Raleigh Trader Joe's Arrives…Finally!

Well I don’t know about you but I’ve been waiting for Raleigh Trader Joe’s to come to town for a long time. Long before it was in the news. The one in Cary is just too far of a hike for me.

I discovered Trader Joe’s in Northern Virginia back in 2000 and thought it was just some small gourmet store. There weren’t many people shopping there then and slowly over time I noticed more and more shoppers in the thin aisles with the small carts. People aren’t dumb. They know a good thing when they see it. The concept is great. Healthy foods with great prices. That’s what cutting out the middle man does. That’s how Walmart became a success.

Some things I remember about my first experiences with Trader Joe’s is that it’s where I bought my nuts and trail mixes. And where I bought my first Clif Bars. You know the healthy bars you eat to crave your hunger or when you’re working out. It’s better than junk food on the road.

Well back to now…on opening day, look at the lines that Raleigh Trader Joes’s brought in.

Some of the prepared foods here. Not that I’m opposed to cooking. But with prepared foods that look as delish as this, why cook?

And it’s hard to skip Two Buck Chuck. I’ve only tried the Chardonnay. It ain’t bad. I mean it tastes like a $7 bottle of wine to me. But in case the T.J. people are listening, I think you’re smart to keep it at its price if you wanna sell volume.

You gotta love their sweets too. I always the low fat chocolate cats in a plastic tub.

And if you’re planning to throw a party, it’s a great place to buy thawed hors d’oeuvres.

The one thing I’m cautious about are the prices increasing. That’s what happened in the Virginia stores. So I stopped going as much as buzz got out about the stores (… in case anyone from T.J.’s is listening).

Welcome Raleigh T.J.’s. and thanks for the free reusable T.J. bag.

Category: Unique Raleigh Retailers