new concept | Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

I have not been to it yet but I’ve read about this new kind of a smaller Trader Joe’s which they recently opened in New York City.

It seems to be a new concept type store for Trader Joe’s being a smaller store focused on “Grab and Go”. It’s located in New York City on East 14th Street where the new smaller store is literally right next door to a regular Trader Joe’s – which is almost always crowded with long lines. As you can see, the sign says: “Trader Joe’s Pronto“.

This space is where a late lamented and much beloved Trader Joe’s wine store used to be (sigh!). Trader Joe’s closed this much loved Wine Store (double sigh!) quickly and without warning about a year back. Now this is taking it’s place in that space.

‘Trader Joe’s Pronto’: Company launches grab-and-go concept amid controversy

Trader Joe’s PRONTO‘s concept is to be a “Grab and “Go” place where you can run in and run out featuring thing like their sandwiches, salads, soups, snacks and the like, for one to get in and get out fast. This is obviously targeted at customers who want say a fast lunch or snack and not have to wait in line behind a mom with 40 items in her cart buying a week’s groceries. Trust me that normal Trader Joe’s East 14th street store can be insanely packed with very long lines that wrap around the entire inside of the store; it’s crazy popular, one reason being an NYU dorm very close by (think “munchies”)! So with this new PRONTO store someone should be able to run in, grab a sandwich, bag of chips and a drink and just pay for it immediately.

A TikTok shows someone checking it out.

The Pronto store carries limited items focusing on grab and go options such as : sandwiches, salads, yogurts, beverages and other ready-to-eat snacks. Besides say workers perhaps wanting to buy their lunch as potential customers this particular location has a “built in” potential for customers. Students. There just happens to be a huge New York University dormitory right next door. NYU students literally just have to go downstairs and walk maybe 30 feet to shop at Trader Joe’s, you can imagine a demographic bonanza. Say a thousand or more hungry students, who’ve been shopping at the regular Trader Joe’s store there for years anyways. They are probably a big reason that store is almost always crowded with long lines. Of course not mention many other potential customers in that very busy immediate area around Union Square. I see this as win-win for Trader Joe’s. I would guess this new Prono store a test to see how this Grab and Go type of store works out.

No doubt if this new concept, smaller “Pronto” store proves successful (and how could this not?) I will not be the least surprised if Trader Joe’s opens more of these Pronto stores elsewhere, especially in big urban locations.