Yes, You Can Request A Trader Joe's In Your Town (And TJ's Encourages It). Here's How

If you've ever been to a Trader Joe's, you know firsthand that there are certain items you can only find there since the store exclusively sells products under their own brand label. Whether it's the tantalizing allure of limited-edition items that draw customers in seasonally (like these foods from Trader Joe's that are the perfect pumpkin pair), the must-have products for a sparkling kitchen, or your favorite day-to-day groceries, it makes sense you'd want one in your city to make quick shopping a breeze. Surprisingly, requesting a Trader Joe's storefront is pretty simple. It starts by shooting them an email using this link, which requires providing contact info and the desired brick-and-mortar location.

It's a little unclear on how to determine the efficacy of these location requests. While you may initially think your submission will go unnoticed, consider this Reddit user who shared how they requested a store in their city, and now one is coming to their town. On the other hand, another commenter shared that they have been submitting requests for the past nine years with no success. 

While the success stories seem to vary, there might be a method to the madness. Logistically speaking, if Trader Joe's receives numerous requests from different potential shoppers for one specific location, the odds of them deciding to build one may increase. This was the case with one Reddit user who shared how their community banded together and "they now have one only 1.6 miles from home." Whether it's pure persistence or staying true to the claim Trader Joe's makes — that "being wanted matters to us" — giving it your all might pay off with your favorite grocery store being closer than ever before. 

While this request email is a fantastic feature to help guide where stores are wanted, sending a bunch in still doesn't guarantee that a store will automatically appear. Unfortunately, this leaves customers who do not live near one with few options since TJ's doesn't offer online shopping, grocery delivery, or shipping services. Until they do, use this store-search tool and make the trip. If the trip to TJ's is too far,  you can always try out an Aldi instead. While you won't find the exact same items, Aldi and Trader Joe's have an unexpected connection, and Aldi produces its own private-label exclusive items at affordable prices, too.