Trader Joe’s CFO Knows About Decatur, But…

Since no one seems to believe me when I say that the city has approached Trader Joe’s about a store in the past and that TJ’s said the numbers just don’t work, here’s a report from a resident who talked with TJ’s CFO last week.  Billy Planer writes in FFAF…

I was in Los Angeles last weekend and my friend introduced me to the CFO of Trader Joe’s. I told him I was from Decatur and he looked up and smiled and said “oh we have heard of Decatur. Your town is very persistent in contacting us about a location there”. He then went on to tell me it won’t be happening…the numbers just don’t work for them and he said that the midtown location is a really nice one but he wishes the roads near it were paved better and he was excited that we may go with Sunday alcohol sales.

 

136 thoughts on “Trader Joe’s CFO Knows About Decatur, But…”


    1. As I’ve heard it, they draw a radius around the store location and look at household income. Bottomline, the area isn’t wealthy enough to the east the south to “make the numbers work”.

      1. This seems likely to me. The locations I’m familiar with, Midtown, Buckhead and Norcross (The Forum) are in much higher income areas. However, I’m not sure why this would be such a factor. A lot of stuff at TJs is less expensive than at Kroger or Publix. I could see this being more of an issue for Whole Foods. Something tells me they look at other demographic characteristics besides income.

          1. Good point. Though I wonder how well the Buckhead location has done; though a high income area, it seems not to be a good match. The few times I’ve been there it was not that busy, especially compared to Midtown.

              1. Yeah, I pretty much stopped going there because of that awful parking lot. I do occasionally catch a movie there though, and the last time I tried taking MARTA and walking from Midtown. Not too bad, especially for a matinee when the weather is nice. But I doubt I’d try it with a sack of groceries from TJs in hand.

              3. Seriously. A few weeks ago, my family and I stood outside in the (light) rain after visiting the Buckhead TJs, waiting for the Peach Bus to come along. And I swear, no exaggeration, we agreed that it was still a more enjoyable experience than the last time we took our car to the Midtown location. I’ve sworn off that shopping center. Life is too short for parking lot stress.

                1. Horrible parking must be intentional on the company’s part. A man was run over and died in the insanity that is the Silver Lake TJ’s parking lot in Los Angeles.

            2. the buckhead one is always empty – I would go there more often but it’s even farther away than Midtown for me 🙁

  10. CIndy, it would seem like the people who run Trader Joe’s, who operate a very successful nation-wide business, probably do have some idea of what they are talking about.

  12. Forget Trader Joe’s. What we really need is Wegman’s. Reminded of this once again as I sit here in Amherst/Williamsville.

    3. Revenue-Negative Household (a.k.a., My unruly brood is here to clog your sidewalks and erode your tax base.) says:

      +1

      Important to note that the French pronounciation of Wegman’s [vesh-MON] is the most appropriate. See, e.g., Target [tar-ZHAY].

      1. It’s really a combination of the abundant selection and the quality of the goods. Basically everything one would need in a grocery store. Take the best features of Trader Joe’s, Whole Paycheck, Kroger, etc. and combine them – that is kind of the idea.

        Make a point to shop at one or at least check them out the next time you are up north. I think they are as far south as Baltimore now.

        And they are very good corporate citizens from what I gather. Well respected scholarship program for high school employees.

      1. Go Tigers!

        Though, maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned that. Now I’m gonna have to find some old yearbooks and see if Mr. DM will throw up a pic….

  14. I know that they don’t have Chili-Lime Cashews or frozen Masala Dosas, but the Oakhurst Market is pretty rockin’. Seems like a good substitute if we can’t have TJ’s.

  16. I have heard that the redevelopment of the old Varsity Jr (plus the gas station, dry cleaners, Bliss nightclub and the car shop) on Lindbergh will contain a Trader Joes, Walgreens and Starbucks. Now, with that said, I’m not sure why they’d put one there with the proximity to the midtown store…unless their plan was to get out of that Midtown Promenade shopping center.

    1. I’ve heard about the Walgreens and Starbucks going there, but not Trader Joe’s. I can’t see how there could possibly be enough parking for all three.

  18. It’s kind of weird how so many Decatur folks openly beg for a national corporate chain to come in. Me, I prefer a local entrepreneur who knows the community to start up a venture that can accomodate and adapt to what we are.

