Trader Joe's Is Not In Enough Cities

When I was younger we used to travel from Montreal to Plattsburgh, New York in order to get a “fix” for everything that was not available in Quebec.
At the time, this included Burger King, Pizza Hut, Combos, Toys R Us and other treats that a young growing boy requires (I sometimes still make the run when I get a Taco Bell itch).
In a world gone flat, there’s really very little left that we can’t get either through a major retailer or a specialty store. It’s even less when you factor in online shopping and eBay. Everything except for one of the best food and shopping experiences: Trader Joe’s.
In a bizarre twist, I had just come back from New York City where I packed up the car with all kinds of Trader Joe’s goodies including Wasabi Mayo, sesame seed and honey encrusted cashew nuts, wicked flat bread, incredible trail mix, a high protein crunch cereal and much more.
As I was lamenting over the fact that I can’t get anything like this in Montreal, I got my daily dose of Reveries – Cool News Of The Day with this feature: Trader Joe Secrets.
I love this quote: “This sounds crazy,” says one shopper, “but you feel like this company likes food more than they like money … You don’t feel that at the supermarket.”
So, we have new grocers like Whole Foods, etc… and, as marketers, we’re as fascinated as ever in the concepts of Purple Cow by Seth Godin. And here comes Trader Joe’s. Great selection, great prices and without the hugeness of most stores. It feels more like an old school general store and speaks to a specific clientele. All of that, and the story it tells is truly remarkable.
What will it take to get a Trader Joe’s in Montreal?
What will it take for marketers to role model themselves after Trader Joe’s?
Why won’t anybody import Airborne Formula into Montreal?
You can read the article here: Reveries – Cool News Of The Day – Trader Joe Secrets.