Their View: On Trader Joe's and the local economy

Trader Joe's is nothing to compare to Mtn View Market. They are two completely different stores. I love Mtn View Market now that it has been rescued from the depths by a gentleman who IS NOT a local, but rather had to be imported here from the east coast because locals couldn't grasp the idea of that a co-op was supposed to be and how it was to be run.

This is terrific, and he has completely turned the store around and made it a nice place to shop...but Randy also fails to note the employee turnover due to ????

TJ's won't come here because our economic base is pathetic. Why open a store someplace when you know you will lose money and can't find decent help? You think a good business plan includes hiring the kind of morons that live in Las Cruces?

The so-called 'farmer's market' is NOT a farmer's market. It is more of a weekly craft and art show. Few vendors sell anything of use at this thing. Nice to have it, but please don't say it is a 'farmer's market'.

Trader Joe's is not owned by foreign billionaires, and even if it was, so what? They sell products people want and enjoy, the atmosphere if fun and the employee's seem to be treated well and know the business. Try comparing walking into a TJ's as compared to walking into a local Albertson's or heaven forbid Walwart. I go to TJ's at least once a month while in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. I also go to Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) because MV Market is unable or unwilling to stock items I want and use.

This is one of the most idiotic columns I have read in many moons.

Do some research, Mr. Harris. I'm surprised you are on the board.

Oh, what a naive individual.

Do you think that the typical Trader Joe's consumer is either-or in their choices? I would offer that those (of us) who shop at TJs (was there yesterday) also frequent our local Co-op, the farmer's market, and local vendors.

The desire of a few is not enough to justify having a TJs in LC and that's why it won't happen anytime soon. LC simply can't sustain the volume and turnover of product that TJs in other locales can.

Regardless of where the products come from, that, my friend, is an economic reality.

Sure, Trader Joe's has some "cool" stuff that our current stores don't have. But in a country where in 50 years 1/3 of the population is predicted to be obese and diabetic, is shopping for "cool" products ALL there is to life in Las Cruces?

No, life in Las Cruces also involves drive-by shootings, running drugs, and holding car washes for dead gang members.

Frankly, I'd rather shop at Trader Joe's.

Randy Harris is a co-op member and serves on the board of directors at Mountain View Market. He makes his home in Las Cruces.

Like they taught us in grade school, "Consider the source." Nice plug, though....

Lucky Lager wrote:

Trader Joe's is nothing to compare to Mtn View Market. They are two completely different stores. I love Mtn View Market now that it has been rescued from the depths by a gentleman who IS NOT a local, but rather had to be imported here from the east coast because locals couldn't grasp the idea of that a co-op was supposed to be and how it was to be run.
This is terrific, and he has completely turned the store around and made it a nice place to shop...but Randy also fails to note the employee turnover due to ????
TJ's won't come here because our economic base is pathetic. Why open a store someplace when you know you will lose money and can't find decent help? You think a good business plan includes hiring the kind of morons that live in Las Cruces?
The so-called 'farmer's market' is NOT a farmer's market. It is more of a weekly craft and art show. Few vendors sell anything of use at this thing. Nice to have it, but please don't say it is a 'farmer's market'.
Trader Joe's is not owned by foreign billionaires, and even if it was, so what? They sell products people want and enjoy, the atmosphere if fun and the employee's seem to be treated well and know the business. Try comparing walking into a TJ's as compared to walking into a local Albertson's or heaven forbid Walwart. I go to TJ's at least once a month while in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. I also go to Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) because MV Market is unable or unwilling to stock items I want and use.
This is one of the most idiotic columns I have read in many moons.
Do some research, Mr. Harris. I'm surprised you are on the board.

Very well put. Your point of view reflects many of the high points of Capitalism. Sad that foreign-owned companies do as well as they do?? Then, people, start your own AMERICAN company that's competitive against some of the excellent "foreign-owned companies" or otherwise family-owned (non-franshised businesses) like IKEA, In n Out Burger, and yes, TJ's.

All three above-mentioned alternatives to TJ's are either way too expensive (ahem.....Toucan's....ahem) or don't carry things that people want. TJ's does both things outstandingly well, why beat them down for it?

