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It's been more than two years since Borders Books shuttered at that same site in the strip mall in the northern part of the city.
Trader Joe's is known for its irreverent style -- it calls its staff "crew members" and dresses them in Hawaiian shirts. The store prides itself on its unconventional and interesting products, usually sold under the Trader Joe's label.
Consumers in Stamford had made their desire known for Trader Joe's to join the community's shopping options. A poll of Daily Voice readers a year ago found that Trader Joe's was a popular choice to fill the huge empty storefront near the Merritt Parkway.
"Never heard anything at the level of interest with a particular location like this one,” said Norman Lotstein, the Pyramid Real Estate broker who handled the property and signed up Trader Joe's. Finding an "anchor" tenant with the ability to draw people to the shopping center was important for Lotstein. “They would do that, be a high traffic generator,” he said of Trader Joe’s.
A large amount of demolition and reconstruction was required at the site to convert the book store into a grocer. The Trader Joe's, which had been expected to open early in 2013, is opening more than a year after the lease signing was announced.
Trader Joe’s has seven Connecticut locations in total, with other stores in Danbury, Darien, Fairfield and Westport as well as in Orange and West Hartford.
Need a GPS-friendly address? The new store is at 1041 High Ridge Road. Call 203-321-8440 for more information.
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