Ask a reporter column: No plans for Trader Joe's in the Triad : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

Q. Have you noticed that Trader Joe’s has been in the national news recently regarding their expansions? Wondered if you’ve made any progress in discovering the truth about a Greensboro location?
— Judy Keyes

A. Well, Judy, we get asked this question a lot. There’s been quite a bit of speculation about Trader Joe’s scouting specific locations in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. But so far, it appears that’s all it amounts to. Rumors and speculation. And fervent hopes that one day, we too, can be just a few miles away from a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck.

The fact is, if Trader Joe’s is coming to Greensboro, the city’s planning and zoning department will know about it. But — as they did a year ago — city staff said there haven’t been any requests for zoning changes or incentives from Trader Joe’s. And according to Trader Joe’s — the elusive specialty market that everyone wants in their town — they’re not saying much.

Spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said there are no plans at this time to open a store in Greensboro. Or High Point. Or Winston-Salem.
What would it take to bring them to the Triad? They won’t say. (In official language: “They don’t disclose real estate practices.”)

— Staff Writer Tina Firesheets

1234

November 20, 2011 - 6:58 am EST

A error in the report, if Trader Joe's finds a location that is already the correct zoning, City officials would know nothing until they have already signed a lease or a buy agreement as they would not want competitive bids against them. The city would only know if they needed to make changes to the zoning! And BTW, TJ's has been in the area looking!

dalekm123

November 20, 2011 - 9:17 am EST

PLEASE...what can we do to make it happen!
Trader Joe's is much needed and well overdue in GSO.
Maybe we can all go on TJ's web site www.traderjoes.com/about/location-requests-form.asp and submit a request for a store in GSO.
And they are here scouting locations... this IS good news.

dollfyngirl

November 20, 2011 - 8:34 pm EST

We were at Trader Joe's in Charlotte 3 weekends ago and the guy working there told us they were looking at putting Trader Joe's in either Greensboro NC or I believe Nashville TN. He said to visit the website and let them know we wanted it in Greensboro NC. So please do it. Thanks.

Get Real

November 20, 2011 - 10:30 pm EST

They already have one in Nashville. It's Greensboro's turn.

newkid

November 20, 2011 - 11:26 pm EST

We have repeatedly been told by Trader Joe's staff members that the company has tried to locate in Greensboro, but has been thwarted by political pressure applied by management of the Fresh Market, a local Greensboro company. When I asked "So what about Whole Foods?" the response was that Whole Foods' prices were competitive with Fresh Market, but Trader Joe's prices were much lower and seen as a threat to Fresh Market.

Whether this is real, or imaginary is hard to know...

crowe1856

November 21, 2011 - 7:01 am EST

So you're saying it's unlikely we'll see a TJ in the old Fresh Market @ Quaker Village... (I'll hold out hope for Golden Gate then, so long as it doesn't take customers from the future Deep Roots).

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