When Trader Joe’s opened their newest location in Miller Place last month, there was a lot of fanfare, but many of us Great South Bay residents quietly felt disappointed, asking ourselves, “Why not us?’’
The specialty grocery store has won accolades and cult-like status for its wide variety of salad mixes, specialty cheeses, tempting sweets, and some of the best-priced flower bouquets. Yet it remains devoid of a South Shore location in Suffolk County.
Long Island is home to eight Trader Joe’s locations between Nassau and Suffolk counties, including Lake Grove, Commack, Plainview, Merrick, Garden City, Oceanside, and Hewlett. Most of them are situated closer to Long Island’s North Shore.
There is also a 921,000-square-foot Trader Joe’s distribution center being built in Islandia, which will include cold storage, freezers, and a maintenance building to serve NYC and Long Island stores. The construction of the distribution center definitely raises the question of whether the powers that be at Trader Joe’s are considering more locations on the South Shore—and possibly further east as well.
I know that I am not alone in wondering over the years why the South Shore doesn’t have a location—not only because we have several locations and communities where a location would be perfect, but also because we are the gateway in the summer months to both Fire Island and the Hamptons.
I sought answers from the corporate arena of Trader Joe’s, but my questions were not fully satisfied with the responses I received.
First, I attempted to call their administrative offices but never actually reached anyone. Next, I went to their website, filled out a Media Request form, and received a reply in a fairly timely manner, but the Public Relations Manager sent me a sort of canned response:
“We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country as we hope to open more new neighborhood stores each year. At this time, we do not have a location confirmed on the South Shore in Suffolk County.”
I suspect this answer is given to anyone who asks why a specific location hasn’t been developed as of yet. She also enclosed a link to their podcast, Inside Trader Joe’s, Episode 52: How to Make a Trader Joe’s (Part 1), which can be listened to at: http://traderjoes.com/home/podcast.
I printed the transcript of that podcast and found it vague, never specifying what they considered desirable in a location. Over the years, I’ve heard—though not from anyone at Trader Joe’s specifically—that we on the South Shore are not a good “demographic match,” which can mean many different things. This confuses me. The median income of the Great South Bay area is strong, our money is just as good, and some of us even travel far to access Trader Joe’s elsewhere on Long Island—so we already are their demographic.
I will keep seeking answers from Trader Joe’s and can only hope they will recognize the value of our beautiful and prosperous corner of the world here on the South Shore of Long Island.
While Trader Joe’s is thinking about it, keep in mind that we are already privy to some great grocery shopping locations right here at home.
Whole Foods has finally come to the South Shore, and I can say with confidence that their new Bohemia location is beautiful and well-stocked. We have several other grocery store chains that provide great selections at varying price points. Stop & Shop, ShopRite, King Kullen, Pat’s Marketplace, Uncle Giuseppe’s, Aldi, and Lidl all have several locations, and many offer delivery services, too.
We also have a few natural markets for more specialty items, with Sherry’s Market in Babylon Village and Cornucopia in Sayville being my personal favorites. Additionally, the eastern end of Long Island also boasts several Citarella locations.
With warmer days approaching, local farmers’ markets and farmstands will soon be opening, bursting with fresh produce from regionally located farms. If you want to support and have access to local seasonal produce, consider joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture) and buying a farm “share” for weekly boxes of fresh produce. Flowers and eggs are often available as add-ons in these “shares,” too. It’s also never too late to grow a green thumb yourself and plant your own vegetables and herbs to try your hand at furnishing some of your own food.
