Portland has traded one high-end supermarket for another, as Wild Oats has been replaced by a new Trader Joe's store. The grocery chain is breaking into Maine's organic and natural foods market with today's opening of its first store in the state.
The announcement of the store's opening has been met with much excitement throughout the Portland community. The location's Store Captain Tracy Acciola told the Portland Press Herald that residents have called the store saying they were skipping work and taking kids out of school in order to attend the grand opening.
Bowdoin students had mixed responses to the announcement of the arrival of Trader Joe's.
When asked if he would ever shop at Trader Joe's, San Francisco native Alejandro Artiga-Purcell '11 said, "No, Hannaford's is just closer. It's just a long way to go shopping."
Nonetheless, for many Portland area residents, the arrival of Trader Joe's in Portland has been long awaited. The natural and organic grocery store Wild Oats formerly occupied the location until, according to an April 21, 2010 article in the Christian Science Monitor, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) intervened. The article mentioned that when Whole Foods bought out rival Wild Oats Market in 2007, the FTC filed a lawsuit, "claiming Whole Foods' acquisition of Wild Oats Markets violated antitrust statutes." According to the article, the result of the lawsuit was that the parent company Whole Foods was required to sell off some of its locations to "government-approved buyers," and that Portland's Trader Joe's was a recipient of one of these sales.
According to its website, Trader Joe's has over 325 stores nationwide.
Beth Kowitt '07 reported in Fortune magazine that Trader Joe's is "an offbeat, fun discovery zone that elevates food shopping from a chore to a cultural experience."
The chain's features include an array of natural and organic foods. Trader Joe's is especially famous for its cheap wines, which, according to the Portland Press Herald, will sell for $2.59 a bottle at the Portland location.
Charlotte native Matthew Silton '13, understood the interest that Portland residents had in the arrival of Trader Joe's.
"It was really exciting when Trader Joe's opened in Charlotte," he said. "I think some people will be willing to drive [to Portland] to get their groceries."
Bowdoin students interested in shopping at Trader Joe's, but without access to a car, can still reach the store. The Portland shuttle provided by Bowdoin Student Government drops students off less than a mile's walk away from the store. Located on 87 Marginal Way in Portland, Trader Joe's will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.