love trader joe's?

Hi bardsley,

Good idea! I signed on and voted :)!

They have one... but I think it is called Pricesmart in the VI...

I filled it out. Now we need a Target & a Pier One. 🙂

Trade -- For Sure!!!

Bardsley, do you know if any other stores have forms like this?

hi mell,

you know, i have no idea if other stores have request forms. i think that tj's is just that cool!

erin

OMG My favorite subject--discussion of my favorite store!

I filled out one of these when I moved here 5 years ago. I don't know why we don't have one yet. 😉

Jojos, Thai Tuna Curry, 2 Buck Chuck...aahh.

Oh, and no, they don't franchise.

It is my understanding that we have a developer from here - Pittsburgh, PA - that has been working to bring a Target to St Croix.

Why on earth do all you posters on this thread want to turn the Virgin Islands into a satellite of Route 1 USA? Aren't you removing or have removed here to sample a different lifestyle? Just curious.

Why would I love a Trader Joe's here?
Because it's the best da%n grocery store in the world and I would LOVE to share it with my VI neighbors!!!!
That doesn't mean I want to turn it into Route 1 USA does it?
If that is the case than noone should bring anything new or different here.
That said, I could live without a Target here unless it REPLACES Kmart. Haha.

personally i am not a fan of big box stores like target. trader joe's on the other hand, sells organic and natural foods for very reasonable prices. how can you argue with that?

erin

Onika, dear heart!

When any stateside business/chain opens here, the initial setup is managed by stateside employees. KMart, PriceSmart, Home Depot, Subway and now IHop. Once the initial off-island management team turns over general procedures to local management and that's when things start to fail. If your fave Trader Joe's were here it would go through that whole scenario and either sink or swim - and surely you must know about the sink and swims?

Oh, I should of course eliminate Subway and I-Hop which are owned by the ex-senator whose past story seems to have been forgotten...

Burger King (WAY before your time!) Taco Bell, and so many more.

Bardsley isn't even here yet so why is he even provoking comment? Guess he did and posters took the bait and got responses but I'll venture to guess that he'll be gone within a year!

Cheers!

STT Res, Trader Joe's, while a large outfit, is not akin to the above mentioned fast food chains.
It is more like the Natural Food Grocery in Mandela than Pricesmart. They are even smaller than the Food Center. Their presence would fill a niche currently unoccupied and, I would imagine, would prosper as a result.
Is your concern for my beloved Trader Joe's that they would fail as a business given local practice or that you would find their mere existence on island objectionable?
Sink or swim is a reality in every business--that shouldn't stop people from trying.
By the by, I believe Bardsley may be a gal.
😉

By the way, I was just chuckling to myself that it would take a swipe at Trader Joe's to get me riled up.

On a daily basis I see offensive, objectionable, or simply annoying posts here and simply press the back button on my browser and move on.

But clearly you don't mess with Trader Joe's in my eyes!!!

Bring it on STT Res.

yes, indeed i am a gal.

stt resident- wow that was rude. why would you say such a thing? i do not feel that hurtful and negative comments are appropriate on this forum. in my mind, this is a place where people can connect (offer ideas, share input), not shun others. in saying that you bet i will be gone in a year, well, thank you for the vote of confidence. my advice, stick to the topic at hand. there really is no need for personal attacks and wager making as to the length of one's stay. as far as tj's is concerned- if you wouldn't like to see more environmentally and socially aware businesses brought to the islands then suit yourself...

erin

It's just her way - think English "nanny" with bad bunions. Little crotchety, tends to be a lttle superior, but essentially has a heart of gold.

I wholeheartedly second Jane's assessment of STT Res.
Res, in her own words, can be a tad crotchety.
But she really means well and bears no ill will toward anyone, in addition to making the best dang brownies this side of, well,
TRADER JOE'S~~~~
😉

Oh dear bardsley, how well you fit the pattern of those who come and go with such regularity and, please forgive me for being apparently insensitive but you did open this thread by saying that you were moving to the VI this summer and wanted to see a Trader Joe's here. And so the thread continued.

Honestly, I have no idea whether or not you have already done a PMV or are coming here stone cold - I was simply replying to THIS particular post of yours, so where was the rudeness or negativity?

You asked about Trader Joe's, posted a link to their "location request" site - and yet you obviously have no clue about the US Virgin Islands. Sorry, but that's my perception.

Frankly I don't give a rat's behind whether you're male or female, gay or straight or what you think about living in the Virgin Islands because you'll come here as so many do and you'll either find a life here which suits you well or else you'll find that island living just isn't your druthers and you'll leave here and find a living situation which better suits you and an environment which will afford you tremendous joy.

But a hard lesson to be learned here is that living here requires true spirit and adaptability.

