Trader Joe's Sues Gristedes

NEW YORK — Specialty grocery chain Trader Joe's, based in Monrovia, Calif., filed a lawsuit last week against Gristedes, alleging that a new store format Gristedes plans to open this week called Trader John's is a copycat of the Trader Joe's format.

The new store is located on West 14th Street in Manhattan, just a few blocks from Manhattan's only Trader Joe's.

According to the suit, Trader John's is similar both in exterior appearance and in the interior design. The new store is a “blatant attempt to confuse consumers and capitalize on Trader Joe’s hard-earned goodwill,” the lawsuit states.

A Gristedes spokesman could not be reached for comment, but John Catsimatidis, chairman of Gristedes parent Red Apple Group, was quoted as saying that the store is named after him. "My name is John, and I'm a trader," he told the Bloomberg news service.

Read More of Today's Headlines