Lafayette’s New Trader Joe’s is Unlike Any Other in the United States
LAFAYETTE, La. - Today (9/17/26) the brand new location of Trader Joe's in Lafayette is officially open. Driving by Trader Joe's this morning on Camellia, the parking lot was completely full as shoppers eagerly waited in line for the doors open.
If you've never been to a Trader Joe's, there's something about the new Lafayette location that is reportedly unique, making it different from any other location in the U.S. according to one of the stores managers.
If you have been to Trader Joe's before, you might instantly realize what sets Lafayette's Trader Joe's apart from any other location you've been too. It's not an Earth shattering difference, but it's definitely something seasoned Trader Joe's shoppers will notice as soon as they pull into the new Lafayette location.
A little About Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe's first opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967. The company has built its identity around opening small neighborhood stores, a rotating selection of products, Trader Joe's brand products, and a focus on keeping prices down. Trader Joe’s says it works to keep prices low by buying directly from suppliers when possible, and buying in volume.
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One of the biggest questions and on-line conspiracies when it comes to Trader Joe's locations is...why are the parking lots so small?
So Why Are Trader Joe’s Parking Lots So Small?
Trader Joe’s has actually addressed this question before, and it's not for the reason most of us think.
The general "conspiracy" about Trader Joe's famously small parking lots is that they build them small so they're always full.
You know the saying of "Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd"?
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However, Trader Joe's says this is not the case, but rather Trader Joe’s stores are small, and local parking requirements are often tied to the size of the store. In fact, Trader Joe’s says on their "About Us" page that they try to get as much parking as possible when developing a location.
All of this brings us to the quirky reason why the new Lafayette Trader Joe's location is reportedly different from any other in America.
Lafayette's Trader Joe's Is Different
The other day a coworker of mine stopped by Trader Joe's to talk to a manager about possibly advertising, and as soon as he pulled into the parking lot he noticed something was different.
This coworker is very familiar with Trader Joe's, frequently shopping at the Baton Rouge location as well as having shopped at several other locations around the Country.
What he noticed was the Lafayette Trader Joe's parking lot is bigger than any other location he had been too, which prompted him to ask the Manager on duty about it.
The Manger told him that to date, the Lafayette Trader Joe's officially has the biggest parking lot of any location in America, and driving by this morning as people lined up for doors to open, it's a good thing it is.
Have you been to Trader Joe's in Lafayette yet? If so, what do you think?
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Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells