Comments on: Rumor: Trader Joe’s is looking at Autumn Hall

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:46:52 +0000

The latest from the horse’s mouth, by way of MyReporter.com, Star News’ new vehicle for connecting to readers:

2 yrs at least:

http://www.myreporter.com/?p=2679

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:36:08 +0000

I’ve been enjoying your flickr photostream of the Azalea Festival and other local stuff, Bryan. (See URL). Thanks!

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:51:55 +0000

Finally, I went to TJ today in Chapel Hill. OK, I get it. ) $2.99 for a bottle of cab. Cheap organic olive oil. Beautiful blackberries. Yum, healthy, and way cheaper than Harris Teeter.. Now I hope it comes to wilmington, too.

By: rachel

rachel — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:09:39 +0000

I LOVE Trader Joe’s, and have been sending requests for them to open a store in Wilmington for 4 years!!!

When I first moved to Wilmington my friends mailed me TJ’s care-packages on a fairly regular basis just so I wouldn’t die from withdrawal! Even though I’ve survived the loss and moved on, I keep hope alive that Trader Joe’s will come to Wilmington.

By: Nick in NC

Nick in NC — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:56:03 +0000

GO Trader Joes…

I have been to Tidal Creek on Oleander. It can’t compare to Trader Joe’s.
I am from the west coast and would do most of my shopping there. Prices, quality and variety are key factors in their success. Friendly personnel doesn’t hurt either.

Have your friends do the web site request for a Trader Joe’s here in Wilmington. Do it as often as you can. The more request, the more the possibility they will make one here.
Additionally, if you go to another Trader Joe’s, speak with the manager directly about putting one here. They also forward requests as well. I shop at the one in Charlotte ( who just got their 3rd TJ),,, he said he would pass it along to corporate.
Obviously other people have done the same.

By: Reina

Reina — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:54:11 +0000

Get it Mindle!

By: Mindle

Mindle — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:47:40 +0000

An interesting discussion here. One quick insight: the main reason that Wilmington’s groceries are so much more expensive than Chapel Hill’s or other centrally located cities’ is that we are out in the sticks, relatively speaking. There is no warehouse remotely close to us, and because of that, we pay more in fuel/delivery costs. Unfortunately, that is often passed on to the customer.

Tidal Creek does its best to keep prices low by particpating in CAP, the Coop Advantage Program, which allows coops all over to combine their buying strength and thus get deeper discounts than if they were acting on their own. It’s still tough to compete with the big boxes, though.

Just some food for thought… (get it?)

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:10:26 +0000

Ironically enough, Bryan , I was just about to write something up about our current economic straits and the fact that Tidal Creek’s business has improved in the last few weeks. I heard something about this paradox nationally on NPR’s Marketplace the other night and thought to ask a friend of mine who works as Tidal Creek. He verified that yes, in fact the Creek’s business is booming.

When people are a little worried about their money, they go to Walmart. When people are really worried (so my hypothesis goes), they worry equally about their health, about the fundamentals — they worry about putting the right food in their body, about the Actual, biology-class equilibrium.

(I think I will write this up as a post soon. It’s just too interesting, this paradox, and I mean to get the juicy details from my TC buddy tomorrow.)

But I’m with you on the Trader Joe’s thing. It’d be GREAT to have them here. As many of have written to them, we’re a perfect site for their expansion into the south. Last I checked — and I worked there cutting boxes open madly for some three weeks back when I was between things, and in another state — Trader Joe’s business was to purchase only those things it could acquire at genuinely close-out prices, which accounts both for its killer deals and for its still-somewhat-weird collection of fare. It’s not quite grocery.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:27:03 +0000

I am a strong supporter of my local coop, Tidal Creek. But to be blunt, if they can’t get it together, I can’t just stop eating until they do. The grocery situation in Wilmington is simply obscene. Even though the Chapel Hill area supposedly has such a high cost of living, whenever we visit we bring back lots of groceries that we can’t get as cheaply here at home, primarily from Weaver Street Market and Trader Joe’s.

So here’s to hoping that Trader Joe’s does come to Wilmington and that the increased competition leaves Tidal Creek stronger then before.

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:43:23 +0000

Cool! I sent a note too, with this comment:

A perfect candidate! College town, beach town, foodies.

The right Trader Joes combination of affluence and taste on the one hand, budget-mindedness on the other.