One thing is for certain – Californians love Trader Joe’s. Their beloved seasonal products are often the focus of TikTok haul videos. And even their $3 mini totes went viral this spring and were eventually resold online for $1,000.
The new Trader Joe’s location in Sherman Oaks just opened on June 6th. It’s one of five new California locations rolling out this year. However, when happy shoppers went to check out the brand-new TJ’s, they noticed something about the new location was “actually insane.”
The brand-new, just-opened Trader Joe’s in Sherman Oaks is directly across the street from the original Trader Joe’s location.
Why are there two Trader Joe’s locations in Sherman Oaks?
There’s been a lot of online speculation as to why there are two Trader Joe’s stores in Sherman Oaks, especially because the two locations are within throwing distance of each other. Some have claimed that the original Trader Joe’s location would be shut down once the new store opened to replace it, but due to delayed construction of the new store, the older store was forced to renew its lease for another 3 years. Others have insisted that Trader Joe’s planned to have two stores in Sherman Oaks all along, since that particular branch is always bustling.
According to KTLA, a Trader Joe’s representative confirmed that the company plans to keep “both stores open,” but they did not reveal why two stores were open in Sherman Oaks.
Which Sherman Oaks Trader Joe’s do shoppers prefer?
Unsurprisingly, shoppers in Sherman Oaks tend to prefer the brand-new Trader Joe’s location. Shoppers on Yelp cite that the freezer section and the store itself is bigger than the original location.
But the biggest draw is the larger parking lot in a separate parking garage. As dedicated TJ’s lovers know, those typically tiny parking lots can really challenge even the biggest Trader Joe’s fan.