TRADER JOE'S EYES SITES IN NEW YORK

MARK HAMSTRA

NEW YORK -- Trader Joe Co. may be following Whole Foods into New York City.

The South Pasadena, Calif.-based specialty food retailer has been actively scouting the city for sites, according to David Rosenberg, executive vice president of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, the real-estate firm here that has been working with Trader Joe's to secure locations. "Our analysis has determined that there's an opportunity for Trader Joe's to open multiple locations in Manhattan," he told SN last week.

In addition, Rosenberg said RKF has been working with the retailer to find sites in New York's other boroughs, although he speculated that the first locations would likely be in Manhattan. The chain, which has more than 200 stores, primarily in the Northeast and on the West Coast, also is seeking to enter the suburban areas of northern New Jersey, he said.

A spokeswoman for Trader Joe's declined to comment.

Trader Joe's is owned by the Aldi Group, Essen, Germany. It already operates eight stores in other suburban areas of New York, with a ninth on the way in Hartsdale.

According to Rosenberg, Trader Joe's is seeking sites measuring about 9,000 to 12,000 square feet where it can have four-foot by four-foot pallets delivered directly inside the store. Many existing structures in New York are set up for pallets to be broken down outside the store, he explained.

"It's going to take a little bit of creativity," he said.