Cheers!

wow- the rudeness continues. is this really necessary? how can you presume anything about me or anyone... that is the problem with the internet. when you are not looking someone in the face, it is completely possible to say things one might never say in person. express your opinions about stores, fine. just lay off the personal attacks ok. this is a forum for helping people, not being "crotchety." plus, if you are so incensed about how many people "fit the pattern" and come and go, lalala- why the heck do you read and contribute to this board??

erin

stt res, it is possible to be happy here and to still miss things from the states. i miss starbucks, taco bell, nordstrom, target, etc. meijer anyone? that doesn't mean that i'm unadaptable or that i don't deserve to live here, it just means that i'd prefer to not have to go to three different grocery stores to get what i need. i never said i wouldn't do it.

'doing without' does not make you a better person or any higher up than people who prefer conveniences. i remember when i first moved here you told me that if i was the kind of person who didn't want to miss all of my pistons games, then i probably wouldn't make it here. well, eight months later i can watch every pistons game i want at caribbean saloon.

whether you like it or not, people are going to move here and whether you like it or not, the island will continue to become more developed. do i want to see stripmall after stripmall? no, of course not. that was a part of my reason for leaving. but is an IHOP or a trader joes or a starbucks going to kill you? i really don't think so.

Oh dear, karasulli!

You've been here for eight months and have found your football games at Caribbean Saloon and that's great.

My cautionary admonitions to newcomers are based entirely upon what they post.

Allow me to quote you:

"Whether you like it or not, people are going to move here..."

Of course they are, and they come and go and that's part of the joy of living here, the diversity of newcomers being most interesting!

"... and whether you like it or not, the island will continue to become more developed."

Well of course it will and sometimes unfortunately so. I only thank goodness and serendipity that the majority of STJ, courtesy of Nelson Rockefeller's foresight and foundation, will remain protected and undeveloped in perpetuity.

"...do i want to see stripmall after stripmall? no, of course not. that was a part of my reason for leaving. but is an IHOP or a trader joes or a starbucks going to kill you? i really don't think so."

No, an IHop or a Starbucks won't kill ME personally, bui it may well contribute to the ongoing problems we have here in our community where obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are most serious problems.

I'm all for progress in many areas.

Your point is taken but, I'm sorry, an eight month tenure here allows you to speak up but also begs that you accept a challenge on point. Cheers!

At the risk of sounding negative..........................If anybody thinks a "big box" retailer like target is going to move to an area with a population of about 60,000 (remember now, we can't count the population of both islands because of the lack of reliable, low cost transportation between the two) with a median income, high poverty rate, and an existing competitor (Kmart) with a high market penetration, you either have never worked in development or high end retail management. One of the reasons many of these companies are so succesful is because they don't locate in places like the USDVI where their failure is almost inevitable.

Actually Trader Joe would fit better in the VI than most of the super markets I visited. It is really a cool and relaxing place. If you ever visited one you would know what everyone was talking about. I agree there are many stores which should really stay of Island such as fast food places as MC D. I would rather see individuals from the Vi serving up local foods. Those corporations are just bloodsuckers and do little for the community.

So why did you open a PUB, STT??? The ongoing, world-weary, long-time resident routine was amusing at first but seniority means zilch. And you don't even win with that.

STT Resident,

I know and understand what you are saying. What you don't know is that Trader Joe's is a place to buy good food and reasonably priced. They are the anti- fast food, anti-crap food, anti-high priced food grocery store. They exclusively sell a wine at $2 a bottle (which is a phenom and good). I have one close to my home here in ATL and I couldn't live without it. They are able to sell things cheaply because they are a chain, but they also like to flaunt the fact that you don't have to be rich and a snob to enjoy the good things in life. Good wine and good chocolate should not be sold only to the rich. They would be a good addition to the island lifestyle. Kind of a hippie thing in my eyes. Their stores are not very large, but are very well run. Hard to describe, but trust me, you would find them agreeable unlike Starbuck's, Taco Hell (I mean Bell), etc.

To all,

STT already has several good coffee shops: R&J's Island Latte on the waterfront in Charlotte, Beans & Bytes in Royal Dane Mall in Charlotte, Barnies in Buccaneer Mall across from Havensight, and many of the bakeries have good coffee. The coffee is as good as or better than Starbuck's and feels more in tune with the island. As for Target, you just won't get that in the island. I am still surprised that K-mart hasn't gone out of business. Unfortunately some Wal-mart type stores just can't make it on island, however the island definitely needs some help in getting those types of goods for a decent price available to the islanders. I have not figured that one out yet. I would also be happy to see the stores on island actually sell more goods made on island rather than selling items made in China. That would be an improvement.

Just MHO.

Enjoy your beaches and nice weather and quit worrying about Target. You don't need Down comforters anyway! 🙂

Teresa