Work under way to bring Trader Joe's to Larkspur

how can people say that trader joe's is exceptional food? If you think this you have no idea how their model works.

They import food from china and other third world countries where quality is always a constant concern. Ever watch the Trader Joe's recalls from the FDA?

Trader Joe's labels their food with "Distributed by Trader Joe's" or "exclusively made for Trader Joe's". By putting this label on their food you have no idea where in the hell it has come from. It is a BIG ? mark.

Is that what you want?

trader joe's puts that gas in their meat packing so that it stays red even though it is like a month old.

Safeway does or did the same thing but I think they stopped last year when some lawsuit came out.

Safeway meat is simply gross stuff. It is the worst quality meat and if you were to ever get bovine spongiform ecephalophy (Mad Cow), you may want to ask safeway first.

Trader Joes has become just one more scam posing as a consumer-friendly enterprise. It is not a good neighbor--just one more big business. The posters who are defending TJ's are uninformed.

meat wrote:

trader joe's puts that gas in their meat packing so that it stays red even though it is like a month old.
Safeway does or did the same thing but I think they stopped last year when some lawsuit came out.
Safeway meat is simply gross stuff. It is the worst quality meat and if you were to ever get bovine spongiform ecephalophy (Mad Cow), you may want to ask safeway first.

And also I knew someone who once worked at Slaveway's fish dept, he advised me not to buy fish from Slaveway, their fish is stinky and old. Most of the fish at Joey's is frozen, and I don't buy frozen food except for ice cream. Meat is really gross stuff, and even Bill Nieman doesn't approve of what the new owners of his name have done so far. So now Bill still lives in Bolinas and is starting a new turkey farm. I can't wait to start buying locally produced turkey grown in a good enviornment and minimal shipping involved. That is what is wrong with the meat industry, we are forced to purchase meat that is trucked , trained, craned, shipped over the ocean that could be 6 months old or more, the same with produce. Slaveway advertises produce from Chile. Think about all the fuel burnt to get that crap to the US, and unregulated pesticides and chemicals to make it presentable ?
We need to regroup and put an end to this shipping, fuel burning consumerism. Buy only locally produced meats, poultry, produce, dairy and baked goods, and also learn how to produce them on your land yourself. Put all those food transportation and grocery importers out of business. You will live a much longer and healthier life. O'Day.

Death N Taxes wrote:

<quoted text>Why did TJ's just get rid of Crystal Geyser water?---b/c they are now having CG produce TJ's own brand and making CG take a margin hit, while TJ's makes more margin.

How to you resolve that previous quote with the following one?

Death N Taxes wrote:

<quoted text>...I don't have an issue with Costco's Kirkland Sig brand b/c they don't try and make the packaging look like the national brand that they brought in and replaced.

So it's OK for Costco to use a national brand for its Kirkland Signature brand, but not OK for Trader Joe's to use a national brand for it's Trader Joe's brand, all because Trader Joe's uses packaging that's too similar? That doesn't fit with your argument that Crystal Geyser forces national brands to take a margin while TJ's makes more margin. If the "margin" is really your problem, then Costco and grocery store and ANY OTHER FORM of private labels does the exact same thing. You seem to only have a problem with Trader Joe's, apparently based solely on labeling.

Sorry, that should say, "That doesn't fit with your argument that **TJ's** forces national brands to take a margin while TJ's makes more margin."

So, in one defense, you say Crystal Geyser is private labeling TJ's water for them, and then a few minutes later you replied again to the same post essentially saying (without naming brand names), that TJ's waits until Crystal Geyser sells well, then ditches Crystal Geyser to have someone else make a Crystal Geyser knock-off for cheaper. So are they still contracting with Crystal Geyser or not? You're making two different arguments at the exact same time (well, aside from the inconsistent ones aforementioned)-- neither of which are accurate, of course. Trader Joe's private labels like any other grocer and retailer out there -- and in some ways better, because they do NOT buy cheap rip-offs from China (ie, Wal-Mart), they use the same exact same manufacturer. You're getting an authentic product. Period. Interestingly, you seem to be arguing this from a business perspective -- so where's your business acumen? Crystal Geyser isn't being forced to do anything. Private label or otherwise, if they can't meet TJ's contract needs, then TJ's has the right to carry a different product. And if they can sell the exact same product for that much cheaper merely because the label is different, then perhaps we should be asking if the national brand is overcharging? You're essentially defending the practice of national brands ripping off consumers just because of the label!!! You'd have a point if shady copycat vendors were undercutting honest manufacturers -- the Wal-Mart model. But that's not what's happening here.

well a friend of mine sells his snack product to t.j.'s and to williams-sonoma. if you go buy it at t.j.'s it will cost you $4 and if you buy the exact same thing at williams-sonoma, it's going to cost you $8.

and he's never said that t.j.'s gives him any problems with his contract.

and come on... 2-buck chuck. where would this world be without it?? a very sad place.

but you're right about one thing, we don't need 3 trader joe's in marin-- we need 4!

Cal native wrote:

<quoted text>
yes they carry meat but it's not all that great. they color it to make it look fresher than it is.
Sometimes costco has better meat. I have been able to find some great chicken and flank steak at TJ's

I only have one concern for the meat I eat: it must come from an animal.

Chris Bacon: you obviously do not have a business background, and if you want to continue supporting a China-knock-off company that is TJ's go ahead. R&D comes from national brands (whether it's pharma, or Food and Beverage)....just like China does, stealing ideas and copying them takes a lot less effort. Go back to school and get an education

Chris: CG used to be in TJs...it sold well. TJs kicked CG out and told CG if they wanted to make their Priv Label for them, otherwise they would find someone else to do it. If you knew anything about depreciating assets, or running an efficient manufacturing plant, you'd know that CG was painted into a corner. In other cases, TJs just found someone that could copy the product/packaging so that TJs could make more margin...that's why TJs has the highest market share of PL in their stores...about 85%.

