OK, folks. The new EAST Nashville petition is up with a space for your zip and a space for comments.
You know what to do.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
WE DID IT!
Trader Joe's will be opening in the former Wild Oats property in Green Hills. It's not East Nashville, but it ain't a drive to Atlanta, either. I predict East Nashville will have one approximately 2 years after the first one opens. 5th & Main developers are in the process of "wooing" them right now.
Update:
(Sorry the post disappeared for a while. I started editing it this morning and then had some internet problems — it seems that AT&T DSL and rain do not mix in our neighborhood).
My apologies for originally posting this with no attribution/sources. I got the call from Dana Kopp Franklin at the Tennessean (thank you for all your help in getting the word out Dana) yesterday when I was in my car running from one meeting to another. I took the time to stop and post the specifics but not the source.
Similarly, I left my husband a quick voicemail that included the info but not the source and in our subsequent phone tag exchanges he said, "I hope no one's playing an April Fool's joke on you." Man, that would suck.
Anyway, here are a few news items (some of the comments are fun):
On Wednesday
Nashville Business Journal: Trader Joe’s Coming to Green Hills
Tennessean: Trader Joe’s to open in Green Hills
Today
Tennessean: Green Hills Pulls in Trader Joe’s
City Paper: Trader Joe’s lands in Green Hills
And then there are some excited blog and board entries:
Chowhound
AthensSouth
Southern Beale
What has been fascinating about all this is the stone-faced, “No, we ain’t coming” treatment that some folks have gotten when they contacted Trader Joe’s versus others who would contact me all excited and say, “I just talked to someone at customer service and they say that they are going to be here soon.” I got so many conflicting reports that I just stopped posting speculation based on conversations with TJ’s Corporate.
Check out this entry from NashVeggie from just a couple a weeks ago:
Trader Joe’s Not Trading Here
I can understand, I guess. They’re a pretty secretive corporation and they don’t want some Whole Foods flunky to be able to call and get an update. What that has taught me, however, is just to keep being persistent and not take no for answer.
In that vein, I’d like to announce that I will be switching the focus of this blog to bringing Trader Joe’s to EAST NASHVILLE. Now that they are establishing themselves in Nashville, it raises the likelihood of getting one in this neck of the woods (I never really thought we’d get the first one). They don’t usually just open one store and stop.
I suppose it’s likely that they’ll open in yet another suburban part of town first (interestingly my husband and I both independently came up with Hendersonville as a possibility given all the development happening there). But we’ll see. They took advantage of an opening at a great location in Green Hills (other than the parking) and I hope that the forthcoming availability of 5th and Main will provide that same incentive.
Thank you to everyone who signed the original petition. A new one for East Nashville will be up in the near future as will changes to this blog.
Update:
(Sorry the post disappeared for a while. I started editing it this morning and then had some internet problems — it seems that AT&T DSL and rain do not mix in our neighborhood).
My apologies for originally posting this with no attribution/sources. I got the call from Dana Kopp Franklin at the Tennessean (thank you for all your help in getting the word out Dana) yesterday when I was in my car running from one meeting to another. I took the time to stop and post the specifics but not the source.
Similarly, I left my husband a quick voicemail that included the info but not the source and in our subsequent phone tag exchanges he said, "I hope no one's playing an April Fool's joke on you." Man, that would suck.
Anyway, here are a few news items (some of the comments are fun):
On Wednesday
Nashville Business Journal: Trader Joe’s Coming to Green Hills
Tennessean: Trader Joe’s to open in Green Hills
Today
Tennessean: Green Hills Pulls in Trader Joe’s
City Paper: Trader Joe’s lands in Green Hills
And then there are some excited blog and board entries:
Chowhound
AthensSouth
Southern Beale
What has been fascinating about all this is the stone-faced, “No, we ain’t coming” treatment that some folks have gotten when they contacted Trader Joe’s versus others who would contact me all excited and say, “I just talked to someone at customer service and they say that they are going to be here soon.” I got so many conflicting reports that I just stopped posting speculation based on conversations with TJ’s Corporate.
