All Over Albany

Trader Joe's Wolf Road opening in August

The exterior as of May 30.

Update: The store opened August 3 as planned. Here was a preview tour we got that week.
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The opening date for the Trader Joe's on Wolf Road is August 3 (a Friday), the company announced in a press release today. The store will open at 8 am that day. (Odds there will be a line before it opens: good. Odds people will be camping out: not bad.)

The company also says it will start accepting applications for jobs on June 18. "Interested individuals need to apply in person and can obtain an application on site or online."

Full press release post jump.

Prediction pool: No one had August 3 in the Supermarket Week Trader Joe's prediction pool. But Amy and Jenna both had August 1, which turned out to be a pretty good guess.

Trader Joe's to Open in Albany
Store Scheduled to Open Friday, August 3rd at 8am

(June 4, 2012) Monrovia, CA - Trader Joe's, a unique, neighborhood grocery store with foods and beverages from the exotic to the basic, has scheduled a Friday, August 3rd opening day for the Albany, New York location. The store is located at 79 Wolf Road, is approximately 13,000 square feet in size and will be open from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm, daily. Crewmember applications will be accepted beginning June 18th at 10am. Interested individuals need to apply in person and can obtain an application on site or online at http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/employment_application.pdf.

Trader Joe's was originally named in recognition of its distinct grocery buying process, because they search the world for great values and distinctive products. Crew members (store employees) consider themselves "traders on the culinary seas." Crewmembers sport brightly colored Hawaiian-themed shirts, adding to the light-hearted air of the store.

Many area residents after the store opens can expect to receive a copy of the Trader Joe's "Fearless Flyer" in their mailboxes. The Fearless Flyer is a somewhat irreverent description of a timely selection of Trader Joe's products. It's been called a cross between Consumer Reports and Mad Magazine. Each edition highlights a selection of Trader Joe's products that the company buyers believe are worthy of customer interest, including comfort foods and items that are organic or have other special attributes.

Trader Joe's carries an extensive array of domestic and imported foods and beverages including fresh baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, 100% juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items, and vitamins and supplements, as well as the basics, like milk and eggs - all at honest, low prices.

Trader Joe's is truly a grocery store unlike any other. Trader Joe's is a "store of stories," meaning every item in the store has its own virtues -- high quality ingredients, great flavor or simply an extraordinary price -- many items often feature all of those qualities. Another significant point of difference, all of Trader Joe's prices are everyday prices. Trader Joe's doesn't have "sales" for a few days, only to hike the prices back up again. Their prices change only when their costs change -- there are no fancy promotions, discount cards or couponing wars.

So how does Trader Joe's offer unique groceries at prices everyone can afford? By offering more than 2000 items under the Trader Joe's private label, which includes Trader Darwin's vitamins (For the Survival of the Fittest), Trader José's salsas, Trader Giotto's marinara sauces, in addition to specially purchased items.

Also, Trader Joe's buys differently than other grocers - they purchase from manufacturers, not through distributors. They'll take a brand name product, take out the preservatives and artificial colors and ingredients, and put it under their Trader Joe's label to sell it at a real discount.

Trader Joe's introduces approximately a dozen new items every week, heightening the store's adventurous appeal. Our buyers travel around the world searching out unique products at great values. In order for an item to be sold in a Trader Joe's store, it must pass the scrutiny of a discerning tasting panel. Thousands of items are tasted each year to find products that both appeal to the culinary adventurer and microwave aficionado.

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