Chris: I feel compelled to educate you for some reason: Costco only makes 4-14% max margin (even on Kirkland Sig)...mostly it's around 4-11%...this is a mandate from their CEO. 75% of their revenues comes from their membership dues. Supermarkets make about 30% (higher overhead, and unions). People like you are the ones who wonder why US jobs are shipped overseas....ignorance plays a role.

PaulB22 wrote:

I occasionally shop at Trader Joe's in San Rafael and Novato when I have other business there. It is not my first choice for groceries, but they have good deals on some items, but their produce is unacceptable. The location in Larkspur is very inconvenent for people who live in southern Marin. It involves a mandatory drive on the state freeway (101) which we like to let the Novato/Sonoma commuters use, they need it , we don't. Also I read that the City of Larkspur was going to make Joey pay for traffic signal improvements, I wonder what happened with that ?
Even though that location is technically in the City of Larkspur, it is in east Larkspur on the other side of the freeway and hard to access for people who live in old Larkspur proper. My mother lives in Larkspur and does not drive a car anymore but likes to shop at Joeys once in a while, but she said it would be easier to take a bus to San Rafael than to east Larkspur.

Paul,

Gotta love the lingo? State route? Larkspur proper? The sophistication is dripping from your post.

BTW, you said "we" don't like to use the state route 101...you let the people of Novato use it, "they need it and we don't". Huh? You just said you have business in San Rafael and Novato. Do you fly there from southern Marin?

East Larkspur? This location of this shopping center is right next to the freeway in Greenbrae.

I have never heard anyone that knows Marin (which I know you do because you say so) refer to east Larkspur before. I suppose one could refer to Larkspur Landing as east Larkspur, but most just use the term Larkspur Landing for that area.

Marin Native wrote:

<quoted text>
Paul,
Gotta love the lingo? State route? Larkspur proper? The sophistication is dripping from your post.
BTW, you said "we" don't like to use the state route 101...you let the people of Novato use it, "they need it and we don't". Huh? You just said you have business in San Rafael and Novato. Do you fly there from southern Marin?
East Larkspur? This location of this shopping center is right next to the freeway in Greenbrae.
I have never heard anyone that knows Marin (which I know you do because you say so) refer to east Larkspur before. I suppose one could refer to Larkspur Landing as east Larkspur, but most just use the term Larkspur Landing for that area.

This is coming from Twin Cities police: Cost Plus Plaza is in Larkspur. It's to the east. That would make it east Larkspur.

I travel transcon frequently, and the posts above are correct: In virtually every case, save one that I know of, TJs have small, crowded parking lots. Montecito fits the model to a T. It does make for the typical funny commentary that's made it onto this board -- e.g., Yogi Berra's "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

Yes, but the question is - will there be adequate parking? I've yet to visit a TJ's that had a decent parking lot and I'm afraid the one at this shopping center is too small, as well.

Marin Native wrote:

<quoted text>
Paul,
Gotta love the lingo? State route? Larkspur proper? The sophistication is dripping from your post.
BTW, you said "we" don't like to use the state route 101...you let the people of Novato use it, "they need it and we don't". Huh? You just said you have business in San Rafael and Novato. Do you fly there from southern Marin?
East Larkspur? This location of this shopping center is right next to the freeway in Greenbrae.
I have never heard anyone that knows Marin (which I know you do because you say so) refer to east Larkspur before. I suppose one could refer to Larkspur Landing as east Larkspur, but most just use the term Larkspur Landing for that area.

I have been using 101 lately a lot, I travel in the reverse direction of the Novato commuters and never before 10:00 am. When I do have to go to Novato, I take the back roads home. You know I love to drive 100mph along Lake Nicasio. And the views from Ridgecrest Blvd. are by far the best part of Marin proper. When I go to San Rafael I can take surface streets or jump on 101 from M.V. to Greenbrae and then off at S.F.D for a cruise along the bay. I have owned automobiles since I was 14, 2 years before I had a drivers license so I learned all the back roads in Marin to avoid possible problems for driving without a license, and now I use back roads to avoid traffic congestion in central Marin.

montecito is fine, no one uses the overflow parking which there is always room, everybody always wants to park 10 feet from the storefront. just go 50 more freet down the road and there is plenty of parking.

PaulB22 wrote:

<quoted text>I have been using 101 lately a lot, I travel in the reverse direction of the Novato commuters and never before 10:00 am. When I do have to go to Novato, I take the back roads home. You know I love to drive 100mph along Lake Nicasio. And the views from Ridgecrest Blvd. are by far the best part of Marin proper. When I go to San Rafael I can take surface streets or jump on 101 from M.V. to Greenbrae and then off at S.F.D for a cruise along the bay. I have owned automobiles since I was 14, 2 years before I had a drivers license so I learned all the back roads in Marin to avoid possible problems for driving without a license, and now I use back roads to avoid traffic congestion in central Marin.

Thanks for the laugh. Good post.

montecito wrote:

montecito is fine, no one uses the overflow parking which there is always room, everybody always wants to park 10 feet from the storefront. just go 50 more freet down the road and there is plenty of parking.

I shop at TJ's and I now use the overflow parking lot too, but it is always full every time that I have been there. I always look for a stall at the end of a parking bay, hopefully that has a hashed off zone at the end. Door bangs are the worst problem with parking in all parking lots. If I can't get a safe spot to park, I will go somewhere else to shop.
Most people don't care about that kind of damage that their cars suffer from door bangs and lease a new car every 4 or 5 years. But I have a nice car that has to last me 30 or 40 more years, so I care. I avoid parking lots and the freeway like the swine flu !