Goodyear wants a Trader Joe’s, and it wants one bad.
The Southwest Valley city sent birthday wishes to the Monrovia-based specialty grocery store on its 55th anniversary Thursday.
Goodyear held a virtual birthday celebration to commemorate the day with guests like Mayor Joe Pizzillo and residents chiming in about their love of Trader Joe’s.
The SoCal grocery chain has been the target of a persistent marketing campaign from the city of Goodyear for the past few years. It has also consistently ranked at the top of residents’ wishlists in the city’s retail survey, conducted every two years.
“We're gonna spend today letting Trader Joe’s know just how much support they have here in the Goodyear community,” said city spokesperson Jordan Byrd.
“They have an interesting assortment of things you don't find at most other grocery stores,” one resident said on camera in front of the new city hall.
“I haven't been to a Trader Joe’s in a really long time because it’s too far away,” another said on camera.
Founder Joe Coulombe opened the first Trader Joe’s in Pasadena in 1967. The specialty grocery chain now has more than 500 locations across the U.S. but none in Arizona’s far Southwest Valley.
The closest Trader Joe’s to Goodyear is more than 20 miles away in Surprise, which can add up to a long drive, especially during busy times of the day.
It’s not the first time Goodyear has pulled out all the stops in hopes of attracting the grocery giant.
In 2019, the city held a ceremony in which the mayor declared Dec. 13 ‘We Want a Trader Joe’s Day.’ Residents held signs, signed petitions and tagged social media comments with #JoesInGoodyear.
In the winter of 2020, the city’s digital communications department released an 18-second animated video reiterating its undying desire for a Trader Joe’s.
It’s unclear if Trader Joe’s has plans to build a location in the Southwest Valley anytime soon, but the rapidly-growing city is holding out hope.
“Goodyear is a fast-growing community,” Lori Gary, of the city’s economical development department told the Independent last year. “Just because the market might not be right today, it will certainly be right down the road.”
The Independent has reached out to Trader Joe’s for comment but has yet to receive a response at the time of publication.
Madeline Ackley Salazar can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.
Madeline Ackley is a Phoenix-area native who joined Independent Newsmedia in July 2021 as a reporter for the Goodyear-Litchfield Park Independent. She is passionate about delivering hyperlocal coverage of issues that matter to her community.
She has previously covered immigration, policing, homelessness, veteran’s issues and breaking news and her byline has appeared in The Arizona Mirror, The Arizona Republic, The Phoenix Business Journal and Cronkite News.
Madeline is passionate about animal welfare and the environment. She loves to cook, travel and spend time with her family.
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