/pastry chef, i go to tj's to buy:

plugra @ $2.99/lb

tj's butter @ $1.99/lb

tj's yogurt - cheap!

eggs

milk

nuts

dried fruit

tj's "pound plus" chocolate bars @ $3.99/500g

and as a person who loves to snack, their array of chips and salsas which won't break the bank and which taste good (as opposed to some salsas in whole foods going for upwards of $5 per jar) is decent.

new yorkers love choice and selection, but they don't need it all under one roof! i've been to many tj's in northern and southern california and they are a range of sizes. i think they have managed to find a niche and a business plan that works for many different settings.

[dockhl]

tj's might not carry staples (flour, etc) but as a baker/pastry chef, i go to tj's to buy:

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King Arthur flour.............

[JohnL]

Is Trader Joe's a franchise?

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Trader Joe's is part of a huge German supermarket chain/corporation:

"Aldi" owned by two German brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht.

These guys are multi billionaires (among the richest people in the world).

Trader Joe's is a $2.6 billion operation with 234 stores in the US.

80% of the merchandise they sell is private label.

They "squeeze" every dime to maintain a low cost position.

IMOP--they have an interesting and somewhat bizarre marketing strategy

--basically they need to do two things--convince people that their private label

items have an aura of quality (they in reality may or may not have) vs other

private label offerings--store brands etc and that their prices are low.

To be honest--they are a big business out to get our dollars. They are obviously squeezing suppliers to keep their prices low. Just like Wal Mart, Costco, Whole Foods et al-- really any large business.

As I have said here--I believe their products are ok---is the Trader Giotto olive oil better than any other store brand? I do not know--I haven't done a taste test--is it cheaper? I really don't know that either--I just don't care much about a few cents here and there.

I can say their olive oil is fine--I would use it.

If you buy a lot of generic store brand items (or are interested) and are pinching pennies--I would say give Joe's a try!

The great thing about New York is we have sooo many choices! (Joe's is another).

[ratgirlny]

I have shopped at two "Joe's" in the tri-state area

Danbury CT and Eastchester (on RT 22)NY.

I sometimes shop at the Eastchester TJs (we are walking

distance from it, and they stock the yogurt that my kid

likes). There is very little to recommend it. I think our

horrible Eastchester Stop n Shop is better. But then, I'm

not much of a processed food person.

They do give out balloons to the kids, which my 4 year old

loves.

Bonnie

[Megan Blocker]

Aaaaaand...here we go. Click here for the latest on TJ's opening, courtesy of Gawker.com.

Anyone going today? Please do report back.

ETA: Aaaaaand...a link the The Observer's full-day coverage. Seriously? Wow. Seems like there are people more obsessed with this than even eG'ers.

Edited March 17, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[johnder]

I am actually heading to the farmers market today, if it isn't too much of an asylum I may venture in.

Anyone going today?  Please do report back.

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[johnder]

I chickened out. It looked like a madhouse. I saw way more people going in that going out.

From what the observer is reporting it was worse than I imagined.

John

[Megan Blocker]

And, apparently, the wine shop isn't open yet. What's the point without the cheap hooch?

[suzilightning]

Aaaaaand...here we go.  Click here for the latest on TJ's opening, courtesy of Gawker.com.

Anyone going today?  Please do report back.

ETA: Aaaaaand...a link the The Observer's full-day coverage.  Seriously?  Wow.  Seems like there are people more obsessed with this than even eG'ers.

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well, abc - channel 7 was promo-ing a story on the opening for their noon news

[tsure]

You might want to check Slate for a guide to TJs:

http://www.slate.com/id/2138178/

[Kiz]

I am actually heading to the farmers market today, if it isn't too much of an asylum I may venture in.

Anyone going today?  Please do report back.

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I fought through the mob yesterday around 5:30 and browsed, but didn't actually buy anything -- the line was wrapped completely around the store, and back to the door. The staff seemed in remarkably good spirts about it all.

