Beloved grocery store Trader Joe’s has recently opened its new location at The Avenue shopping center in Peachtree City. With the store opening at 9 a.m. on October 27, this neighborhood grocery store is the new buzz around Peachtree City.
“I’m excited Trader Joe’s is now in The Avenue, but it’s just going to be too difficult traffic wise,” senior Joelle Barnett said. “It was already packed before but now with new parking strictly for Trader Joe’s, there’s going to be a problem for the other business to have their customers coming in and out.”
On Monday, lines wrapped around the building going all the way down to the Lululemon store before the store opened. At 6 a.m. on Monday it was cold outside with heavy rain, but not even weather could have stopped eager stoppers. People were reported to be waiting in line outside at 6 a.m., three hours before the store even opened.
The Avenue is a busy place in Peachtree City. It is home to over 20 shops and restaurants and is a hot place for activities. But with the opening of the grocery store chain Trader Joe’s, will there be any room to breathe around The Avenue?
Before the store even opened, it got so crowded that the Peachtree City Police Department asked people to leave the area. The department made a post on Facebook saying, “Trader Joe’s Update- The line to get in is wrapped past Lululemon. Please avoid the area.” What does this mean for the rest of the Avenue shopping center?
Trader Joe’s is an American chain of grocery stores known for its unique, private-label products at affordable prices.
Trader Joe’s faces potential traffic and parking problems. The Avenue is already a busy shopping center with lots of traffic and limited parking. Adding a store like Trader Joe’s is only going to add to the chaos.
“I was really excited to see that we had a Trader Joe’s going in at The Avenue, but I don’t plan on going for a few weeks,” senior Julianna Biel said. “I heard how busy it is going to be, so I am avoiding that area entirely so that I don’t get caught in traffic.”
The opening of the store comes amid efforts to upgrade the Highway 54/74 intersection. Because the congestion and traffic is already so bad at The Avenue, they are installing a new Displaced Left Turn to help decrease congestion and improve safety.
The Peachtree City Police Department cannot be there everyday regulating traffic and advising people on times to stay away. Granted, it probably will not be as busy as opening day, but the Avenue will still face problems in the near future.
Trader Joe’s is now operating at full capacity. They are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.