    1. You know, Trader Joe’s owner was once a local entrepreneur just trying to make a living. How many stores before we should stop supporting them?

      1. Speaking as a downtown resident, I would not trade the mini-Kroger for a Trader Joes, even if that were possible. It’s quality isn’t enough of an upgrade to make up for Kroger’s superior practicality. Most of TJ”s stuff is just prepackaged processed food that is little different than what Kroger and Publix sell.

        3. +1

          I go to Trader Joe’s about once every 2 months when I happen to be in the area and pick up some of their special items. I walk to the Baby Kroger about twice a week to pick up odds and ends, and the occasional movie.

        4. Ugh. I hate Kroger. Are you talking about the Kroger behind the Methodist Church? For the love, that place is miserable and so expensive. It is so crowded that I can feel my heart race as soon as I walk in. I am a Publix girl. I would love love love a Publix somewhere between downtown Decatur and Belvedere Park. Publix always seems more airy and cheerful to me compared to Kroger. I’d take a TJ but not over a Publix.

          1. Kind of out of your way, but the Publix at East Lake (near Glenwood/2nd Ave) is great. Clean and well managed (although they don’t carry Decatur trash bags).

        5. I stll miss Harris-Teeter . . . Especially the bigger, 2 story one.

          And I remember when there was an A and P where little Kroger is now . . .

        1. Worth noting that there isn’t really a Joe behind the company anymore. It’s owned by a German conglomerate that owns the Aldi stores. We do have one of those on our side of town, although the two stores are very different.
          If it were up to me, I’d prefer Wegman’s over TJ’s.

          1. I’ve mentioned this on here before, but Aldi carries a wine that has an uncanny similarity to Charles Shaw blend.

          2. The main difference is who’s targeted — Aldi is blue collar, older; TJ is white collar, younger. A lot of the food is the same, just repackaged for the upmarket at TJ and priced accordingly.

          3. There’s an Aldi’s on Memorial Drive just East of Columbia. But WalMart dominates the neighborhood.

          4. Not to get to nit-picky, but Aldi and TJ’s are owned by two different branches of the same German family. So, they are actually separate corporations, even if they are run by cousins.

  20. Ah, I see I’ve set off your political disagreement detector. The one that fires when people use “corporation” in anything other than glowing terms. Down boy.

    I’m not here for an argument. I was merely commenting on the contradiction between one of Decatur’s seeming identities – a great market for independently owned businesses – with this constant clamor for a national chain.

    Change “Trader Joe’s” to “Wal-Mart” or “Dollar General” and see which way the conversation goes.

    I should also fess up, I was also making a quiet plug for the Oakhurst Market.

    1. Indeed. Decaturites are as susceptible to branding as the next resident a town over.

      But I’m not sure that “local” is the only gauge that a Decatur resident should (or do) use to determine the benefactors of monetary support. Local is very important to me, but living truly local is virtually impossible. (Production of goods – not food – is another one we rarely talk about.) TJ’s provides organic products at a lower price than WFM and employees seem generally happier than the other stores you mention (though I’ve regretted making that observation in the past). Those are two factors that also matter to me, if I’m weighing my comfort-level with the big boxes.

      1. 100% agree with all of this. trader joe’s gives me what whole foods does at a fraction of the cost. i still go to Kroger and Publix and Rainbow Foods (which is right next to me), but TJ’s is my main grocery and has been for years. wild alaskan salmon fillets for $9/lb? amazing. too bad it basically thaws as I drive back to Decatur, buuuuuuut ….

      2. That’s interesting. I am a very careful produce shopper and sadly, I’ve always been disappointed with what TJ has to offer. Neither the selection nor the prices, even for organic items, have ever impressed me.

    2. I’m assuming you were responding to me. Not sure why you think this is political for me. It’s not. I just like observing support for businesses (think Starbucks) because they are fresh, new and locally owned and we want to support them. But the moment that support creates success and they start expanding, we are then encouraged not to support them any more. I’m not looking for an argument either and I am not really making a point, just an observation.

    1. Really, Bullseye? I’m hoping that you had to pull your tongue out of your cheek after you wrote that.

  24. Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I probably wouldn’t make a bi-weekly or even weekly trip to Trader Joes. They have lots of cool gourmet stuff to spice things up, and “get you by” items, but that’s about it. Their prepackaged fare is better than WF, but I still wouldn’t frequent it for that reason alone.

