Readers Want A Trader Joe’s in the City
On Sunday, as this poll was ongoing, I was shopping at Trader Joe’s — the store I most want to open a location within the City of St. Louis. TJ’s was the top answer in the poll, followed by Apple Store and Costco.
The results:
Q: Which retail stores, if any, in our region would you like to see open a location in the City of St. Louis? (pick up to 5)
- Trader Joe’s 30 [16.57%]
- TIE
- Apple Store 19 [10.5%]
- Costco 19 [10.5%]
- Lucky’s Market 10 [5.52%]
- Dierbergs 9 [4.97%]
- TIE
- Crate & Barrell 7 [3.87%]
- Macy’s 7 [3.87%]
- Marshalls 7 [3.87%]
- TIE
- Old Navy 6 [3.31%]
- Walmart 6 [3.31%]
- Other: 6 3.31% [3.31%]
- Target
- Rural King
- Microsoft Store
- Walgreens
- Target (downtown)
- Dollar General
- TIE
- Best Buy 5 [2.76%]
- Cost Plus World Market 5 [2.76%]
- Nordstrom 5 [2.76%]
- TIE
- Sears 4 [2.21%]
- T.J. Maxx 4 [2.21%]
- Williams-Sonoma 4 [2.21%]
- TIE
- Cabela’s 3 [1.66%]
- Home Goods 3 [1.66%]
- Pottery Barn 3 [1.66%]
- Pier 1 Imports 3 [1.66%]
- Sam’s 3 [1.66%]
- None 3 [1.66%]
- TIE
- Dillard’s 2 [1.1%]
- h.h. gregg 2 [1.1%]
- Kitchen Conservatory 2 [1.1%]
- TIE
- Menards 1 [0.55%]
- Ross 1 [0.55%]
- Sur La Table 1 [0.55%]
- Tuesday morning 1 [0.55%]
- American Girl 0 [0%]
I suspected Trader Joe’s would be the top answer, especially considering the reation to my last April Fool’s Joke (see Mixed-Use Building with a Trader Joe’s Coming to Grand & Lindell Corner). Seriously, we need a Trader Joe’s in the city, going out to the suburbs is just to inconvenient.
In the other there were two suggestions for a Target, presumably both downtown. I concur, an urban Target downtown would be great — much better than a traditional department store. Not sure why someone listed Dollar General, there are two within the city.
— Steve Patterson
Fields foods site would have been perfect for tj’s (hopefully with pedestrian access), but that area is too “edgy” for them. Hampton village would work, the FYE store there looks like a tj’s, and while hampton village sucks and is totally suburban, the fye is actually built right up to the sidewalk, but has enough parking in a side lot. #90 and #11 access, while it wouldnt be an urban paradise, it would be better than nothing.
I gotta imagine we’ll be hearing an announcement on Midtown Station moving forward with the opening of IKEA approaching. I think both Target and Trader Joe’s would be taking a look at the spot. Also, the project further down Vandeventer in the Grove mentioned a grocer for part of the commercial space so that could be a possibility for a TJ’s as well.
Most developers in the city would love to sign a TJ’s (or a Dierberg’s or a Lucky’s) – the question is what will it take to make it a reality? TJ’s just came to Colorado this year, with 5 locations, so figuring out why they picked their locations, there, would help convince them to do the same thing here – the Denver location, on Colorado Blvd., is somewhere between the CWE and Hampton Village when it comes to urban scale and density, if not demographics. http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25140745/trader-joes-open-3-colorado-stores-friday-feb
There will be a gucci store on washington ave before there is a deirbergs in the city of st louis
FYE was actually a Kroger at one time.
Couldn’t the argument be made that this is just another reason to merge the city and the county? Much like stats about crime, demographics and STD’s, the city “limit” is an arbitrary boundary line. Most of us don’t pay much attention to governmental boundaries when we shop, we’re more concerned with how close (or far away) any store may be. The bigger issue is when a “desirable” national retailer has NO regional presence, and we’re forced to go to another state to find some special item or shopping experience, and/or the local inventory gets “dumbed down” to meet some coastal perceptions of midwestern “tastes”.
The fewer locations any national chain has in a regional market, the more likely that those few locations will be “inconvenient” to a lot of people – it’s simple math/geography. Trader Joes’s has 4 local locations, Brentwood, Des Peres, Creve Coeur and Chesterfield. If you live in one of those suburban “cities”, TJ’s will be definitely more convenient, to you, but the new IKEA will be less convenient, as are our pro sports venues, most brewpubs and Six Flags. Sure, it’s great to “want” certain retailers near where one lives, but “life ain’t fair” – retailers locate their outlets where their analyses say they will maximize their revenues, not where some bloggers think that they “should”!
If you want TJ (or any other chain) “in the city”, GIVE THEM AN ECONOMIC REASON TO DO SO!!!!! You (and everyone else) are already willing to drive out to Brentwood. Would their opening a store in the CWE or TGS or Hampton Village generate 20% (break even) or 25% more, total, REGIONAL revenue? If not, why would they make the investment?! EVERY chain is in business to MAKE MONEY! They’re not in business to “make friends” or to be “good neighbors” or be “good corporate citizens” (although doing so will usually improve sales), they invest in any location expecting to makes as much PROFIT as possible. Yes, certain St. Louis neighborhoods could certainly support a new Trader Joe’s – the only question is whether or not the folks in corporate will see the numbers “working” in their favor?
No
First sentence? Or last?
First, some people atually care about the city of st louis.
Hey, I a) care about the city, and b) would like to see one or more TJ’s open in the city. But I sure don’t equate any retailer’s decision to locate someplace, or not, as either validation of or disrespect for said location. My original point was that if the city had expanded its boundaries over the past 138 years, as most other American cities have, the location in Brentwood likely would have now been “in the city”, not some “suburb”. We can’t have it both ways – blaming the fact that our arbitrary city limit was frozen in 1876 when we’re topping the list for dangerous places to live and for chlamydia, yet wondering why “desirable” retailers choose to locate on the “wrong” (not “in the city”) side of the line . . .
Well brentwood is suburban whether or not its in the city limits. Its a bunch of strip malls 8 miles away from downtown. It shouldnt be in the city limits, but if it was it still wouldnt be urban or close to the urban core, the location of the city limits doesnt change that.
Whole Foods is opening a store in CWE. So why not Trader Joes?
Different companies. Different target demgraphics. Different business models. Different national priorities. Even different perceptions, fair and unfair, about the city and its neigborhoods. People in Denver and Tampa had been “wanting” TJ’s for a decade, of more, and they just opened in Florida in 2013 and in Colorado in 2014. A lot of people “want” TJ’s, just like a lot of people “want” IKEA and some people “want” Winco Foods – http://wincofoods.com/about/ – retailers pick and choose, and part of keeping any brand “special” or “exclusive” is NOT to become a Walgreens or Starbucks or a McDonalds, with easy access for EVERY potential shopper. Bottom line, life ain’t fair . . . .
http://labor411.org/411-blog/519-four-worker-friendly-alternatives-to-walmart
http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarathau/2014/04/08/interbrand-reveals-the-best-retail-brands-of-2014-and-the-biggest-losers/