How to Get a Trader Joe’s Store in Your Neighborhood

If you’re holding out hope for a new Trader Joe’s location to open in your neighborhood, you’re in luck. Well, sort of. On the latest episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, co-hosts Matt Sloan and Tara Miller shared some interesting insight into the factors that determine where and when new Trader Joe’s locations will open across the country, and it’s not as straightforward as you might think.

As Sloan noted, deciding on new TJ’s locations really comes down to one thing—shoppers. “We want and love customers, and we need lots of people to be customers in any of our stores. So I’d say, first and foremost, we’re looking where people are,” he explained. A few other factors to consider include how close a new location might be to other Trader Joe’s stores in the area, if a certain area is so densely populated that it warrants an additional outpost, and how far customers may (or may not) be willing to travel for their TJ’s fix. 

According to Miller, even though Trader Joe’s is a company that has been in business for nearly 60 years, it’s still a growing brand. As she pointed out, “We are growing at a pretty good rate right now—adding more and more stores.”

Still, Sloan clarified that the decision to open any additional stores isn’t one that the company takes lightly. “We’re looking at things that are opportunities for us to make that neighborhood store a great Trader Joe’s for that area. And that ends up being tricky,” he said. “And it can sometimes take time, and especially when that bumps up against what we hear from so many people, how much they’d like to have a store closer to them.”

Sadly, if you’re betting on a viral TikTok or Instagram Reel to bring Trader Joe’s to your city or town, think again. “While we love the energy and enthusiasm often expressed in any of those various social media campaigns, they really … don’t have much, if any, impact on what we end up deciding,” Sloan declared, later reiterating that opening a new store is more about access and the number of people living in a specific area. 

Given Trader Joe’s obvious popularity, it may seem like a no-brainer to open more stores across the country, but Sloan noted that the company prefers to be mindful about choosing new store sites, embracing what he referred to as “controlled growth.” He explained: “With so much stuff going on, we have to be in control. We have to grow in a way that fits our business model. And so we’re going to really only be able to grow when we have places and people ready—people by way of crew and even people by way of customers.”

Unfortunately, this approach means that two states won’t see any Trader Joe’s locations anytime soon: Alaska and Hawaii. As Sloan clarified, the company’s focus is still on “those 48 contiguous states.”

But never say never! Miller shared that patience is key when waiting for a new Trader Joe’s location to sprout up, no matter where you live. “We’d like to be in neighborhoods all around the country, but it takes time,” she concluded. “We’re not gonna rush it, because rushing it would result in stores that don’t live up to our expectations or, quite honestly, to our customers’ expectations.”