    I honestly don’t understand such a clamoring for one. It would be nice if it happened, but I can’t believe it’s that big of a deal for many folks around here. The one in Midtown is only about 7 or miles, if that.

    2. sadly 7 miles = 20 mins in Atlanta, and that’s a long time to be carrying frozen and refrigerated items in a boiling hot car on a summer’s afternoon. it would be nice to have it closer, also for quick runs!

      1. My only concern with having easy access to somewhere like Les 5 Saisons is that my weight gain alone would likely disqualify Decatur from any future physical fitness awards/titles.

  28. I’m not a TJ fan either and can’t understand the fuss. I would, however, like to start a concerted whine for a Fresh Market…

    1. It’s worth a try. They just might be into opening new locations. Rumor has it they recently scouted Athens…

  32. The company that owns Trader Joe’s also owns Aldi. They put Aldi stores in low-income areas where you won’t see a Trader Joe’s. If they draw a 5 mile circle around a Trader’s location, chances are you won’t find an Aldi.

    There’s an Aldi on Memorial Drive west of Columbia, across from Belvedere Plaza.

    Also, they don’t like locations where there’s tremendous parking. Makes it look like the store’s not popular even if it is. Too much parking at Six Points.

    Maybe if the Publix at North Decatur and Clairmont closed they’d take another look…

  34. “Maybe if the Publix at North Decatur and Clairmont closed they’d take another look…”

    In my view (and I suspect many others’), that would be a downgrade.

  36. Agreed!

    I love that Publix and shop there multiple times per week. Plus they are such great supporters of CSD!

  38. Who needs Trader Joe’s overprocessed, loaded-with-sodium-and-fat prepared foods? I’m glad to have two farmers’ markets and a decent Publix in the neighborhood.

    3. yep. completely agree! TJ’s is not a bargain when the majority of their offerings are processed packaged foods that are unhealthy anyway…. i’ve found that the kroger on dekalb industrial has a good selection of natural products and they advertise a TON of sales!

      the reality is, there is no 1 grocery store stop. it doesn’t exist (at least for me) and the only way TJ’s is coming is if Whole Foods does, and that’s not gonna happen, at least it’s not for a very long time.

  40. Being a typical American who has not yet adjusted to the realignment of our nation’s financial situation, I want them all:
    – Trader Joe’s because the midtown version is not on any of my habitual routes except the occasional visit to the Landmark Midtown
    – The CSD-friendly Emory Commons Publix
    – The Little Kroger with its friendly staff and convenient location
    – Big Kroger which has the best prices for our boring staples
    – YDFM especially for ethnic/specialty items and flowers
    – Oakhurst Market and Sawicki’s for great meats and last minute prepared items and pastries
    – Any of those other stores folks mentioned sound good too!

    I still miss Metro Market. I want Alon’s too. But only if Cakes and Ale’s pastry counter stays. I want it all!

    1. I was wondering when someone would get around to mentioning YDFM. That IS my grocery store and where I shop every week–if they don’t sell it there, I don’t buy it, with few exceptions (saltine crackers and tonic). The selection is a tourist attraction and the prices are better than anywhere else. If you want to spend, you can buy pints of fresh-squeezed lime juice and lemon juice and quarts of fresh-squeezed orange, grapefruit and carrot juice! After shopping at YDFM, I find it rather repugnant to go into Kroger, see one skinny aisle of produce and inhale the scent of laundry detergent. That I buy at Target on my once-a-quarter trip.

      1. True that Target is the only place that sells the huge several gallon size of Tide HE plus Febreeze, critical for the smell of certain bedrooms and athletic shoes in our house. You can find it in the expensive ~64 ounce size at local groceries but only Target seems to have it in volume, which is what is needed in this smelly house.

  42. YDFM about 1-3x month; Publix once a week or so; Costco every 2-3 months; Trader Joe’s when I’m near one and it’s convenient but nothing there I can’t do without until then.

    Great Costco purchase a year or two ago (about $6): package containing a huge “shopping bag” that sits in the car trunk plus two somewhat smaller insulated ones which make it feasible to buy cold and frozen food even when not going directly home or when traipsing all the way back from Midtown or Brookhaven.

