Trader Joes

[Designerguy24]

I think we should have one in Midtown/Downtown. What do you all think? Would it work?

[devman1983]

I think it definitely would work. Put a Trader Joe's and an Aldi's somewhere there and the Germans will be in control of the shopping. They would need higher security at the stores, but I think there is enough demand in the area that it would work.

The poor people who live in that area don't have too many options. They have to make a day out of driving to the burbs to stock up for the week.

[detroitsgwenivere]

Sure. But good luck with that.....

[jtf1972]

I am sick of the damn negativity. Sure, having a store in a city has its challenges that may not be apparent or even present in some other locations, but to simply scoff at the notion that something can be done that needs to happen only adds to the problems. Instead of looking for reasons that it can't work we need to look to what can be done to make it successful.

[Big Dog]

I agree jft. Let's see some real change and good things

[DetroitPlanner]

I think we should have a Saks in Midtown too, maybe a Bloomingdales.

Ain't no one coming here to save us if we can't save ourselves first. I don't think we should look to national chains to fill our needs. We have some pretty scary demographics in this metro area with both income and population shrinking. DesignerGuy if you think there is a market you should go for it yourself. I can remember how sorely disappointed I was with Zaccarro's, I went in there to buy six things and walked oout with nothing, that would not have happened with the Aldi's/Trader Joes. Sure its not the best food, but it is reasonably priced and they have complete arry of foods. Too much was either missing or double the cost it was at my corner Spartan store. I'd be a fool to support that.

[crawford]

Aldi may make sense but Trader Joe's is [[at this point) a fantasy.

Aldi sounds like a real world, grounded option. What about Detroit would be desirable for a store like Trader Joe's?

If you're a Detroiter and demand Trader Joe's, there are at least two close options: Grosse Pointe and Royal Oak.

[Maof]

isn't trader joe's a little on the pricey side?

[gnome]

isn't trader joe's a little on the pricey side?

yep, too pricey for the student crowd... if TJ was going to set up anywhere it would be in the Lafayette plaza. The folks around there at least know what chevre chaud is.

[DetroitPlanner]

isn't trader joe's a little on the pricey side?

Actually Aldi's and Trader Joe's are the same store that markets itself to budget minded demographics. Trader Joes wants to be percieved as being upscale, buts its all the same company, sort of like Farmer Jack and "Food Basics".

Interestingly enough, a Detroit-based company handles the advertising and marketing for Aldi. The Trader Joe's brand is sold in Aldi Stores in Europe.

[Fury13]

Trader Joe's sells mostly wholesome, real food without excess preservatives and crap like HFCS; Aldi's sells low-end mass production stuff in a warehouse setting.

They might be the same company but the product lines are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yeah, TJ might be slightly pricier but it's honest, decent food. TJ stocks many organic items [[here's a riddle for you: what was organic food called in 1890? ... answer: "food.")

Aldi's seems like the usual ghetto garbage to me, sorry.

[detroitbob]

Trader Joe's would be perfect for Lafayette Park or Harbortown. With the success of ALDI in Highland Park, it would seem Midtown/New Center would work for ALDI. They are expanding ALDI in undeserved urban areas in spite of the current economic situation. I have noted that at the Trader Joe's in Royal Oak they periodically ask for zip codes when customers check out to track where folks are coming from. Walmart is also experimenting with 'neighborhood' grocery stores, about the size of ALDI but last I heard no expansion decision had been announced - particularly for the midwest. I don't ever expect to see a Kroger in Detroit. Don't forget about the Meijer at 8/Woodward. That will be a help for mid-center and north end folks. At that point, Detroit can announce that they have a major grocery chain in the city even though it is within spitting distance of the border.

[Fury13]

...They are expanding ALDI in undeserved urban areas ...

I agree, urban areas do not deserve ALDI's.

[hubbardfarmer]

Trader Joe's prices are pretty competitive, I've found, and their loss leaders tend to be basic staples like cereal, butter, coffee, orange juice, etc. My favorite cereal is 50 cents to a dollar cheaper than at places like Kroger. I think a Trader Joe's would do splendidly in the old Zaccarro's spot. I've run into fellow Hubbard Farmers at various TJ's, and I see a lot of Trader Joe's paper bags at the recycling drop-off in Corktown, which tells me there's already a loyal following.

[detroitbob]

sorry, that should have read ....they are expanding in underserved urban areas...please note they already have two Detroit stores and more in the close in suburbs like Ferndale, Redford, Lincoln Park, Eastpointe. From what I can tell the same products appear in all the stores and they are expanding to carry more fresh items instead of frozen like meat and produce. Although I don't shop at ALDI weekly, I do get the email ads and do shop occasionally.

[wolverine]

I like Trader Joes and go to the one a few blocks away from me, but as hubbardfarmer points out, I've found their basics to be more expensive when I can hit up another grocer for milk, cereal and juice at a lower price. Because those are the items I need the most on a typical grocery run I'll go elsewhere to save more. I'm curious how much people would be willing to pay in Detroit.

