With Trader Joe’s set to open, local groceries not changing approach

As local shoppers anticipate the opening of California-based supermarket Trader Joe’s on Thursday, the owners of nearby grocery stores say they are not doing anything differently to prepare for the new competition. “We’re constantly preparing for competition,” says Mark Calandro, owner of Calandro’s Supermarket, which has locations on Government Street and Perkins Road. “It never stops. Trader Joe’s is just another store opening.” Kristina Bradford, the marketing director for the Whole Foods Market on Corporate Boulevard, echoes that sentiment. “We’re doing what we always do,” she says. “We always try to have great prices for our guests and offer great deals.” Meanwhile, Cliff Boulden, co-owner of Bet-R—which at the Perkins Road Overpass is located closest to Trader Joe’s among local grocers (less than a mile away)—says all business owners should always be ready for competition, not just when a new store opens down the street. “From the beginning, we’ve been very community-oriented and friendly,” he says. “We’ve listened to our customers all this time. When competition comes down the street, you should’ve been doing that all along.” As detailed in a Business Report cover story on indie grocers from 2012, Bet-R completed a 3,700-square-foot expansion in January 2011 in anticipation of the newcomer. Trader Joe’s is the anchor tenant of the new shopping center at Perkins Road and South Acadian Thruway; the 13,000-square-foot store will be its first in Louisiana. Petco became the first retailer to open in the center earlier this month, with others following in the coming weeks. —Rachel Alexander