    1. I am honestly curious about how you approach shopping in Publix. I like Publix stores, but I’ve never been able to figure out a strategy to make it work for me. It seems like all the prices are higher than Kroger, but maybe I’m just not their kind of shopper. (I buy mostly basics, and I don’t shop the meat/seafood/deli depts.) Is it more a decision to part with a bit more cash in exchange for a nicer experience, or have you finetuned it so that you know when to buy what?

      (Keeping my soft sided coolers in the car is the only way to roll! :0)

      1. Although I’m definitely budget-driven, I’ve never compared prices at P and K item by item. People say K is cheaper, and maybe it is but I can’t believe it’s by much, and I don’t quite believe that it’s cheaper across the board. I often buy the Publix store brand; and buy when things are on special (usually only feeding myself, so can get away with occasionally winding up with weird conglomeration of things on hand). Maybe I’m fooling myself about the prices because I had rather shop at Publix. I find Publix stores consistently clean and well run, but I have always seen (and still see) a lot of variability in the quality of different Kroger stores. (Lived here and there in B’head for many years — DESPISED the Disco Kroger even though it was very convenient, thought the Ansley Kroger was the best store I ever shopped in.) I stopped buying dry staples — flour, meal, rice, etc. — at Kroger many years ago, after getting bugs in the pantry about 3x over a few years (at different apartments), all definitely traceable to Kroger (different stores–I think they have chronic warehouse issues.) In the past year or two I’ve also bought sour milk at Kroger; and milk that appeared to be sealed but leaked in the sack on the way home; and produce that was buggy (Edgewood, before they renovated their produce dept). And a quart of yogurt which, under the plastic lid, had broken foil and what looked like axle grease in it (warehouse accident, I figured). I have a really low tolerance for schlepping back to the grocery store with something like that. Can’t remember such things ever happening with Publix.

        What I really can’t believe is that I’ve run on like this about grocery shopping!

          1. See, this is what happens when we don’t have enough Contentious Issues to discuss. And I hesitate to say it, but are we missing the September break vacationers? Where’s Nellie?

        2. Bah, I read the whole thing too, but only because I’m a completely anal retentive comparison shopper and my head started spinning when you said you can’t believe that Kroger is cheaper by much. I’m not saying that I actually make a weekly spread sheet of the prices at Kroger, Publix and Walmart but I *may* have done that once or twice in the past. Basic strategy is to check out the Publix circular on Thursday for any good specials. I get the things we need that are a good deal and buy the rest of the staples at Kroger, mostly store brand and any good sale items. NEVER had the bug problem, almost always shop at the Toco Hills store (sadly, yes, there is a wider variation in Kroger store quality than in Publix stores). Of course, almost all of our fruits and vegetables come from the farmer’s market (YDFM or, when I’m up that way for work, Buford Highway Farmers Market, which simply rocks). The produce at both Publix and Kroger just is not as good and does not last as long.

          Now, for you marketing folks, WTF is up with BOGO and 10-for-10? Why can’t you just advertise $1 each or Half-Price when it’s the same thing? Is it just to get stupid people to think they actually have to buy two of each item (or ten!)???

          1. Just realized that I never see circulars from the supermarkets — because I don’t take the AJC? Is that where they come from? Maybe that’s why I haven’t internalized price diff’s between Kroger and Publix. Even before middle-aged feeble-mindedness began to set in, I could never keep track of what I paid for particular items at particular stores. Or maybe they’re in the Dekalb Neighbor (that I never even bring indoors, just toss straight into the recycle bin)?

            1. I guess I should have said “e-circulars”. You can get ’em online. Or each store has a physical paper right when you walk in by the front entrance. But much easier to make my spread sheets from the online version 😉

              1. J_T- I just love you more and more! I’ve not made a spreadsheet, but all I have to do is enter the grocery store, and I turn into the Raymond Babbitt of price comparisons! :0)

                1. So do you buy your underwear at Kmart? 400 Oak Street in Cincinnati… Yeah, uh oh fart…

                  {Sorry, you’ll either understand or think I’ve completely lost it}

                  Uh oh, ten minutes to Wapner!

                  1. I definitely need to rewatch the movie! (But my mind’s going: Underwear at Kmart, Walmart, Target, Big Lots, Family Dollar, anywhere you can buy them to stretch out having to do laundry…!) Just like Raymond, I sure loved me some Judge Wapner! :0)

                  2. I watched Rain Man in England when it first came out- I was the only one in the whole theater to bust out laughing from the K-Mart Sucks line. Makes me wonder what hilarity I’m missing in classic british comedies!

