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The complete Whole Foods - Traders Joe's omni-thread


jthrasher

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Trader Joe's ladies and gentlemen

Am I missing something, or did they put awnings over concrete panels?  Is that supposed to be the latest design trend?  Odd.

 

I don't get the awnings either, even if they were over windows. 

Plus, I think they have enough bollards there protecting the building. Are they expecting this to be a big terrorism threat? :) 

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You are supposed in to invoke a folksy urban feeling from it.


 To forget that they are over a "window" shaped thing made of concrete, behind a massive parking lot, in a building located in the suburbs in a strip mall, between two wide and fast-moving, feeder roads.

 

It's also called "flexible design," so they can swap the TJ's sign with an Aldi sign if sales don't go well. :) 

 

You guys might think I'm joking, but... :whistling:

 

alid_med.jpg

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The concrete is probably made from volcanic fly ash and not blast furnace ash. All the parking spaces are for ultra efficient hybrids and electric vehicles only (and soccer mom suvs), and the fast moving feeder streets will soon be slow moving, pedestrian friendly urban oasis because we are now adding six lane bike paths to each road!

It's so organic!

Will there be a sign on the door that reads, "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Beard (men), No Ironic T-Shirt, No Service"?

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  • 3 months later...

We've tried it and I have to say they have some pretty good items. Probably could find the same type of thing at Meijer but you don't have to death hard. 

I was looking at the building yesterday and it has got to be one of the ugliest in recent memory. Even the ALDI ON 28th and the one by Celebration Cinema look great compared to this monstrosity. 

I dont really ally get it since they are owned by the same people. Someone really messed up when they didn't hold them to a higher standard. 

Joe

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Ee've tried it and I have to say they have some pretty good items. Probably could find the same type of thing at Meijer but you don't have to death hard. 

I was looking at the building yesterday and it has got to be one of the ugliest in recent memory. Even the ALDI ON 28th and the one by Celebration Cinema look great compared to this monstrosity. 

I dont really ally get it since they are owned by the same people. Someone really messed up when they didn't hold them to a higher standard. 

Joe

Agree, busy but damn ugly.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Apparently the Trader Joe's here is one of their busiest that they've opened recently. A guy I know whose company is a "service provider" to them says that they continuously keep skids of product out in the back parking lot for 3 or 4 days because they don't have enough room to keep everything stocked or in storage indoors. Surprised that the city of Kentwood is allowing this, but maybe nobody is complaining. 

I've tried going a couple of times but it's just too d**n busy to even browse. You kind of have to know what you're there to get.

Interesting that they built this store smaller than their average footprint, to test the local market. 

I think it won't be long before they announce a second store in WM...

 

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While I don't live in Grand Rapids anymore, I obviously care a lot about my hometown (sometimes in weird ways) .  It kind of irritates me how the Trader Joe's and Whole Foods of the world give off the air that "Grand Rapids isn't quite our kind of town"  "They really don't fit our demo."  And then after years, and years, and years, of waiting they finally say, "Okay, we will build there, but just a smaller, uglier store just to test the waters."  But then I love it when GR automatically becomes one of their hottest markets, and they say "Oh, wow, we underestimated this place."  It's not the first time this has happened.

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4 hours ago, mpchicago said:

While I don't live in Grand Rapids anymore, I obviously care a lot about my hometown (sometimes in weird ways) .  It kind of irritates me how the Trader Joe's and Whole Foods of the world give off the air that "Grand Rapids isn't quite our kind of town"  "They really don't fit our demo."  And then after years, and years, and years, of waiting they finally say, "Okay, we will build there, but just a smaller, uglier store just to test the waters."  But then I love it when GR automatically becomes one of their hottest markets, and they say "Oh, wow, we underestimated this place."  It's not the first time this has happened.

I hope a store #2 goes somewhere that is actually in the city. We have a nice lot on Wealthy and Division or even someplace on N. Monroe or Michigan St. that would have been perfect instead of dumping this one out on 29th street.

 

Sadly I can only assume they will drink a little too much of the Two Buck Chuck again and stick it out on M45 or Rivertown Pky.

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It is a little annoying that they thought so little of our region they built a smaller store that they could easily convert into an Aldi. Now they are so busy they don't have enough room for all the stock they need.  I hope the other smug brands that have avoided the area out of ignorance take note of this.

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5 hours ago, EastownLeo said:

It does seem to be refrigerator weather out there.

Right. Health department: "Hey, it's only supposed to get up to 34 today, bring it all outside!" ^_^

 

3 hours ago, temporary.name said:

There are laws in place that specify exactly what temperatures and conditions are legally allowed. It would be interesting to see if Whole Foods is actually following those laws.

I think you mean TJ's. Where's Henry Erb when you need him? 

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I've noticed the chains overlooking GR and in many cases have markets in places like South Bend and Toledo. BUT we are on a peninsula with no major north south Interstate (131 is not major or an interstate) Until recently it seemed many franchises stick to interstate locales and generally "out of the way" with not much to the north at all. 

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