NEW YORK CITY - Trader Joe’s is giving residents a new reason to heart New York, recently revealing its plans to open an East Village location near Avenue A. As part of its urban expansion, the new store will be the retailer’s ninth in Manhattan.
“We’ve consulted our maps and compass and have found a terrific location for a store in New York (East Village), NY,” a brief announcement on the company’s website read. “We’ll continue to post new details about the store and its opening here, so please check back for updates.”
According to The Villager, the new store will be located at 432 E. 14th St., close to a new subway entrance/exit on Avenue A to make it even easier for residents to access the store.
While the new store is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, local politicians have been imploring the retailer to reinstate the grocery delivery service that it shut down in January of this year.
“Affordable grocery stores in New York City are sadly not accessible in every part of our city. Trader Joe’s delivery service helped numerous families access groceries. Please reconsider restoring this important service,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams commented in a letter to Trader Joe’s CEO, Dan Bane.
Williams’ letter argues that the retailer’s online delivery service was essential to residents dealing with mobility issues, including elderly shoppers and others who have difficulty carrying heavy bags home. The letter also mentions that residents who need grocery delivery will likely have to turn to one of the retailer’s competitors.
Assemblymember Deborah Glick was another politician to reach out to Bane, requesting the retailer to resume its online delivery service. Representing Greenwich Village, the East Village, Soho, and Tribeca, Glick also referenced the ever-expanding senior population as a group that depends on having groceries delivered.
“New York City, like much of the United States, is experiencing a growing senior population and our society will be forced to find ways to cope with that social change,” Glick wrote. “Beyond government, private enterprise and many areas of commerce will need to adapt to best serve the new realities that a large senior population will bring to this country.”
Living in a large, urban city, it can be extremely difficult to carry filled grocery bags home—shoppers are limited to what they can carry at one time, often just two bags’ worth.
“That is why many of my constituents, particularly those who are older or who have disabilities, rely on the grocery delivery program,” Glick continued. “In fact, this is a relatively common service that is offered by grocery stores throughout New York City, where it can be difficult to carry a large number of groceries by foot from the store to your home … This change is compounded by the reality that within New York City the fastest expanding grocery chain happens to be Trader Joe’s, and Downtown communities are growing to rely on these locations to a greater degree.”
Other local leaders making their plea for grocery delivery include Council Speaker Corey Johnson and state Senator Brad Hoylman.
Will Trader Joe’s cave to consumer demand and reinstate grocery delivery? AndNowUKnow will keep you posted.