          2. Ok, this reveals either my IQ and/or gullibility level, but I have always wondered if you really have to buy two to get the two for one price. I think the BOGO promo borders on deceptive. On my “straight and narrow” days, the days when I put money in the parking meters on Saturday, I buy two. On other days, I buy one but forget to check which price I got.

            So it’s confirmed that you can buy one and still get the BOGO price? Naive no more….

              1. Ok, now I feel better. I’m pretty sure that BOGOF really meant you have to buy in multiples of two in other states in which I have lived in the past, cannot tell you which ones. Not sure I’ve suffered much in GA for fastidiously buying two items for BOGOF prices since usually, if I’m going to be swayed by a BOGOF, it’s usually something I could use in quantity. On the other hand, I do have more peppercorns than one family can ever use in a millennium. If disaster strikes and we are all isolated here in Decatur without services or supplies, we’re the go-to house for peppercorns.

        3. Hi Grocery Clubbers! :0)

          I rarely buy flour or meal, but I’ll take smalltowngal’s advice to shop someplace other than Kroger if the baking mood strikes! I mostly buy store brands, and it seems like every can or box I pick up at Publix is a dime or more over what I’d pay at Kroger or Aldi. Could be, though, if you’re doing overall shopping there or using coupons on brand names, that it balances out moneywise. I split time between Big Kroger and Baby Kroger, and I really appreciate the store brand coupons they send, plus the gas station deal… I sure wish they’d ratchet up standards at the Belvedere Kroger because it’d fit perfectly with my other fav shopping stops. I’ve not had a “bad” visit, but I won’t buy dairy or frozen stuff there. I always think I might get a “go back” that was left sitting out at the checkout area all day. ( I have very fond memories of Disco Kroger, but maybe that’s owed more to the man who was doing the cooking then! :0)

          BOGOs and 10 for $10 promos irk, but 10 for $10 is ESPECIALLY irritating!

          1. For me, it’s the mailed coupons that put Kroger over the top in terms of savings. I’ve gone away from clipping the newspaper coupons, but I use the ones Kroger mails and the digital ones on the Kroger app–that’s pretty much all the effort I’m willing to put into it lately. Something I find amusing about myself is that I will generally not buy grocery items that aren’t on sale, yet I will drop twenty bucks in a pub on 3 or 4 beers and not think twice about it. Ah, the irrationality…

            1. Kroger seems to have duplicated or triplicated me on their coupon list and I get tons of useful coupons. I enjoy Publix much more but Colgate toothpaste is Colgate toothpaste wherever I shop and I cannot resist the $1.00 to $2.00 savings per item that I often get at Big Kroger, not to mention the cheap gas when I use my Kroger Plus card. I commonly cash in around $25 worth of coupons per visit and even get some items for free. (Having voracious eaters in my family means that all items are eaten; otherwise the coupons would not be so useful). I view the Big Kroger as the place to go for boring staples where the quality is the same no matter where I shop- e.g. toothpaste, Cheerios, butter, sugar, regular flour, milk, eggs, bananas, cheap snacks, Gatorade for the student athletes, Diet Coke, other common brands. Not so much the place for fresh food, meats, or gourmet items. (However, there ARE some nice items in the international food dry goods section, e.g. spaetzle, British biscuits, Italian pasta.

              1. At Home in Decatur (our dear sweet commenter who couldn’t post while on vacation because she’s so honest and she wasn’t home in Decatur!:0) –

                If I were a grocer, I’d “accidentally” give you a gazillion coupons too– especially for CSD box top items! Oh, how it makes me smile to think of you bopping merrily up & down the aisles, coming up with creatively yummy meals for your lucky family! :0)

                1. Re posting: I never thought about this downside to my moniker. All the more reason for anonymity, Otherwise, if I’m honest and post as “Not At Home in Decatur Because of #$%#@ Balanced Calendar”, I’m practically asking for our house/car to be burglarized. I use the police home-check service of course but they cannot stay 24/7 at my home, while I am not.

                  Well, given that I don’t change anything–husbands, cars, residences, opinions, preferred grocery stores–quickly, I have another year or two to think up another name that I like.

