Trader Joe's pulls plug on Northeast Portland Store

**Zacha341** · February-09-14, 02:42 PM

So there goes that idea!

Trader Joe's pulls plug on Northeast Portland development after 'negative reactions' from community

From article:

Trader Joe's is backing away from a development in Northeast Portland, company officials said Monday.

"When it comes to choosing Trader Joe's store locations, we are deliberate and work hard to develop store sites with great potential for success," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Oregonian Monday morning.

While the company views the area south of Vanport Square in Northeast Portland as "a great neighborhood," Trader Joe's "will not be opening a store in the area," citing "negative reactions from the community."

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...g_on_nort.html

**oladub** · February-10-14, 04:50 PM

73 views, so far, but no comments.

I read about this elsewhere and there are places to go with this story. I think that Trader Joe's made the right decision to deploy its capital elsewhere. Wal-mart, in contrast, has forced itself on many communities on its own terms. If Community spokespeople accurately reflected their community, no harm is done. If they did not, resentment will form and the community will seek out other leadership. For now, this remains a vacant lot but perhaps, a few years from now, this lot will be populated with stores that will better serve this Portland community than an empty lot or a chain grocery store.

**Zacha341** · February-13-14, 10:40 AM

If TJ's comes to Detroit I think it would be successful. Of course location would be a factor. I prefer their low carb/ non fructose bottled juice and tea selection over WFoods. They have more variety at lower price IMO.

**old guy** · February-14-14, 01:33 AM

I'm always surprised at how Trader Joe's is viewed as an upscale grocery store. It is a bit higher end than many other grocery chains.
I have to travel about 50 miles to reach one, and I don't go out of my way to do so. But when I'm in the area for other reasons I like to shop there.
I don't breeze through the store buying anything I want. I look for deals and think that I find food that I like at reasonable prices.
I'd like to shop at Whole foods but find it a bit pricey. I just don't see Trader Joe's as a high priced grocery store. I think it's a good fit for areas that have limited choices for decent food.
Wal Mart pretty much ruined our choice of grocery stores in the small town I live in. Then again, I'm not into extruded tubes of ground beef from unknown sources. There are a number of products at Trader Joe's that I also find questionable, but I think it's a reasonably good asset to just about any neighborhood, regardless of the financial background.
I do see it as a positive that if a community doesn't see them as a good fit, they don't push it, unlike Wallytown.

**Zacha341** · February-14-14, 08:54 AM

^^^ "...extruded tubes of ground beef from unknown sources.".

I hear you on that precisely!! One of the main issues with food is the need for affordability. Affordability factors into the quality. You have to sometimes ask why and how can a food item be so cheap? What's the trade off?? Whole Foods may be off the chart for many things price wise. So I rarely go there, but I find TJ's far more useful for regular shopping and if I am in the mood and need for processed foods they have foods that are minimally processed.

When you purchase foods and meats very cheaply at say Walmart you have question the source, noting the hidden 'price'. China is increasing their export of foods to the US, especially fish and poultry. With the contamination of their waters and air I really would not prefer their offerings and avoid them as I can.

Even when they are very cheap.

**Honky Tonk** · February-21-14, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

I'm always surprised at how Trader Joe's is viewed as an upscale grocery store. It is a bit higher end than many other grocery chains.
I have to travel about 50 miles to reach one, and I don't go out of my way to do so. But when I'm in the area for other reasons I like to shop there.
I don't breeze through the store buying anything I want. I look for deals and think that I find food that I like at reasonable prices.
I'd like to shop at Whole foods but find it a bit pricey. I just don't see Trader Joe's as a high priced grocery store. I think it's a good fit for areas that have limited choices for decent food.
Wal Mart pretty much ruined our choice of grocery stores in the small town I live in. Then again, I'm not into extruded tubes of ground beef from unknown sources. There are a number of products at Trader Joe's that I also find questionable, but I think it's a reasonably good asset to just about any neighborhood, regardless of the financial background.
I do see it as a positive that if a community doesn't see them as a good fit, they don't push it, unlike Wallytown.

I don't see TJ's as an "upscale" grocery store either. Since I don't have any additional mouths to feed, not only do I find them affordable, but I also welcome their food diversity. I feel the same way about La Colmena, and Super Greenland here in Metro-Detroit. I find all of them a welcome change from the run-of the-mill, over-processed food, you get @ the larger chain stores. I went to Ho' Foods once on Coolidge, about 10 years ago with a friend, and passed on small $9 watermelon. I have eclectic tastes, but a paupers wallet.

**Goose** · February-28-14, 07:08 PM

cut the nose to spite the face... what a bunch of morons.....

**wolverine** · March-08-14, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

I'm always surprised at how Trader Joe's is viewed as an upscale grocery store. It is a bit higher end than many other grocery chains.
I have to travel about 50 miles to reach one, and I don't go out of my way to do so. But when I'm in the area for other reasons I like to shop there.
I don't breeze through the store buying anything I want. I look for deals and think that I find food that I like at reasonable prices.
I'd like to shop at Whole foods but find it a bit pricey. I just don't see Trader Joe's as a high priced grocery store. I think it's a good fit for areas that have limited choices for decent food.
Wal Mart pretty much ruined our choice of grocery stores in the small town I live in. Then again, I'm not into extruded tubes of ground beef from unknown sources. There are a number of products at Trader Joe's that I also find questionable, but I think it's a reasonably good asset to just about any neighborhood, regardless of the financial background.
I do see it as a positive that if a community doesn't see them as a good fit, they don't push it, unlike Wallytown.

I'm surprised people have that perception too. trader joes is high quality, low cost food because they have their own brands. I could spend less feeding myself for a week at that place compared to where most people shop....even at discount grocery stores.

I think TJ's did the right thing. Better to enter a market when the community feels ready. But sometimes, I don't think neighborhood residents always get it. I'm willing to bet at the next community meeting, residents will ask for "better access to fresh food". Well they had the chance and lost it and usually national chains are capable of delivering fresh food cheaper in urban markets than some mom and pop markets.

That said TJ's would do extremely well in Detroit. Willing to bet planning one is in the works already

**douglasm** · March-10-14, 08:54 AM

I've never been to at TJ's....the closest one to me is in Spokane [[about 150 miles)...... but it has been cited [[along with Whole Foods) as a reason Safeway considered selling itself to Albertson's. I get the impression that TJ's use the Toyota/Honda model when it comes to store selection, deliberately not over saturating with stores.