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Upper West Side: Will Trader Joe’s Knock Fairway Off the Map?Trader Joe’s is planning an Upper West Side outpost on Broadway at 72nd. Here’s NY Magazine’s report: With locations on 14th Street, Cobble Hill, and Rego Park, [Trader Joe's] will now open a two-level store in a tower under construction at Broadway and 72nd Street next year, according to a proposal submitted to the local community board. It’s a foodie neighborhood, with Fairway and Citarella two blocks north and Zabar’s on West 80th Street. “Nobody wants to have a bunch of competition, and obviously the same people would shop there as shop with us,” says Steve Jenkins, Fairway’s manager. “But we’ve taken competition before, and we’ve kicked their butts.” Trader Joe’s declined to comment. With outposts in Queens and on 14th St, Trader Joe’s is clearly seeking beachheads in the various boroughs. It’s great that the popular store will be servicing the Upper West Side. Still, despite Jenkins’ intention to fight until the last piece of Fairway cheese has curdled and died, I worry about the fate of this iconic Upper West Side grocer. Clearly, Fairway is already feeling the hot breath of competition from the new guys in the ‘hood. Over the last few months, the grocer has mailed out coupons to Upper West Side households. That’s a sure sign the market is feeling the heat, which is only going to intensify with the planned TJ’s opening only two blocks away and with the opening of the new Whole Foods at 98th and Columbus some time in 2009. After years of Soviet-style deprivation, it’s great to have a plethora of food stores to choose from. However, I hope the new guys don’t knock Fairway off the block.
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Fairway will do fine. Their prices are not as competitive as they used to be (their avocados never go below $2 ea., even when they were 4 for $5 at Westside Market) but they still have a great selection of goods for reasonable prices and they are open late. Trader Joes is an amazing store that I can’t wait to have in the hood but it won’t have nearly the same variety of produce or organic food. I just wish TJ’s had gone to the 80s or 90s–there are a lot of places on Broadway in the 70s but the 90s have been ceded to Barzini’s, which could use some competition.
I agree, it would be great to have better stores in the 80s and 90s. Whole Foods when it opens will help the problem a bit.
There is no comparison between Trader Joe’s and Fairway, and for that matter Whole Foods. Trader Joe’s is not known for its produce. Unless, you’re interested in prepackaged produce, one doesn’t buy fruit and vegetables at Trader Joe’s. Fairway is not that great either but it’s better than your average supermarket for produce. I live around the corner from the West Side Market on 110th St and have always complained about everything in there except their slightly better than average prices on produce. Whole Foods, Whole Paycheck is not for your average consumer. The prices are outrageous at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s will be a threat to the Columbus Circle store.
For produce and if you own a car, you’re better off joining the Park Slope Food Coop or the Bronx Food Coop if you live on the upper west side.
Trader Joe’s is great for wholesome prepared foods, bread, nuts, sweets, dairy products and a many other items. I am always searching for TJs when I go to other parts of the country.
does anyone know when the new trader joes is opening?
Fairway is so crowded now at almost any hour that I will welcome Trader Joe’s if for no other reason that to help make it easier to navigate at Fairway.
[...] Trader Joes is Coming to 72nd and Broadway on the Upper West Side [...]
Come on…..TJ vs Fairway?! I go out of my way for Fairway and would not, & do not for TJ. TJ is the home of gross prepared foods, poorly stored chocolate, and just plain middle of the road crap. Fairway has it all, yes it’s crowded but the overall quality at fairway is scads above TJ. I wish TJ would go back to California or whereever they’re from.
Fairway is a classic example of what happens when a good store has too little competition. Yes, the inventory is very good, but entering the place and shopping there is as dehumanizing an experience you can have in the city. It’s far too crowded and people act like selfish animals inside, it’s dirty and about half the square footage it needs to be. They’ve never had to address these issues because they have a Manhattan monopoly (meaning five blocks in either direction). Fairway will either suffer big time or make the needed improvements. Capitalism at work.
Fairway could use a little healthy competition. I have been shopping there since 1986, and though the gourmet and grocery expansion has been great, what it used to be known for was cheap QUALITY produce. You could get better prices for slightly lesser quality produce “Outside.” Now, inside or out it is clear that Fairway buys lesser grade fruit and pawns it off on the UWS at premium prices. It has been going on for years, and I find it quite frustrating. Sometimes I can’t find an unbruised piece of fruit in an entire pile. It’s terrible.
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