Better Grocery Options for South Seattle Residents
Why we want a Trader Joe's in Rainier Beach!
As proud residents of Rainier Beach, one of Seattle's wonderfully diverse neighborhoods, we are frustrated with the lack of options for affordable, nutritious, and environmentally conscious grocery stores. Our neighborhood is growing fast, more developers are looking at Rainier Beach for investment, and development is on the rise. While this progress is good, we want some say in the types of chain stores that come into our neighborhood. "We Want Trader Joe's" is a grass roots campaign to show Trader Joe's that we support their mission and we invite them to be our new neighborhood grocery chain. We are also making a statement of support for those chain stores who give something back to the community and directly benefit the wide array of people who call Rainier Beach home.
Access to Healthier Options: Everyone deserves access to affordable and nutritious food. For Rainier Beach residents, grocery store options are limited. Often we have to travel to neighboring Skyway or Renton to find our favorite healthy, value-priced foods. While we are fortunate to have a handful of small independent grocers & local urban farming projects, a mid-sized grocery store like Trader Joe's would reduce the burden on the residents of Rainier Beach in seeking out healthier options, especially those for whom transportation is an issue. Trader Joe's also offers a wider selection of organic foods, including vegan, gluten-free and Kosher foods
Affordable Products: Many stores charge a premium for quality foods. Trader Joe's buys direct from their suppliers, they buy in volume and contract early to get the best prices, and they don't charge their suppliers fees that result in higher prices. In addition Trader Joe's uses a smaller store footprint which keeps overhead costs down. All of this leads to direct savings to the customer, whether low-income, or just value conscious.
Shaping development: Rainier Beach has a strong presence of small businesses, which we believe is essential to a strong economy. As our local businesses grow, it will naturally attract chain stores to the thriving economy, and that is where our campaign becomes especially important. You can't stop progress, but we hope to shape it by specifically inviting the kinds of businesses we want here in Rainier Beach.
It's a store we already love: Many Rainier Beach residents already shop at Trader Joe's but have to drive to other neighbourhoods to do so. It's a great store and we think Rainier Beach deserves one of its own.
Join us in inviting Trader Joe's to open their next store in Rainier Beach! Let's show them they have a large customer base ready and waiting for them to be our neighborhood grocery store.
We love Trader Joe's not only because of their food, prices and vast number of items, but also because of the ambiance they've created. For us walking into a Trader Joe's is like stepping back into our past where the neighborhood store where we bought our groceries when we were children was a friendly place with the warmth of the wooden floors, all the items organized with flair and charm and the employees treated us like family and they were always glad to see us. -Anita & Fernando
We love Trader Joe's. Right now I go to Burien or West Seattle and stock up once a month or so. If you were in the neighborhood you would be our primary grocery store (like PCC was before they moved) - Josie
We want Trader Joes because the food is amazing, and it'll help our neighborhood be less of a food desert. It would provide a much-needed oasis. - Annika
We love Trader Joe's not only because of their food, prices and vast number of items, but also because of the ambiance they've created. For us walking into a Trader Joe's is like stepping back into our past where the neighborhood store where we bought our groceries when we were children was a friendly place with the warmth of the wooden floors, all the items organized with flair and charm and the employees treated us like family and they were always glad to see us. -Anita & Fernando
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Did you know...
Trader Joe's has been offering their reusable "Save-A-Tree" canvas bags since 1977? Trader Joe's is a leader in socially responsible food, from selling only sustainably caught seafood, to eradicating genetically modified items from their shelves. Additionally, not having to travel to another city to access healthy foods will reduce the carbon footprint of Rainier Beach's residents.
Trader Joes is good for local property values.
According to a report released by Zillow, homes in proximity to a Trader Joe's appreciate faster. Read more here.