LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — A national grocery chain that has been the subject of social media mentions, online and neighborhood chatter and the occasional comment at public meetings is once again on the minds of Lehigh Valley residents.
Collectively they’re asking: are we any closer to a Trader Joe’s in the Lehigh Valley?
The sentiment typically ebbs and flows following municipal planning and key development decisions around the region. It usually ends with residents asking, "Is Trader Joe’s ever going to come here?”
- Trader Joe's has more than 500 stores nationwide — but none in the Lehigh Valley
- That hasn't stopped speculation that the specialty grocery chain could open its first area location soon
- One project in Lower Macungie Township still in the planning stages will include an unknown grocery store with a footprint typical of a Trader Joe's store
The California grocer also has been the subject of a local petition created on MoveOn.org and a thread on Reddit asking, “Where’s the TJ’s?”
And while Trader Joe’s has previously said it does not have any specific formula or demographic requirement for where it opens new locations, the Lehigh Valley seemingly has not fit within its plans.
But could things change – and sooner, rather than later?
“Unfortunately, we don’t grant any interviews or typically comment outside of what you see on our website, Instagram, podcast, etc,” said Nakia Rohde, public relations manager for Trader Joe’s, in a recent email to LehighValleyNews.com.
But Rohde also pointed to the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast for more on their site selection process, which they’ve addressed on a number of occasions.
“We always appreciate the passion of some of the neighborhoods that do send in their requests [for a Trader Joe’s], and they can be very creative at times,” said Bryan Palbaum, president and chief operating officer, in one of the podcast episodes dubbed, “Please won’t you be my neighborhood store.”
“[We] always consider distribution, how far our warehouses are going to be from the stores in which we’re opening,” said Palbaum, stressing it makes sure that Trader Joe’s can supply those stores on a regular basis.
He also mentioned that population is important to the company, including neighborhoods with a certain number of households that can support a successful Trader Joe’s.
“When we get to those numbers and it makes sense, then we’ll open a store.”
The company’s chairman and CEO, Dan Bane, also weighed in on the podcast, stating the company “won’t open a store just because we can. We want to open a store that’s run by the right kind of people doing the right kind of things, and that’s really important to us.”
The right place at the right time?
A handful of executives featured on different episodes of the Trader Joe’s podcast said part of the plan to enter a certain market also involves customer feedback, as well as accessibility, visibility, parking and square footage.
It’s given hope to residents in the burgeoning Lower Macungie area, where a massive mixed use project called Lehigh Valley Town Center is in the planning stage before the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission.
Speculation is growing that it could be the project to finally lure Trader Joe’s to the Lehigh Valley – especially to an area previously recognized as one of the most promising for economic development remaining within the township.
The project – which could include a Topgolf facility, along with dining, apartments, a hotel and retail – is one of two large mixed-use projects currently targeted for the township.
The inclusion of a mid-sized grocery store has piqued the interest of local residents, especially after Township Community Development Director Nathan Jones described the project as “unlike anything else we've seen here in the Valley or potentially the state."
Proximity to a warehouse already checks one box for Trader Joe’s, which moves its signature items to regional stores from a repository on Silver Crest Road in East Allen Township, near Nazareth.
The closest Trader Joe’s store to the Lehigh Valley is currently located an hour south in North Wales, Montgomery County. Others are scattered throughout the Philadelphia area, and last March a location opened in Camp Hill — a small borough in Cumberland County about three miles southwest of Harrisburg.
Accessibility and visibility also wouldn’t be a problem, with the development pegged for nearly 59 acres at Schantz and Cedarbrook roads, on the former Eastern Industries property.
Under the current plan, up to 12,500 square feet of space would be dedicated to a grocery chain. That’s neatly inside the average footprint of Trader Joe’s stores across the country, with most locations averaging between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet.
The development would be bordered by Interstate 78, Route 222 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476), leaving parking as one of the larger question marks as the concept for the project continues to take shape.
Developer Luke Jaindl said during several public meetings that other anchors that have approached the development team include a proposed aquarium; a two-story sports equipment retailer that would include experiential components and product trial opportunities; and a maximum 5,000-seat performance venue.
‘Working to open many more stores’
The Facebook group Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie —described as a smart growth resident association for the East Penn area — has made no secret of its desire to see a Trader Joe’s in the area.
“The thing and infatuation with TJ's are the intangibles they bring to a community, including the more long-term resilient development style they employ that brings mega value to a community,” a post from March 2021 said. “As a page that promotes smart growth THAT is what we love. And what we wish more cookie cutter box outfits would prioritize and value. TJ's is the gold standard.”
In several Facebook posts from December 2019, Lehigh County Commissioner Ron Beitler also called Trader Joe’s “a very community-friendly company” and noted their development philosophy “is right in line with Lower Macungie’s.”
Some of Trader Joe’s latest store openings have been in areas that mirror the growth of both Upper and Lower Macungie (having a combined population around 54,000), with the former recognized as the fourth fastest-growing municipality in Pennsylvania in terms of total population gain from 2010 to 2020. Lower Macungie is the second-largest population center in Lehigh County after Allentown.
Both Upper and Lower Macungie also meet speculative median household income requirements for Trader Joe’s (said to be around or above $100,000) and remain positioned for upward movement and continued development.
Keeping in mind that Trader Joe’s is notoriously tight-lipped about its business strategy, a look at the last five locations where stores have opened yields little in the way of actual clues.
The city of Draper — in the south end of Salt Lake Valley, Utah — will soon welcome a Trader Joe’s and has a population of 51,749 based on the latest census data, along with a median household income of $116,977.
But other areas where Trader Joe’s has recently put down roots don't reveal a default model for how it picks its locations.
The town of Glastonbury, Connecticut, welcomed a Trader Joe’s in early February but has a population of 34,427 and a median household income of $130,294.
And College Park, Maryland, where a store opened last fall, has a population of 35,110 and a median household income of $69,736.
"We're absolutely looking and working to open many more stores."Matt Sloan, Trader Joe's VP of marketing
In that sense, as residents remain invested in the possible arrival of a Trader Joe’s and have specific visions and preferences for land use decisions, it remains to be seen by what actual mechanism Trader Joe’s would make that choice.
“We opened 11 new stores in 10 different states [last year],” said Matt Sloan, vice president of marketing, in a recent Inside Trader Joe’s podcast.
“We're absolutely looking and working to open many more stores, and I won't be able to give you a specific number here, but it's a lot more than 11 that we have our sights on for [2023].”