Check out this entry from NashVeggie from just a couple a weeks ago:
Trader Joe’s Not Trading Here
I can understand, I guess. They’re a pretty secretive corporation and they don’t want some Whole Foods flunky to be able to call and get an update. What that has taught me, however, is just to keep being persistent and not take no for answer.
In that vein, I’d like to announce that I will be switching the focus of this blog to bringing Trader Joe’s to EAST NASHVILLE. Now that they are establishing themselves in Nashville, it raises the likelihood of getting one in this neck of the woods (I never really thought we’d get the first one). They don’t usually just open one store and stop.
I suppose it’s likely that they’ll open in yet another suburban part of town first (interestingly my husband and I both independently came up with Hendersonville as a possibility given all the development happening there). But we’ll see. They took advantage of an opening at a great location in Green Hills (other than the parking) and I hope that the forthcoming availability of 5th and Main will provide that same incentive.
Thank you to everyone who signed the original petition. A new one for East Nashville will be up in the near future as will changes to this blog.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Come on East Nashville
So H.G. Hills located at 615 Gallatin Pike is closing in May and they claim not to have a tenant yet. There have been rumors of an Aldi's, but I haven't heard it in a confirmed sense.
This is a prime time to for those of you who want an East Nashville Trader Joe's to contact Trader Joe's and let them know that there is a great location ready for them to move in.
Yes, I know, they don't have a distribution network set up (from what I have heard all they need is a warehouse in Atlanta and a few more solid nearby vendors). Yes, I know that the area we lovingly refer to as the 'hood isn't their typical first step into a new market. Whatever. It doesn't hurt to try and to get as many of our voices heard as possible. The more folks they hear from, the more likely they will give it a look.
So, I know I've been gone awhile. Thanks to those that are still subscribed. I haven't abandoned this, but it has been back burner for a number of personal and work related reasons. Let's see if we can't get some more traction with this new development!
This is a prime time to for those of you who want an East Nashville Trader Joe's to contact Trader Joe's and let them know that there is a great location ready for them to move in.
Yes, I know, they don't have a distribution network set up (from what I have heard all they need is a warehouse in Atlanta and a few more solid nearby vendors). Yes, I know that the area we lovingly refer to as the 'hood isn't their typical first step into a new market. Whatever. It doesn't hurt to try and to get as many of our voices heard as possible. The more folks they hear from, the more likely they will give it a look.
So, I know I've been gone awhile. Thanks to those that are still subscribed. I haven't abandoned this, but it has been back burner for a number of personal and work related reasons. Let's see if we can't get some more traction with this new development!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
"It's like a courtship..."
"It's like a courtship," Roter said. "A smart company like Trader Joe's is not going to act impulsively. This is merely a process we're going to pursue over a period of time." That's what a fellow Trader Joe's fan who is trying to "woo" TJ's to Albany, New York through a letter writing campaign told the Business Review. I couldn't agree more.
I've been away from this project for a little while and dealing with more day to day stuff (and let's make it official that regular weekly posts are unlikely, although sometimes you can expect several in a week--look to the right and subscribe to my blog and then you won't miss a post!).
So when I did my standard "trader joe's nashville" google search last night to see what I've been missing, I was a little surprised by all the letters to the editor and comments in the Tennessean about feasibility. Everyone seems so certain of their position about the likelihood or lack thereof.
I suppose I am guilty of that, too. I am certain TJ's will open up shop here eventually. What I become less sure of is if I will care anymore by the time they decide to grace us with their presence. As I have reported here previously, other grocers are starting to wake up and recognize that they can do what TJ's does, too. While I am doubtful that these grocery retailers will do it with such panache, I do have to wonder if in 5 years or so we are going to have options that leave us somewhat underwhelmed when TJ's does finally come to town.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not abandoning the cause. I still think Trader Joe's is the best grocery shopping experience that I've ever had (allow me to reiterate that I have never been to a Wegman's, so you don't need to sing me those praises), but I do find myself wondering if I will always feel that way.
