Trader Joe's

[TheTed]

I've always heard that Trader Joe's will never come to Oklahoma because of the inability to sell alcohol.

Now I see KC is getting two TJ's. One on the Missouri side, which will sell booze. But the other is on the Kansas side, and alcohol will not be sold, as Kansas' alcohol laws are nearly as craptastic as ours.

The freestanding, 12,000-square-foot Leawood store at 4201 W. 119th St. will not sell alcohol. According to the Kansas Alcohol Beverage Control, Kansas grocery stores can only sell cereal malt beverages (3.2 percent alcohol).

http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/8330

Very interesting. Anybody think we've got a chance to get one?

[azbadpuppy]

I've always heard that Trader Joe's will never come to Oklahoma because of the inability to sell alcohol.

That's not true. New York and Connecticut both have Trader Joe's that are unable to sell wine due to state laws. The New York Union Square location opened an adjoining 'wine shop' to circumvent the law- and they deliver!

[azbadpuppy]

It is also interesting to note that there are no Trader Joe's in Texas either. So I guess we can cross off demographics as a valid reason....Texas (as well as Oklahoma) certainly has many areas that would fit theirs.

I think it's more of a distribution issue, but since TJ's is notoriously secretive, we may never know.

[TheTed]

That's not true. New York and Connecticut both have Trader Joe's that are unable to sell wine due to state laws. The New York Union Square location opened an adjoining 'wine shop' to circumvent the law- and they deliver!

I don't myself know. I just know that's been the reason cited by many people on this board and elsewhere.

If distribution is the issue, the fact that the closest stores will now be 250 miles away instead of 400 can't hurt our cause.

Does TJ's share distribution centers with Aldi?

[dioscorides]

Trader Joe's pop-up shop to open in Tulsa for one day

By NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Published: 1/30/2013  3:25 PM
Last Modified: 1/30/2013  3:25 PM

http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=371&articleid=20130130_371_0_Tulsas320096

Tulsa's Young Professionals have launched a pop-up shop in an effort to bring the high-end grocery store, Trader Joe's, to the area.

The undertaking is part of a "Bring it to Tulsa" a grassroots initiative to attract businesses to the city. The TYPros Business Development Crew developed the idea, said Hillary Parkhurst, TYPros 2013 chairperson.

The closest Trader Joe's is in Kansas City and that's where the TYPros members are going to pick up the products that people order online, she said.

Tulsa area customers can order select items at tulsaworld.com/bringittotulsa from now until noon Feb. 8. Customers must be prepared to pick up the items at GitWit Creative, 11 E. Brady St. between 4 and 8 p.m. Feb. 16.

"They will be arranged like a small grocery store so it will be really easy to locate them and pick them up," Parkhurst said.

A $5 handling fee will be added to orders over $10, which will cover the costs of renting a truck and transporting the goods back to Tulsa, Parkhurst said.

The TYPros members voted for Trader Joe's to be the first business targeted as part of the "Bring it to Tulsa," campaign. Other business, such as Crate and Barrel, H & M, and Urban Outfitters, have also been considered, she said.

While Trader Joe's is aware of the effort, they are not working with TYPros to create the shop, Parkhurst said.

"They know that we are coming and they will be helping to load the truck but that is their only involvement," Parkhurst said.

"We know that the outcome of this doesn't mean that they will be coming to Tulsa, but we are all about planning and growing, so this project is really about educating the community on different barriers that we have in our state."

For example, Oklahoma liquor laws have been cited as one of the reasons that certain businesses that sell wine and beer, such as Trader Joe's, have chosen to expand into other states that do not have the same restrictions.

"We want to find creative ways to break through those barriers and show national retailers what Tulsa has to offer," Parkhurst said.

She said that many cities like Tulsa have a Facebook campaign to bring Trader Joe's to their area.

However, "We wanted to do something more than just click a 'like' button," Parkhurst said.

For more information, call TYPros at 918-560-0260 or email info@typros.org.
By NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer

Copyright 2013 World Publishing Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Conan71]

But can you order Two Buck Chuck on this pop up?

[dioscorides]

But can you order Two Buck Chuck on this pop up?

it would be awesome if you could.

[DolfanBob]

Probably not. Something about that Interstate Commerce thingy. 

[TheArtist]

  What I would like to see them do is something like this for a local business as well.  Help build awareness locally of a fun, hip, budding new local business that could one day branch out to say... Kansas City.   Great to try and bring a new store to Tulsa, but it would also be great to support the local business that other cities might one day be begging to have in their market.   

[Red Arrow]

Help build awareness locally of a fun, hip, budding new local business that could one day branch out to say... Kansas City.

Have one in mind? 

[Conan71]

  What I would like to see them do is something like this for a local business as well.  Help build awareness locally of a fun, hip, budding new local business that could one day branch out to say... Kansas City.   Great to try and bring a new store to Tulsa, but it would also be great to support the local business that other cities might one day be begging to have in their market.   

This is an offshoot of our Chamber we are talking about here... I'm not sure such intelligence exists within that ivory tower those walls.

[Conan71]

it would be awesome if you could.

Apparently, I'm not the only one here who likes some TBC every now and then.

[rdj]

  What I would like to see them do is something like this for a local business as well.  Help build awareness locally of a fun, hip, budding new local business that could one day branch out to say... Kansas City.   Great to try and bring a new store to Tulsa, but it would also be great to support the local business that other cities might one day be begging to have in their market.   

I'm not a huge fan of this Trader Joe's idea.

However, I will say they have supported a lot of local business over the years.  Their monthly happy hours are always at a locally owned restaurant and at least half are downtown.

They also did a really cool pop up weekend at The Pearl year and Red Fork this weekend.  I believe it is called Street Cred.

[Red Arrow]

I'm not a huge fan of this Trader Joe's idea.

However, I will say they have supported a lot of local business over the years.  Their monthly happy hours are always at a locally owned restaurant and at least half are downtown.

They also did a really cool pop up weekend at The Pearl year and Red Fork this weekend.  I believe it is called Street Cred.

"They" being TYPROs or Trader Joe's?

[zstyles]

I am on the fence about this, honestly I can say my life will go on without a trader joes anywhere in Oklahoma, I would never order something to have it shipped in, while this is a "cool" idea I wish them luck but it just seems a little cheesy