Trader Joe’s customers were confused after a new California location opened right across the street from another.
A new store opened at 14140 Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, on June 6.
However there was already an existing Trader Joe’s location only about 100 yards away – at 14119 Riverside Drive.
A TikTok user speculated, ‘Maybe we are living in a simulation, because that seems like a glitch in the matrix,’ in response to a video showing two stores, as shared by ShavsPaper.
One TikToker claimed that the original store is one of the busiest in the state, so the retailer is testing the two spots.
Another claimed the opening of the new store was delayed, so the chain had to re-sign the lease for the old location.
Trader Joe’s has not confirmed the reason, but the chain is planning to operate both of them.
Trader Joe’s spokesperson Nakia Rohde assured, ‘We’ve had a great relationship with our customers in Sherman Oaks for 52 years, and we plan to keep both stores open,’ in an interview with DailyMail.com.
Trader Joe’s opened a new store in Sherman Oaks, California, on June 6
Many shoppers find no issue with having two stores in close proximity and view it as advantageous, especially when it comes to easily finding popular items such as the viral mini tote bags.
L.A. in a Minute host Evan Lovett had nothing but good things to say about the new location last week in a TikTok video.
‘It’s modern, it’s spacious, it’s got an expanded freezer and refrigerated section. It’s a great store,’ he said.
Lovett also pointed out that it has a separate parking garage, unlike the other Riverside Drive store.
‘The smaller Trader Joe’s wasn’t crowded and all the stuff was in there. I parked with no issue for the first time ever on a Sunday,’ a shopper claimed on TikTok.
A few shoppers insisted the older location is superior even though it makes some customers feel ‘claustrophobic.’
‘Who wants to park your car in a garage that you need a ticket for?! Then get into a small elevator! Just wait until it gets crowded w/all those new apartments in that complex!,’ a person commented.
‘H*** no, I won’t go. The old one is fantastic: You get in and out in minutes, and the staff is fantastic,’ another shopper responded.
Others insisted they would visit the new store when they had a chance but would continue visiting the other one now that it will be ‘mostly empty.’
The store opening left shoppers confused due to the new location’s proximity to another operating Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years
Trader Joe’s did not confirmed the reason for the two stores, but the chain is planning to operate both of them
The grocery store is known for its miniature tote bags which went viral
Founded in 1967, Trader Joe’s has become a supermarket empire in the US operating about 600 locations.
The chain made headlines last year after its tote bags became the talk of TikTok.
Shoppers began reselling its Mini Insulated Totes for $100 on eBay, and customers would line up around the block just to get their hands on the $3 bags.
Trader Joe’s brings back bags from time to time, and shoppers were in a frenzy last March after its $4 collapsible totes returned to stores.
The chain is in the process of opening nearly two dozen locations across 13 states, the first bunch launching a few months ago.
As of now, the latest Trader Joe’s location opened last week in Tracy, Georgia.
The only states that don’t house a Trader Joe’s are Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