[raji]

What a nightmare. Almost as bad as these morons waiting for a cupcake

Is there a low-stress good time to go, similar to Century 21 EARLY morning?

Makes me miss when Manhattan was dangerous...

[Luckylies]

Funny, really, when you see TJ’s parking lot full of euro cars and well-groomed white people.

If you’re a real cook accustomed to fresh ingredients and you care about the source of the organic vegetables you trim and cook creatively, TJ is not for you.

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ah yes, white people, known worldwide for their culinary prowess and standards...

[Megan Blocker]

Oh my goodness. Apparently there were lines to get INTO TJ's this weekend. People, really - do you need to wait on line to get into a grocery store and then again to get out of it? Wow.

Check it out.

[andiesenji]

The crowds outside the one in Palmdale on opening day were much larger and much rowdier.

A friend who lives in the area near the one in Alexandria, VA, said they had to have police directing traffic the day that one opened.

Things could have been worse..........

[Megan Blocker]

...but things are still going on!

Click here for a look at the crowd this Saturday, more than a week after opening day...

As Gawker puts it:

The store has been open over a week now. Is this sort of sidewalk clogging idiocy really necessary? We’re sure the thai lime and chili peanuts are fabulous, but not so much that you need to subject yourselves to Disneyland-esque lines. Besides, this is Manhattan — you’re not supposed to be eating in the first place, fatty.

ETA: The "fatty" comment is classic Gawker snark...making fun of Manhattan's obsession with thinness. Certainly not directed at TJ's customers!

Edited March 27, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Dani Mc]

Went in this morning on my way to the gym. Lines were reasonable (none outside, 10 minute wait inside the store), so I shopped.

I've never been to a Trader Joe's before, so I was intrigued. The space is smaller than I thought it would be. Too small for an only outpost in manhattan. The carts are the smaller double decker variety, but the bitter elderly of the neighborhood have already found ways to grind them into your ankles and block entire isles (I wish Manhattan could have ONE grocery store with super wide isles). I steered past the produce (I shop the green market, and I have a pretty good organic deli near my place, so...meh), clocked the cheese (will check out in detail later), and went straight for snacky treats. I went in with no agenda at all, so I just bought what caught my eye. Got: flavored papadums, the Thai lime chili peanuts, and some mixed dried fruit. Also the Spinach Artichoke dip, some Turkey Jerky, Banana Nut Cereal (cheap cereal! In manhattan!), and a huge slab of bittersweet chocolate. I was expecting the Whole Foods phenomenon of never being able to leave without spending fifty bucks, and was pleasantly surprised to see that my total was $25.

I'm ruining my workout by taste testing everything now, and besides being slightly disappointed with the hyped Thai peanuts, I'm pleased. I have specific places I like to go for certain things, so it will never be what I think of when I'm cooking a meal from scratch, but I entertain a lot. I don't always have time (or money) to whip up a full meal, especially when its 4+ people coming over just to hang out and watch Sunday night HBO or late night snacks after a big night out, so I'm all about utilizing their inexpensive prepared foods.

I've lived in the EV for going on 5 years now. I learned to cook when we had nothing but Garden of Eden and the Green Market on Union Square. Both are great, but weren't always convenient. Now, with TJ's, WF, and Fresh Direct I'm spoiled for choice. Even the Food Emporium across the street has decided to stop dicking around and actually offer something halfway decent.

I think the lines are retarded, but I blame New Yorkers' mania for queing more than the size of the store. I was a little freaked out by the super chipper attitude of the staff. It kind of made me want to punch the que minder in the mouth when he made choo choo noises to get everyone to move forward a bit. But its cheap party food. And cheap cereal. And huge slabs of chocolate. I'm still not sure how much I'll frequent TJ's, but I've already decided its easier to go there for frozen pot stickers and mini quiches for my sunday gatherings than to spend one of my only days off making a huge (expensive) dinner for a big crowd.