Store siting decisions aren't about sentiment

DC Trader Joes Leafleting September 06
Originally uploaded by OceanaSeafoodCampaign

As you know, I don't care much for letter writing campaigns to attract retailers, because they don't care about what you want, but about making money.

Trader Joe's is probably one of the retailers that people want the most, maybe even more than Whole Foods, when it comes to attracting retail to their neighborhoods. Apparently the new DC store is the company's absolutely most successful store right now in terms of sales/square foot.

Even so, TJ's shows absolutely no interest, according to a DC Government official, in opening up any more stores in DC.

Presumably, this lack of interest is duplicated when it comes to the consideration of other urban places.

See for example, from the Nashville Tennessean, "Foodies hold out hope for Trader Joe's."

Letters or online petitions don't matter. Dollars do.

You are wasting your time, unless you are prepared to provide an incentive payment of $1.5 million or more, to get them to open a store.

(Flickr photo by Ocean Seafood Campaign.)