Trader Joe's coming to the Triad... and not where you think

While Greensboro frets over the location of an imaginary Trader Joe's supermarket, the company announced today plans to open one later this year in Winston-Salem, at 252 S. Stratford Road in the Thruway Center.

The whole thing is kind of hilarious.

Full press release after the jump.

Trader Joe’s to Open in Winston-Salem
Store Scheduled to Open in 2012
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(March 9, 2012) Monrovia, CA - Trader Joe's, a unique, neighborhood grocery store with foods and beverages ranging from the everyday to the exotic, has signed a lease to open a new location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a target opening date in 2012. The new store is located at 252 South Stratford Road (inside the Thruway Center) and is approximately 13,000 square feet.

 The store will feature a festive décor that mixes traditional Trader Joe’s elements such as cedar covered walls and Hawaiian motifs, combined with a local flair that includes art celebrating the neighborhood.  This announcement marks the seventh Trader Joe’s to open in North Carolina. Other locations throughout the state include:  Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte (Midtown), Charlotte (North), Charlotte (South) and Raleigh.

 The "Trader" in Trader Joe’s refers to the way the company blazed a distinct trail through the grocery industry, searching the world for great values and distinctive products. Store employees, dubbed "Crew Members," consider themselves “traders on the culinary high seas.” Crew Members sport brightly colored Hawaiian-themed shirts, adding to the friendly and  light-hearted air of the store.

Many area residents after the store opens can expect to receive a copy of the Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer” in their mailboxes. The Fearless Flyer is a somewhat irreverent description of a timely selection of Trader Joe’s products. It’s been called a cross between Consumer Reports and Mad Magazine. Each edition highlights a selection of Trader Joe’s products that the company buyers believe are worthy of customer interest, including comfort foods and items that are organic or have other special attributes.

Trader Joe's carries an extensive array of domestic and imported foods and beverages including fresh baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, 100% juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items, and vitamins and supplements, as well as the basics, like milk and eggs – all at honest, low prices.

Trader Joe’s is truly a grocery store unlike any other.  Trader Joe’s is a  “store of stories,” meaning every item in the store has its own virtues -- high quality ingredients, great flavor or simply an extraordinary price -- many items often feature all of those qualities.  Another significant point of difference, all of Trader Joe’s prices are everyday prices. Trader Joe’s doesn’t have “sales” for a few days, only to hike the prices back up again. Their prices change only when their costs change -- there are no fancy promotions, discount cards or couponing wars.

So how does Trader Joe's offer unique groceries at prices everyone can afford?  By offering more than 1000 items under the Trader Joe’s private label, which includes Trader José's salsas, Trader Ming’s fried rice, Trader Giotto’s marinara sauces, in addition to specially purchased items.

Also, Trader Joe’s buys differently than other grocers – they purchase from manufacturers, not through distributors. They’ll take a brand name product, take out the preservatives and artificial colors and ingredients, and put it under their Trader Joe’s label to sell it at a real discount.

Trader Joe’s introduces approximately a dozen new items every week, heightening the store’s adventurous appeal.  Our buyers travel around the world searching out unique products at great values. In order for an item to be sold in a Trader Joe’s store, it must pass the scrutiny of a discerning tasting panel. Thousands of items are tasted each year to find products that both appeal to the culinary adventurer and microwave aficionado.

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Trader Joe’s is a chain of neighborhood grocery stores featuring high quality imported and domestic foods and beverages at honest, low prices. Trader Joe’s (www.traderjoes.com) began in 1958 in the Los Angeles area.  Since then, Trader Joe’s has expanded to more than 365 stores in 32 states.