Trader Joe's Will Open In Salt Lake Friday

There is quite a lot of buzz in Salt Lake City about the opening of a new Trader Joe's store, at 634 East 400 South. It will open to the public tomorrow at 8 am.

Why's a new grocery store a big deal? Well, some people think it is another sign that Salt Lake is becoming more cosmopolitan, stylish and diverse. That it makes our capital city a more desirable destination.

The Deseret News has this article about the store opening. Below are excerpts.

Founded in 1958, the grocery chain includes nearly 400 stores in 34 states, carrying an array of domestic and imported foods and beverages including fresh-baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items, and vitamins and supplements, as well as the basics like milk and eggs.

“Anything under the Trader Joe label doesn’t have any artificial flavoring, coloring or preservatives,” said Rory Violette, who has the title of "store captain." “We carry the basics … to the exotic — at a really good value.”

A key to its success may be the unique product lines and attractive pricing — and no formal advertising.

It's all a deliberate marketing scheme, according to Westminster College marketing professor Nancy Panos Schmitt.

“People swear by various categories of goods that you can only buy there obviously, so people are very excited about Trader Joe's,” she said.