Thanks for th chuckle, Lucky, yes I'm familiar with the "Whole Paycheck" concept but only bc Whole Foods has no many awesome products ;)

Trader Joe's in LC? Don't make me laugh. They no doubt do very detailed studies of where they want to put stores, and one of the benchmarks of that would be an economic profile of the area or city. LC can't even begin to meet the standards that would lure TJ's.....this is a poor area, and you'll never see TJ in a less than prosperous city or neighborhood.
Despite the consistent whining about price by posters, Toucan is doing a pretty good job, all things considered. I go out of my way to shop there because I don't want the store to go away. The counter help is always cheerful and helpful, the wine dept. excellent and reasonably priced, their meat, seafood and produce has been consistently excellent.
If you need to save your nickel, there's a Wallyworld a couple miles away. I, for one, can do without a store full of Chinese manufactured goods masquerading as an All American grocery store.

Mountain View Market is just a niche place for the few hippies left in town. Over priced and under stocked is usually the course of the day.

While is is cute to see the tie=dye and the 7 pairs of earrings on the employees ...

Like I said, it is a niche to a very small community here in lc.

Tou can.

We shop TJ's because the quality and variety are top notch. No grocery in LC compares. Up the quality, offer better variety, and just maybe MVM would be better shopped.

They don't have anywhere near the variety or product lines that most people go to trader Joes for. Lets be realistic, I go to the saturday market and the truck store, tucans is over priced for what they offer and none of them has 25% of what I shop at trader Joes for. Face it the shops you mention are fine for what they offer and that's what I get there but they don't offer much.

I have to register my own personal vote in favor of a Trader Joe's being located in Las Cruces. I was a long time customer of TJ's on the east coast, and I always found them to provide top quality food at seriously reasonable prices. Like our current organic sources, TJ's provides mostly organic options, but at prices lower than I have seen here. They will hire locally, and those employees will spend locally. Anything that gives the people of NM more healthy, reasonably priced options should be welcome.

If we get a Trader Joe's, Toucan's will be the first go belly up, followed by small specialty stores. TJ's is like Walmart for yuppies. If you think that is fine, go for it. I don't (I don't shop at Walmart, either, which has destroyed more small business owners than all the liberal policies people complain about).
I've gone to TJ's in Albuquerque, and my response is that their stock is ok, but the customers are unpleasant self-righteous people. Sort of like your average Seattleite. I don't want to become like all the big cities. Been there, done that, and NO THANK YOU.

Cato wrote:

If we get a Trader Joe's, Toucan's will be the first go belly up, followed by small specialty stores. TJ's is like Walmart for yuppies. If you think that is fine, go for it. I don't (I don't shop at Walmart, either, which has destroyed more small business owners than all the liberal policies people complain about).
I've gone to TJ's in Albuquerque, and my response is that their stock is ok, but the customers are unpleasant self-righteous people. Sort of like your average Seattleite. I don't want to become like all the big cities. Been there, done that, and NO THANK YOU.

Toucan's will go belly up because they can't compete because they are so OVERPRICED. I agree that TJ's customers can be unpleasant, among other descriptives, but I don't go there based on the other customers. I go there because their products are quite good, and yes, even their PRICES are REASONABLE. Contrary to popular belief, TJs is NOT high-priced at all! I don't know where people get that idea.

Maybe MVM saw what happened to Dickerson's when the convention center opened and it getting nervous about Trader Joe's. Eh wot!

Nacho Libre wrote:

Maybe MVM saw what happened to Dickerson's when the convention center opened and it getting nervous about Trader Joe's. Eh wot!

Better lay off the hashish nachos, Libre....a TJ in LC is a decade away, at best. They don't put 'em in low income areas like S. New Mexico.
And they're not really low priced...more like Whole Paycheck, which people don't seem to mind patronizing despite the prices.

I am sympathetic to the point of supporting local businesses, but I think it unfair to characterize Trader Joe's as some kind of elitist "theme park" shopping experience. It represents good value and selection for basic food items in a compact floor plan. Whole Foods of HEB's Central Market are what I think of as elitist. Regardless of who owns Trader Joe's, they take good care of their employees which is passed on to the way they take care of their customers. Trader Joe's is a great model of how retailers should treat their staff.

