Puerto Rico loves to shop but has a dearth of choices when it comes to groceries. 

Costco in Puerto Rico is among the best performing groceries in the United States, but is the only real option for quality fresh goods from the US (with Sam's Club a distant second). The lack of competition and homogeneity in grocery offerings across the island provide a unique opportunity for Trader Joe's to fill a gap in the market, satisfy a lingering consumer demand, and generate significant revenue with little risk of failure.

Puerto Rico's retail market is unique in that Puerto Ricans, as a group, tend to shop in categories and stores well above the target demographic for a given SES level. For example, BMW and Mercedes Benz have a very successful presence here, as does Starbucks, even though PR does not fit the target demo.