For those awaiting West Seattle Trader Joe’s: Tiny milestone

If you’re not among the Trader Joe’s fan base … just skip right over this one. Nothing earthshaking, but it’s a semi-goofy little Friday night tidbit:

Every so often – despite the ongoing construction (which we updated here the day after Christmas) – someone e-mails us to ask, with skepticism, “Well, how come Trader Joe’s doesn’t list West Seattle on its page of ‘coming soon’ stores?” We always reply by explaining that we have watched their website a LONG time while covering all this, and TJ’s doesn’t seem to add future stores to the list till they’re almost ready to open. Having said that, we checked their website tonight for the first time in a week or so and noticed West Seattle is finally on the list:

So for anyone STILL skeptical, there you go. (If you missed our recent update, the opening is currently projected for early spring.)

Bonnie January 6, 2012 (9:17 pm)

Finally!

Sophia January 6, 2012 (9:50 pm)

Btw, the burien store has listed/shown west seattle as coming soon for a while on their list of seattle locations on the wall behind the registers.

WSB January 6, 2012 (9:55 pm)

Yes, that I know, we go there sometimes (and it’s always been amusing that Fauntleroy is one of the neighborhood names over the checkstands there), but the corporate website’s list has been something people have just kept asking about :) so I started to watch it months ago just for curiosity’s sake, even though it’s been a year and a half since the company officially announced they’d signed a lease (and we talked to the site’s owner Steve Huling immediately afterward for extra-double confirmation) … TR

Brontosaurus January 6, 2012 (10:49 pm)

I chatted with a cashier about it at the Burien store a few weeks ago. He said some of the Burien employees are really looking forward to the WS store too and will be transferring here.

Diane January 6, 2012 (11:04 pm)

really? a year and a half? we are patient, aren’t we?
~
this is especially good news after a typical unpleasant and aggravating experience shopping at Safeway, where I was thinking the whole time how much I can hardly wait for Trader Joe’s to open; based on quality of food, variety of selections, low prices, excellent customer service, interaction with other customers, it’s actually fun to shop there; everything is a thousand times better at Trader Joe’s; I am doing a happy dance; thanks for posting

Diane January 6, 2012 (11:08 pm)

I shop at TJ’s on Queen Anne and Cap Hill mostly; they also have many employees who want to transfer here, quite a few live in WS; so I’m curious how many new employees the company may hire for our store, if any, if it’s so desirable for current staff; seems to make sense they’d get priority

Rumbles January 7, 2012 (4:55 am)

@Diane I second your opinion on Safeway! Have made a point to report, when we used to shop there, the horrible produce (for example) and it falls on deaf ears. Many times would get produce home and it would be bad within a day or two. They would offer to replace it, but it becomes frustrating having to constantly do that. Looking forward to TJ as well!

G January 7, 2012 (11:34 am)

Don’t want to be the naysayer, but I don’t get the hoopla over TJ’s. I’ve shopped there and, yes, there are good items you can get there that you can’t get elsewhere, and at good prices. It has that bustling atmosphere when you cram a lot of people into a small space.

But produce? Trader’s isn’t known for their produce. I’d rather shop at QFC.

I’ll shop there on occassion, but I think TJ’s has developed an almost a feverish cult status.

Diane January 7, 2012 (12:47 pm)

absolutely LOVE that “bustling atmosphere when you cram a lot of people into a small space.”; people actually talk to each other; it’s wonderful; Safeway is so sterile; Trader Joes’s is more like a party
~
agree Rumbles; I was trying to find ANYONE who worked anywhere near the huge produce area in Safeway last night to ask a question; there was a bag of limes under a sign “99 cents”, which I doubted was correct and wanted to know real price; could not find a single employee to help; then when you get to checkstand, sometimes they ask “did you find everything you need?”; no, but too damn late now; in TJ’s tiny produce area, or anywhere in the store, there’s always tons of employees to ask, and they always offer (you don’t even have to ask) to look in the back if something is not on shelf, or look in order-book to see when it’s due to arrive; and it you’re curious about a product, they’ll open it to let you sample, which has sold me on more than one product; and I can call any TJ’s to see if an item is in, and put it on hold, which I do often; BEST customer service anywhere
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the pricing strategy at Safeway also drives me insane; every tag has 2 or 3 or more prices, have to read small print, and be sure to match code with item you want on shelf; then at checkstand you need to do full audit of receipt to see if overcharged, and most of the time, yes, like last night, I was overcharged for an item; then more time to hunt down a manager and go through the nightmare to fix it; at Trader Joe’s, there’s 1 price, on the item, easy to see, and very easy to read receipt, so if there’s a mistake, easy to catch while item is rung up, and checker fixes immediately
~
I’ve been shopping at TJ’s for ~ 30 yrs, starting in Newport Beach in SoCal; have grown to love them more every year; partly because as the humongous groceries (Safeway, QFC) get bigger, more sterile, more confusing, more marketing/advertising, higher prices, worse customer service, worse selection………the simple & smaller model of Trader Joe’s, which reminds me of my youth with the corner neighborhood grocery store, becomes every more appealing

Joseph January 7, 2012 (5:16 pm)

Went to the TJs on Madison and was talking with employees there. They said till there is a a Trader Joe’s it will not be open. They did say they had a captain for that store already, but have not started hiring.

Mel January 7, 2012 (5:20 pm)

Why would you bother with produce from TJ when you have West Seattle Produce down the street and the farmers market on weekends?

carole January 7, 2012 (5:34 pm)

I don’t get most of my produce at TJs but you can’t beat their prices on pastas, rice, nuts, cheese, olive oil, jams. I’m single, so Costco size quantities are out of the question. I love their frozen fish products and frozen chicken parts are cheaper there as well. Makes cooking for one so much easier. And even in winter when fresh asparagus is out of season their frozen asparagus spears are wonderful, as are their frozen pineapple chunks.

duder January 9, 2012 (10:04 am)

Trader Joe’s = yuppie wal-mart.

Starlight January 15, 2012 (6:19 pm)

There are many great deals at Trader Joe’s. The $3 wine, the easy frozen fish, my husband’s favorite beer which we can only find at TJ’s, the whole wheat pasta. Certainly having a local Trader Joe’s will be fantastic.

However, the produce is only so/so and I still love shopping at the PCC. They have great organic produce, knowledgable staff, and they’re working toward making the planet a better place. I also know I can buy anything there without worrying about transfats and HFCS. So don’t forget about the awesome West Seattle PCC!

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