OK. So, this doesn't sound like the cheerleader post that I was aiming for originally. In that post, I wanted to convey that [1] no one expects things to change overnight; [2] we're going to keep pushing for a TJ's and hope that the effort will make them show up a bit faster than they would have otherwise; and [3] the only people who know for sure when or if TJ's is coming to town is TJ's and even then, you often get different information from different folks (although they have consistently said that we aren't in the 2 year plan, it becomes unclear after that with different reports from different corporate employees about whether we are in the 5 year plan).
But, I hope you'll recognize that this post is also meant to convey hope of another kind. There is a clamor in Nashville for the kind of shopping experience that Trader Joe's offers. Someone WILL answer that call. It's basic economics: supply and demand. So, please, if you haven't already demonstrated your demand for affordable, quality groceries in Nashville, please sign the Trader Joe's petition.
Based on the hits on this blog, I can guarantee you that they aren't the only grocery chain paying attention. And I mean, hey, if this is a courtship, maybe we will have to resort to a little hard-to-get action to get what we want. I didn’t just write that, did I?
I've been away from this project for a little while and dealing with more day to day stuff (and let's make it official that regular weekly posts are unlikely, although sometimes you can expect several in a week--look to the right and subscribe to my blog and then you won't miss a post!).
So when I did my standard "trader joe's nashville" google search last night to see what I've been missing, I was a little surprised by all the letters to the editor and comments in the Tennessean about feasibility. Everyone seems so certain of their position about the likelihood or lack thereof.
I suppose I am guilty of that, too. I am certain TJ's will open up shop here eventually. What I become less sure of is if I will care anymore by the time they decide to grace us with their presence. As I have reported here previously, other grocers are starting to wake up and recognize that they can do what TJ's does, too. While I am doubtful that these grocery retailers will do it with such panache, I do have to wonder if in 5 years or so we are going to have options that leave us somewhat underwhelmed when TJ's does finally come to town.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not abandoning the cause. I still think Trader Joe's is the best grocery shopping experience that I've ever had (allow me to reiterate that I have never been to a Wegman's, so you don't need to sing me those praises), but I do find myself wondering if I will always feel that way.
OK. So, this doesn't sound like the cheerleader post that I was aiming for originally. In that post, I wanted to convey that [1] no one expects things to change overnight; [2] we're going to keep pushing for a TJ's and hope that the effort will make them show up a bit faster than they would have otherwise; and [3] the only people who know for sure when or if TJ's is coming to town is TJ's and even then, you often get different information from different folks (although they have consistently said that we aren't in the 2 year plan, it becomes unclear after that with different reports from different corporate employees about whether we are in the 5 year plan).
But, I hope you'll recognize that this post is also meant to convey hope of another kind. There is a clamor in Nashville for the kind of shopping experience that Trader Joe's offers. Someone WILL answer that call. It's basic economics: supply and demand. So, please, if you haven't already demonstrated your demand for affordable, quality groceries in Nashville, please sign the Trader Joe's petition.
Based on the hits on this blog, I can guarantee you that they aren't the only grocery chain paying attention. And I mean, hey, if this is a courtship, maybe we will have to resort to a little hard-to-get action to get what we want. I didn’t just write that, did I?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Beat Austin? Check. What's the Next Move?
While I will feel a little more confident when the lead is more significant, WE DID IT. We have replaced Austin as the current online petition with the most signatures (as far as I can tell). So, what’s the next move? In the words of another TJ’s fan that contacted me last week, “Is there a great plan behind this?”
I don't have a grand plan, but I do have some ideas for next steps. I think we need to find some folks with commercial property for sale or lease that would be a good fit in terms of location and square footage and we need to get them involved in the process of “wooing” Trader Joe’s (that’s the company's language for it). Additionally, we need to make connections with individuals in the commercial real estate business to do some research on locations and demographics and contact the company with suggestions.
While I appreciate people throwing out potential locations, what we really need is for a few individuals to take action and contact the owner(s) of the locations that you think would be a good fit.
I also think that we need to use the petition to leverage local decision makers (elected officials, chamber of commerce, etc.) to reach out to Trader Joe's as well. If we can get some business folks and some politicians working on it, I think it will be a nice complement to the more grassroots people power approach.
