Monrovia, Calif. — Trader Joe’s, a chain of neighborhood grocery stores known for offering food and beverages ranging from daily staples to the unique and hard to find, opened the last of its new locations for 2017 on October 12.
On October 12, stores opened in Allston, Mass.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; and North Brunswick, N.J. Fourteen new locations opened this year, bringing the total number of Trader Joe’s stores to 474. Other new locations include: San Francisco; West Hollywood, Calif.; San Diego; Hoboken, N.J.; Las Vegas; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Somerville, Mass.; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Coralville, Iowa; San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; and Jacksonville, Fla. For the past 10 years, Trader Joe’s has opened an average of 23 stores annually. Plans for 2018 locations are already underway.
“A lot goes into bringing a new Trader Joe’s store to a neighborhood,” says Trader Joe’s spokesperson Kenya Friend-Daniel. “Aside from the logistics we want to be sure we have the right space and crew members who are engaged and passionate, not just about Trader Joe’s, food and earning the delight of our customers, but also in their lives outside of work. We continue to find the best of the best.”
This week’s openings come on the heels of a successful 50th anniversary celebration for the grocery store chain.
“Our customers are the reason we are still here, 50 years later, continuing to grow and make a difference in the neighborhoods we serve,” says Friend-Daniel. “That is why our focus is, and always has been, on providing them with the best and most unique products at great prices, as well as a fun and engaging experience, every time they shop at one of our stores. It’s just that simple.”
The first Trader Joe’s store opened in 1967 in the Los Angeles area. Since then, Trader Joe’s has expanded to more than 470 stores in 41 states. For more information, visit traderjoes.com.
SOURCE: Trader Joe’s