TRADER Joe’s has finally revealed the reason behind a commonly shared struggle among customers.
While the retailer is known for its specialized offerings and beloved seasonal treats, some find it hard to access their local store.
Those traveling by car and need to find parking claim it’s always difficult to do so at Trader Joe’s, especially during busy times.
“Is it just me? Every Trader Joe’s I’ve ever visited anywhere has the absolute worst parking lots,” a shopper fumed in a post on X earlier this month.
“I don’t understand it.”
They aren’t alone in their frustration, either.
MAKE IT STOP
Several detailed similar grieveances of Trader Joe’s parking lots in a seperate
on Reddit.
“Do all TJs have tiny, poorly designed parking lots?” a Trader Joe’s fan asked.
Someone claimed the size of the Trader Joe’s parking lot at their local store in Columbia, South Carolina, gets so backed up that it extends for “two blocks.”
“People have accidents all the time, park in non-spots etc,” they added.
“Ours is an absolute cluster,” another echoed.
“Yes ours is tiny and it’s a curb jungle all at once,” a third wrote.
Someone else said it’s “crazy” how bad their Trader Joe’s parking lot gets.
REAL REASON
Given the retailer’s popularity and seemingly the need for more parking spaces to accomodate for the influx of customers at many of its over 590 stores, it begs the question — why hasn’t there been expansion efforts?
According to Trader Joe’s, it’s not up to the company, per what a Tara Miller, Trader Joe’s vice president of marketing, told Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC.
Miller explained that the majoirty of city governments don’t allow for larger parking lots at Trader Joe’s becuase of the stores’ size.
Parking lot size is based off store size for officials, and Trader Joe’s locations are much smaller than those for giants like Costco or Walmart.
So, why not make the stores bigger?
Miller noted that the smaller format is signature to the company and would fundamentally change aspects of what makes Trader Joe’s what it is.
While that likely isn’t what customers wanted to hear, at least they know Trader Joe’s would and will expand parking lots where it can.
Trader Joe’s has come under fire recently for some discontinued food and drink offerings, however.
An employee confirmed earlier this month that a popular dinner “staple” was gone for good, and customers say they “can’t find an alternative.
A Trader Joe’s manager also confirmed a popular sauce was axed.