Popular grocery chain Trader Joe’s has expanded its presence in the Phoenix-area, adding another store in the East Valley.

Article originally posted here.

On Oct. 16, Trader Joe’s will open its 11th Valley store in Queen Creek.

The Monrovia, California-based grocer is taking over a newly built 12,500 square-foot building in the Queen Creek Marketplace shopping center.

Phoenix-based Vestar, which owns and operates Queen Creek Marketplace, has actively been adding popular brands to its Queen Creek center in the last year, including Total Wine, Skechers, Barrio Queen and Nekter.

“Trader Joe’s is a grocer unlike any other,” Angie Kory, Vestar’s vice president of leasing, said in statement. “Between products you won’t find anywhere else, a vast wine and beer selection and friendly employees, we know Trader Joe’s will be an incredible addition to our already extensive mix of Queen Creek Marketplace shops and restaurants.”

Adding Trader Joe’s to Queen Creek Marketplace adds another supermarket option for consumers in one of the Valley’s fastest-growing areas. In the same center as Trader Joe’s there is a SuperTarget and across the street there is a Sprouts Farmers Market location.

This is the second new store in the Valley Trader Joe’s has opened this year. In July it opened an 11,000-square-foot location adjacent to the Arizona State University Campus in Tempe at 940 E. University Ave.

According to Chain Store Guide’s 2020 Grocery Industry Market Share report, Trader Joe’s own 1.8% of the Valley’s market share in the grocery sector. The company reported local sales of $265.36 million last year.

While Trader Joe’s is far from the biggest grocer in the Valley, it is one of the most popular, especially in communities where there isn’t one. A number of Valley communities have started Facebook groups and social media campaigns asking Trader Joe’s to open in their area. The mayor and Goodyear City Council declared Dec. 13, 2019 “We Want Trader Joe’s Day” in the West Valley city. Goodyear claimed to be the first city to issue such a proclamation.

Phoenix is one of the country’s most competitive markets for grocery stores. With Maricopa County’s population continuing to grow and more grocery chains coming to town, consumers have more options and store operators usually have to operate on thinner margins to win over costumers.