MVM doesn't have to fear from competition of Trader Joe's any time soon, but it not because of Las Cruces demographics. It is simply a matter of logistics. Their extensive reliance of TJ brands and keeping prices competitive means they need greater store density than southern NM/west Texas will support. I will continue to defer some of my food and beverage purchases until I am near Trader Joe's outlets in Tucson or Albuquerque.

Lucky Lager wrote:

Trader Joe's is nothing to compare to Mtn View Market. They are two completely different stores. I love Mtn View Market now that it has been rescued from the depths by a gentleman who IS NOT a local, but rather had to be imported here from the east coast because locals couldn't grasp the idea of that a co-op was supposed to be and how it was to be run.
This is terrific, and he has completely turned the store around and made it a nice place to shop...but Randy also fails to note the employee turnover due to ????
TJ's won't come here because our economic base is pathetic. Why open a store someplace when you know you will lose money and can't find decent help? You think a good business plan includes hiring the kind of morons that live in Las Cruces?
The so-called 'farmer's market' is NOT a farmer's market. It is more of a weekly craft and art show. Few vendors sell anything of use at this thing. Nice to have it, but please don't say it is a 'farmer's market'.
Trader Joe's is not owned by foreign billionaires, and even if it was, so what? They sell products people want and enjoy, the atmosphere if fun and the employee's seem to be treated well and know the business. Try comparing walking into a TJ's as compared to walking into a local Albertson's or heaven forbid Walwart. I go to TJ's at least once a month while in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. I also go to Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) because MV Market is unable or unwilling to stock items I want and use.
This is one of the most idiotic columns I have read in many moons.
Do some research, Mr. Harris. I'm surprised you are on the board.

I agree with you regarding the pathetic economic base in Las Cruces. I agree that Mtn. View Market has a significant turnover rate. But, to say, "the kind of morons that live in Las Cruces" seems to discredit anyone who has tried to support Mtn. View Market (as an employee, board member, or patron).

What would you envision for a Farmer's Market? And what would you consider "anything of use"?

Also, there are more important issues in the world than a "fun atmosphere" in your local market. Moreover, I doubt you've ever worked at the Mtn. View Market nor known anyone who has, because employees (at least within the last year) have been treated quite well and I know this from personal experience.

As far as your challenge with Mtn. View Market's unwillingness to stock the products you're looking for, I'm wondering what those products are. The store has an extensive ability to special order products and I would be shocked if they couldn't help you find exactly what you want or, at least, provide an equal alternative.

Perhaps you could refine your discourse and then discuss "idiotic columns" and local "morons".

Boomer writes:
"MVM doesn't have to fear from competition of Trader Joe's any time soon, but it not because of Las Cruces demographics. It is simply a matter of logistics. Their extensive reliance of TJ brands and keeping prices competitive means they need greater store density than southern NM/west Texas will support."
What do you think drives the logistics? Population, and the demographics of that population. You've got 750,000 people in El Paso County, yet no TJ. Close to 100.000 in or near LC, yet no TJ. Santa Fe? 72,000, yet there is a TJ.
It's not about how many people live in an area, it's about WHO lives there...demographics. And the demographics drive distribution, economy of scale, sources of supply = logistics.
TJ won't go into El Paso for the same reason they won't go into LC. Demographics. If they ever do open in EP, then LC would at least have a ghost of a chance, thanks to population AND logistics.

Desertdawg wrote:

Boomer writes:
"MVM doesn't have to fear from competition of Trader Joe's any time soon, but it not because of Las Cruces demographics. It is simply a matter of logistics. Their extensive reliance of TJ brands and keeping prices competitive means they need greater store density than southern NM/west Texas will support."
What do you think drives the logistics? Population, and the demographics of that population. You've got 750,000 people in El Paso County, yet no TJ. Close to 100.000 in or near LC, yet no TJ. Santa Fe? 72,000, yet there is a TJ.
It's not about how many people live in an area, it's about WHO lives there...demographics. And the demographics drive distribution, economy of scale, sources of supply = logistics.
TJ won't go into El Paso for the same reason they won't go into LC. Demographics. If they ever do open in EP, then LC would at least have a ghost of a chance, thanks to population AND logistics.

It's because LC has too many old people who do not spend any money.