Public Responds to TYPROS’ Initiative
Two hundred Trader Joe’s orders were picked up at Tulsa’s Young Professionals’ pop-up shop Saturday in the Brady District. The pop-up shop was an element of the inaugural Bring It To Tulsa campaign which highlighted the need for a full-service grocery store downtown and challenges with current Oklahoma liquor laws.
“The community has responded unimaginably,” says Hillary Parkhurst, 2013 ros chair. “We have a line into the street of people picking up their orders. Hopefully our efforts highlight the lack of grocery options in the downtown area.”
Nearly $7,000 worth of Trader Joe’s products were ordered on TYPros’ online shop during the two-week span it was open. The items available for purchase were top-selling Trader Joe’s items; the majority of which were the stores own brand products. Fans will know that a store favorite is the Two Buck Chuck, which is Trader Joe’s own wine that historically sold for $2 and now retails around $3. Although it tops the favorites-list, the Two Buck Chuck was not included in TYPros’ shop.
Trader Joe’s business model incorporates a significant amount of wine, beer and liquor products which inherently deters them from moving to Oklahoma where they would have to revise their sales model.
“Our current liquor laws are inhibiting economic development,” says Brian Paschal, ros executive director, “We are using Trader Joe’s as one example, but updating our liquor laws will positively impact our local grocers as well.”
ros Government Relations Crew set up an information booth at the Trader Joe’s pop-up shop with details about the current liquor laws and bills to watch in the 2013 legislative sessions. Shoppers could take the information home and more than 100 attendees chose to complete a letter to their legislator while they were in the shop.
Updated 03-05-2013
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