                  1. Also, I relate more to the figurative sense of “At Home….” as in I feel comfortable here and have no intention of living anywhere else soon. It doesn’t mean that I am literally “at home” all the time although I have to admit that I venture OCD, Outside of City of Decatur, less and less.

                  2. … or you could one day decide: “Gosh darn it! I’m karass– here, there, everywhere!” (And as you’ll always be in our hearts! :0)

            2. Brianc- When you think about it, it’s pretty funny that the good times pub folks pretty much have firm prices, while the serious big business grocers have turned shopping into a huge game where it pays to wait!

        1. Brianc- That’s a good point about the BOGO’s. I tend to forget about those since Publix stopped sending mailers. They were always good about doing Morningstar and Bocca promos. I’ll have to start checking out their website weekly.

          (One thing I looooove about the Emory Publix is the Brach’s Candies stand! I always have my change ready for my shopping reward! :0)

          1. Morningstar breakfast sausages are one thing I’ve found are consistently less expensive at TJ (comparing reg price there to reg price at Publix, not counting coupons or specials). And Costco has a good deal on Boca burgers (although it’s a commitment on freezer space for a the giant box).

  44. Count your blessings, Decatur. You’ve got some decent, honest-to-giggly grocery options to choose from. We live in the heart of downtown Atlanta and have a grand total of squat. The Sweet Auburn Curb Market is a wonderful place for what it is. But a true grocery store it isn’t.

    Though I’ve read a small store is opening in Castleberry Hill soon, so we’ll see.

  46. I still think TJ”s is missing something by not exploring this area. I think a location that would capture the Emory/Oak Grove and Decatur area would be booming. I go often (perhaps a little more than 1x per month) to TJ’s. If they were closer I would go more. I like their prices on milk, eggs, yogurt, juice, cheese, meats. I like their pasta, sauces, canned beans, oil, wine. Bread, tortillas, frozen fruit. Nuts, dried fruits, vitamins, soap. All of those are basics before you get to the delicious prepared options that are much healthier and cheaper – when it comes to packaged foods – than other places. Also cereal, bars, ice cream. All in a smallish and easy to navigate store. I can’t live without YDFM for produce though. I almost never go to Kroger and Publix as YDFM and TJ’s do it for almost everything. Tjs You are missing something here….

  48. This story is like the angry library lady…it just won’t go away.

    Now that we all know Trader Joe’s is not coming to Decatur, can we just let it go? Please?

    Let’s talk about bike sharrows or something.

  50. Trader Joes can go to hell. It is OK, but nothing great. Mostly packaged and frozen foods. Just not the way I cook.

    What Decatur really needs is something like a little more upscale version of the Sweet Auburn Market. Just imagine – the center of the market could be your independent produce and meat/fish vendors, surrounded by little cafes and restaurants like the Grindhouse, Bell Street Burritos, etc., maybe one or two full service restaurants.

    Sort of like a European style city market. Maybe it’s a pipe dream, but I think it would be something Decatur could really embrace.

    1. Gee, other stores might not want to be part of your fancy little marketplace if you’re gonna go around telling businesses to go to hell.

        2. ??? You’re the one wanting an upscale version of the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. I think we’re very fortunate to already have local businesses that cover your wish list! Are they any less special because they’re not in one location? Why not do your shopping European style — get yourself a bike with a basket, and head on out! (Just avoid the streets with the bad sensors. )

    2. “Trader Joes can go to hell” LMAO!

      I think it’s so funny to me because it’s a very strong statement about something so mundane.

      Sorta like…

      “Those acorns can go to hell.”
      “That whole wheat bread can go to hell.”
      “That sharrow can go to hell.”
      “That tree can go to hell.”

      I could go on and on…

      2. If TJ’s wants to come to Decatur fine. But they aren’t so I’m just saying “fine” we can do better than you anyway. We have better than you already!

  54. I am a regular coupon-user. I shop at the big Kroger and the Emory Publix. Publix prices are higher, but with the buy one get one free deals + coupons, you get a better deal. Kroger has good deals too. They always have marked down meats that I pop in the freezer for later. The staff at Publix is awesome (any Publix for that matter). Kroger staff is usually lukewarm. Yes, I am the one you roll your eyes at in the check out lane, just because you have to wait an extra minute or two for the cashier to scan my coupons. But I save about $400 monthly on my grocery bill. Kroger also has gas discounts if you are a frequent shopper. When I filled my tank last week, I paid $2.79 a gallon for 16 gallons.

