Business & Tech

Trader Joe's Confirms Interest In Brick

Shoppers craving the company's grocery offerings closer to home in Ocean County may just have their wishes granted.

Trader Joe's officials confirmed they are looking at possible locations in Brick Township. Nothing is finalized.
Trader Joe's officials confirmed they are looking at possible locations in Brick Township. Nothing is finalized. (Joe Raedle/Getty Image)

BRICK, NJ — All you Trader Joe's fans need to double- and triple-cross your appendages: The company says it is working on it.

Talk that the grocery store may come to the township has been a mixture of rumors and wishful thinking for years, but it has heated up in recent days, with Mayor John G. Ducey mentioning the possibility during an appearance at St. Dominic School for career day last Friday.

On Wednesday, Kenya Friend-Daniel, the public relations director for Trader Joe's, confirmed there are discussions ongoing to bring the store and its unique private label offerings to the township.

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"We are interested in bringing a store to that location, and are taking the necessary steps to make that happen," she said. "However, plans are not finalized. I look forward to sharing additional information, if/when there’s more to share."

On Tuesday, during his Facebook Live broadcast, Ducey addressed the topic, saying "there's nothing to announce yet."

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"It's something I am wholeheartedly working on," Ducey said. There are a couple of spots that are possibilities, he said, but did not elaborate.

Brick has three grocery stores — a ShopRite at the corner of Route 70 and Chambers Bridge Road, and a Stop 'N' Shop on Brick Boulevard not far from the Toms River border, and an Aldi between Routes 70 and 88 — but residents in the township and nearby have long clamored for a store such as a Whole Foods, Wegman's or Trader Joe's.

If the California-based company is able to hammer out a deal on a site, it would be the first Trader Joe's in Ocean County. The nearest one currently for Ocean County residents is in Shrewsbury in Monmouth County. There are 13 locations in New Jersey currently.

Stay tuned!

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