[English]

Is Aldi's like the Food Basics that used to be in the city during the first part of the decade? If so, I'd gladly shop there. The Food Basics store I went to until I started grad school was always clean. It didn't stock absolutely everything, but you could get your grocery staples taken care of, and the price was always right.

Incidentally, an Aldi's is opening up northwest of campus here in Ann Arbor. So it isn't just the poorer areas in SE Michigan that need this kind of store. In this economy, everyone is hurting. If they are anything like Food Basics, they will get lots of student business, including mine.

[DetroitPlanner]

Trader Joe's prices are pretty competitive, I've found, and their loss leaders tend to be basic staples like cereal, butter, coffee, orange juice, etc. My favorite cereal is 50 cents to a dollar cheaper than at places like Kroger. I think a Trader Joe's would do splendidly in the old Zaccarro's spot.

I'd agree, but the space is too small. For a trader Joes you would need about two to three times the square footage. Its still a small market, but its much larger than the Zac space.

[thecarl]

1) based upon what i've seen in the royal oak store, trader joe's has a nice selection of groceries, and the prices are definitely competitive. it's a great place to go when you have kitchen burn-out: they have a wonderful and imaginative array of fresh and packaged foods, for snacks, meals, and desserts. they also have inexpensive, highly-rated beer and wine.
2) aldi's: their model business model avoids succumbing to the adhd-overloading, crackwhore marketers that dominate the grocery industry. i recall that aldi's offers something like one-fifth of the product line of most grocery stores. if you seek cinnamon-flavored, extra-whitening, plaque-reducing, anti-gingivitis crest toothpaste, specially formulated for geriatric women - in the stand-up gel container - you likely won't find it at aldi's. their model is to control costs by eliminating the overhead expenses associated with ordering and maintaining inventories of the panoply of products marketed to today's consumers.

[Bearinabox]

isn't trader joe's a little on the pricey side?

No. I don't know where this rumor got started or why it's so widespread, because it's just flat-out not true. If Trader Joe's were to open a store in a place like Detroit, they'd probably have to work hard to dispel that misconception in order to be successful.

[texorama]

I actually think Trader Joe's could work in Detroit. It's not Whole Foods. Yes, it's more expensive than Aldi, but the whole thing about it is it's oriented toward convenience foods. Compared with the corner stores where many Detroiters shop now, it'd be a big improvement on many counts, including price.

[Detroitnerd]

Trader Joe's? I'm sure you could get a certain amount of people to shop at a Trader Joe's in Midtown, but I'm more excited by examples like Goodwell's. Instead of being taken with chain solutions, I am more enticed by townie start-ups.

[Boo Stinking Boo]

isn't trader joe's a little on the pricey side?
Not really, I shop there atleast 3x a month. For other items I shop at Krogers across the street in GP. The prices are medicore at best, and you get quality and variety as well. And where else can you go to get a $2.99 bottle of decent wine???

I live in West Williage and all we had was Harbortown Market. I only shop at Indian Village Market if I need something at the last minute [[ no meat or dairy though). The store is not the cleanest. I went to purchase some milk and there was dirt and grimey stuff on the milk shelves!! Last week while at the RJ's Rooster shack I inqured about the Harbortown Market, I was informed the store should be opening within the next few weeks. Yet, I was informed this about 4 months ago. The store has been closed since the spring I belive. And all the inventory has been removed from the store as well, I hope they had flood insurance.


Trader Joe's sells mostly wholesome, real food without excess preservatives and crap like HFCS; Aldi's sells low-end mass production stuff in a warehouse setting. They might be the same company but the product lines are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yeah, TJ might be slightly pricier but it's honest, decent food. TJ stocks many organic items [[here's a riddle for you: what was organic food called in 1890? ... answer: "food.") Aldi's seems like the usual ghetto garbage to me, sorry. Yes, I've been to Aldi and they sell low end junk food and products!!!! And most of everything is off brand, and you have to supply your own bags or boxes.

I'm suprised no one has mentioned "Whole Foods" I used to shop there but damm, the proces are off the hook! Sorry they wont see me in there anymore, yet they do have a nice wine selection.

[Detroitnerd]

Whole Foods is anti-union too, another reason to stick with local food sources.

For me, Trader Joe's is an awkward place halfway between the hippie co-op and Kroger's. I mean, shit is still flown in from around the world, you still have obnoxious polystyrene noodle bowls to nuke at work and stuff that just can't be that good for you or the environment. And the amount of packaging they use to sell produce makes me want to cry sometimes. That's one of the main reasons I don't shop there.

[Boo Stinking Boo]

Whole Foods is anti-union too, another reason to stick with local food sources.

For me, Trader Joe's is an awkward place halfway between the hippie co-op and Kroger's. I mean, shit is still flown in from around the world, you still have obnoxious polystyrene noodle bowls to nuke at work and stuff that just can't be that good for you or the environment. And the amount of packaging they use to sell produce makes me want to cry sometimes. That's one of the main reasons I don't shop there.

Nerd, I agree about the produce section, not only is it high but the the quantity is very low for the high prices paid. I just stick with buying my porduce from Eastern Market on saturdays!