It was reported in The News-Gazette today that Champaign-Urbana is on a list of 200 possible locations for new Trader Joe’s stores. Before we get all worked up about it, it should be noted that the list will be narrowed down to 30 locations for actual building.
According to the article, the next step will be sending out brokers to scout those 200 locations, followed by examining them based on the three factors most considered by Trader Joe’s: population density, median income, and education.
There was a bit of buzz about a C-U Trader Joe’s back in 2012, when a petition was circulating locally. We even added our two cents to the conversation.
Personally? I don’t think it would be a terrible addition to C-U, except for the damage it would do to my spending habits on things that I probably don’t really need such as dark chocolate covered marshmallows and Everything But the Bagel seasoning. I will also survive if it doesn’t pan out, and it doesn’t seem incredibly likely that it will. Also, as we often remind you here at SP, it’s important to continue to shop local as much as you can whether we end up with a TJ’s or not.
Anyhow, it’ll have everyone talking and arguing about it again.
Top image: A brick building with Trader Joe’s in red lettering. There is snow on the ground and a white SUV in the parking lot adjacent to the building. Photo from Wikipedia.