Here’s An Idea – Put This Popular Retail Space in the Former Macy’s

I know - might be a little too soon.  But maybe we should start thinking about what should go into what will soon be the former Macy's location here in St. Cloud.

The smart money is on them dividing up Macy's like they did with the former Sears location at Crossroads Mall with some other retail spaces that are smaller.  BUT, how about this idea...

TRADER JOE'S WOULD BE GREAT IN THAT SPACE

If you have been to a Trader Joe's you know how great this would be to have in the St. Cloud area.  The closest one to us is located in Maple Grove.  When I lived in Rochester, there was one there and we went there quite often.  They have some very fun, unique items that you really can't get in other grocery stores.

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WHY ISN'T THERE A TRADER JOE'S IN ST. CLOUD ALREADY

I did a little research to find out why there isn't a Trader Joe's in St. Cloud already.  And I found some criteria as to what it would it take to bring a Trader Joe's here.  And this is what I found.

• Customer Focus: They look for areas with sufficient customer density and demographics that match their typical shoppers (often young, educated, higher-income).
• Traffic & Accessibility: Good traffic flow and easy access in and out of the location are crucial.
• Deliberate Growth: Unlike many chains, TJ's opens stores individually, not in large batches, choosing sites carefully to avoid rapid, risky expansion.
• Real Estate: Finding suitable, affordable commercial space for their distinctive stores is a major consideration

The above is just what they are looking for in general when they consider a town and space.  What about St. Cloud specifically?

• While the St. Cloud metro area has over 200,000 people, which is a good start, it might not tick all of Trader Joe's boxes for a new location.
• They haven't established a strong presence in Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities, suggesting they're still building their regional strategy. 

If you would like to request a Trader Joe's or any other retail space or restaurant to come to the St. Cloud area, you can sure request that.  Doesn't mean it will happen, but if enough people do that, it could happen.  It might also be a great space for a bar/restaurant.  Would be great to have that again in the Crossroad's Mall.