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Anyone who's aware of Trader Joe's knows that it's not just a grocery store; it's a cultural phenomenon with a cult following. For a brand that's so consistently hyped up, it may be surprising how many places have never had a Trader Joe's of their own. As of 2024, this applies to exactly eight states:Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana,North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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The lack of TJ's locations in these states is due to a mix of reasons, but the main two are low population density in many of the (particularly western) states, as well as the geographic barrier posed to the grocer's supply chain. Even though TJ's gives covetous fans the option to request new nearby locations on its website, the logistical and strategic factors the company considers when opening and running its stores make it unlikely certain parts of the U.S. will see a location pop up nearby anytime soon.
Geographic challenges for Trader Joe's.
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Trader Joe's is a go-to grocery stop for many Americans because of its unique products for reasonable prices. Its distribution practices help in this endeavor, but maintaining low operation costs while turning a profit becomes much less feasible when geographic hurdles stand in the way. Hawaii and Alaska are distant from the contiguous United States, within which the majority of Trader Joe's products are made and distributed.
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Shipping all those goods to Hawaii and Alaska, which areeach more than2000 milesaway from the mainland, so to speak, would be a costly endeavor. When asked about the lack of Trader Joe's stores in these areas, CEO Dan Bane told Anchorage Daily News,"Opening stores outside the 48 states requires us to solve unique logistical and operational problems and we would only open stores where we are able to bring real value to our customers."
Locals in these states definitely feel the TJ's void. Since they can't order Trader Joe's online, Hawaii native and travel writer forBorders and Bucket Lists, Sarah Etinas exclaimed, "Whenever we go to the mainland, we stock up! Speculoos cookie butter, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, Hawaiian mochi cake mix, and Everything but the Bagel seasoning are just a few local favorites." Anchorage, Alaska dweller KirkDesErmia started a Facebook page titled "Bring Trader Joe's to Alaska,"which has garnered over 2500 likes as of 2024.
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A brand built on a particular clientele
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The company is very selective with store openings in ways that, while it does not publicly disclose, marketing experts were curious to discover. An analysis conducted by AggData, later aired by the Freakonomicspodcast,found that all Trader Joe's stores are located in areas with a household median income of about $10,000 higher than the national median.By this measure, it is unlikely that a Trader Joe's would open in Mississippior West Virginia, where household incomes are about $25,000 lower than the national median. Horry County, South Carolina, planner David Schwerd noticed other patterns among the areas where Trader Joe's can be found. In addition to higher median household incomes, Schwerd pointed out to The Post and Courier that they have younger median ages and higher levels of education as well.
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While Trader Joe's strategies related to store planning leave many American residents pining for locations near them, they are part of what makes the company so profitable and successful. This is similar to the reason why Trader Joe's doesn't have self-checkouts or online ordering. In addition to maintaining a friendly, human feel inside its stores, novelty, not just of its products, but its brand, is part of the allure.