  56. After reading many (not all) the comments here, it sounds like we’ll have to find some investors and put together our own store for Decatur. It would be a big job, but not impossible. If a store like that were up and running, TJ’s would definitely see a drop in their numbers and maybe THEN they would finally GET IT.

  58. Look at this from another perspective: areas to the south and east simply aren’t practical for most national retailers. In recent years, both Best Buy and SuperTarget left the area to our east on the DeKalb/Gwinnett border (prior to that the area lost Cub Foods when they left the market, and no other retailer saw the need to fill that space). To find the current versions of those (and similar) retailers, you’ve gotta head much deeper into Gwinnett. Look south, and, well…you’ll be looking a LONG time to find these retailers. Decatur is on the edge of the type of community that supports these stores. It simply makes poor economic sense to open anything other than a micro version of big-boxes, and the only retailer that has an established format for smaller stores is the one no one wants: Walmart. The beauty of living in Decatur is that we have small-town advantages in close proximity to “the city.” If we were primarily interested in this type of retail, we’d live elsewhere.

    1. If nobody wants Walmart, why is their parking lot always full and their check-out lines always long?

  60. TJs food gets really old after a while… Not that I wouldn’t like to have one in Decatur — but still … I would rather have a better “real” Farmers’ Market and a culture to support it.

  62. Decatur has the demographic for TJs, but the market is already saturated with Kroger, Publix, YDFM, and the neighborhood (micro) markets.

    I agree with everyone else’s observation that TJs has far too much pre-packaged, processed foods loaded with sodium, fat, and sugar. So, I stick to:

    Whole-bean “bird” coffee
    Cereal
    $2 OJ
    Milk
    Natural Peanut Butter
    Salt-free potato chips
    Store-brand beer
    Wine

    …which are on the edges of the store. I try to avoid the salty, fatty, sugary middle.

    1. I’ve posted these items before but we find the following at TJ’s indispensable:
      – Frozen white and brown rice
      – Frozen gyozas and dumplings
      – Frozen TJ brand pizzas
      – Frozen nan bread of several varieties

      We enjoy a lot of other items too but only buy them when the freezer runs out of the above items. So if TJs was in town, we’d probably spend a bunch there regularly compared to our sporadic shopping forays over there now. I agree with sfmaster that TJ’s may be miscalculating by not considering a site in Decatur more strongly. City of Decatur doesn’t follow usual demographic patterns–hence the miscalculations of CSD enrollment when generic methods were used instead of a direct investigation of city households. But as I’ve mentioned many times I am no entrepreneur…

      Of note, Consumer Reports ranks TJ’s brownie mix as the best around. Personally, I like Girardhelli’s better but TJ’s is good too.

      1. “City of Decatur doesn’t follow usual demographic patterns–hence the miscalculations of CSD enrollment…”

        You’re conflating disparate things…The city limit is of little (or no) significance when a retailer is evaluating the market potential of a site. (Except with respect to sales tax issues, I guess.) So it’s a different kind of thing than projecting school enrollments.

        Generally speaking, I think the Exceptionalist view of Decatur reflects a degree of bubble-dwelling which, as Geoff points out below, fails to recognize substantial segments of the community. A case could be made that we are as close to being a Dollar General town — they took a close look but didn’t quite commit — as we are to being a Trader Joe town.

        1. That’s why I qualified my statements. My gut instinct is that TJ’s would do well in Decatur just like Alon’s does well in Virginia Highlands. But there’s a whole lot of businesses that have gone under in Decatur that I just loved and thought were a perfect fit for Decatur. So what do I know? I wouldn’t invest a cent based on my gut instincts. I wish that TJs and Dollar General could co-exist near me. Yesterday, I went to Family Dollar at Suburban Plaza for a big package of generic safety pins which were only sold in small, expensive amounts, “quilters” size, in Intown Ace and CVS. But, the day before, I bought expensive but delicious spagetti sauce at the Decatur Farmer’s Market. As someone who remembers life before the great economic crash of the late 2000s, I wish we could have it all.

    2. David – how could you have missed the point? Decatur doesn’t have the demographics for TJ. Clearly there are large swaths of our community that you are ignoring. We are dangerously close to having to dredge up the Dollar General discussion again.

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