Anyone want to join me in this phase? Send me an email. I’m not particularly connected when it comes to commercial real estate professionals or chamber folks. I could use your help!
Thanks, to everyone who helped us reach the small goal of beating Austin. With that success under our belt, let’s keep the ball rolling.
I don't have a grand plan, but I do have some ideas for next steps. I think we need to find some folks with commercial property for sale or lease that would be a good fit in terms of location and square footage and we need to get them involved in the process of “wooing” Trader Joe’s (that’s the company's language for it). Additionally, we need to make connections with individuals in the commercial real estate business to do some research on locations and demographics and contact the company with suggestions.
While I appreciate people throwing out potential locations, what we really need is for a few individuals to take action and contact the owner(s) of the locations that you think would be a good fit.
I also think that we need to use the petition to leverage local decision makers (elected officials, chamber of commerce, etc.) to reach out to Trader Joe's as well. If we can get some business folks and some politicians working on it, I think it will be a nice complement to the more grassroots people power approach.
Anyone want to join me in this phase? Send me an email. I’m not particularly connected when it comes to commercial real estate professionals or chamber folks. I could use your help!
Thanks, to everyone who helped us reach the small goal of beating Austin. With that success under our belt, let’s keep the ball rolling.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Publix creating their own version of Trader Joe's?
In the quickly changing world of organic / health food stores, it seems Publix, the largest conventional grocery retailer in the southeast, has decided to enter the fray. According to Business Week, Publix is opening a series of GreenWise stores with private label products and convenience foods, not unlike Trader Joe's.
Zac Bissonnette, over at BloggingStocks--a site I have been enjoying recently, notes the apparent similarity in approach, and suggests, "If Publix can come close to creating the Trader Joe's atmosphere, Whole Foods better look out."
A particularly entertaining quote in the Business Week article from a Mintel International Group market research analyst, Marcia Mogelonsky, appears to take a not so subtle jab at Whole Foods (commonly known as 'Whole Paycheck' to those unimpressed by their prices): "Prices really draw in consumers. Most consumers can't go out and spend their whole paycheck on natural products."
Publix appears to be testing the waters in Florida with one 39,000 square-foot store opening in Palm Beach Gardens and plans for at least 3 more in the works.
Whole Foods might not be the only one who should be worried. Might I suggest to Trader Joe's that you make your entrance into the Middle Tennessee market before GreenWise gets here? We're desperate for you now. We may not feel so forlorn if we have other options.
Zac Bissonnette, over at BloggingStocks--a site I have been enjoying recently, notes the apparent similarity in approach, and suggests, "If Publix can come close to creating the Trader Joe's atmosphere, Whole Foods better look out."
A particularly entertaining quote in the Business Week article from a Mintel International Group market research analyst, Marcia Mogelonsky, appears to take a not so subtle jab at Whole Foods (commonly known as 'Whole Paycheck' to those unimpressed by their prices): "Prices really draw in consumers. Most consumers can't go out and spend their whole paycheck on natural products."
Publix appears to be testing the waters in Florida with one 39,000 square-foot store opening in Palm Beach Gardens and plans for at least 3 more in the works.
Whole Foods might not be the only one who should be worried. Might I suggest to Trader Joe's that you make your entrance into the Middle Tennessee market before GreenWise gets here? We're desperate for you now. We may not feel so forlorn if we have other options.
Friday, September 28, 2007
We're in the Top 25 Petitions, again!
Our petition is in the top 25 petitions at Petitions Online, again!
Also, I don't know if it means anything, but I thought it was interesting that the blog had a visitor from Germany this morning. For those who don't know, Trader Joe's is owned by The Aldi Group, which is based in Germany.
Might be nothing, but it is fun to speculate.
Also, I don't know if it means anything, but I thought it was interesting that the blog had a visitor from Germany this morning. For those who don't know, Trader Joe's is owned by The Aldi Group, which is based in Germany.
Might be nothing, but it is fun to speculate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
