For years, many residents in the Charleston, SC area have had a great desire to have a Trader Joe's store in our town. Several years ago, after many requests and petitions, a Trader Joe's opened in a unique and rapidly growing demographic north of the city (Mount Pleasant, SC). Since that time, Trader Joe's was understood to have conducted feasibility studies on whether or not to place a store in the West Ashley area as well, just south of the peninsula of Charleston. It was decided that the area was not yet ready. Since that time much has changed.

In the past five years, the West Ashley area has grown rapidly, as is accounted for by the recent addition of a Whole Foods on Highway 17, a revitalized and highly trafficked greenway allowing for pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the highway 17 corridor, rapid expansion south of the I-526 corridor, and a revitalization of many of the historic neighborhoods in the area.

The purpose of this petition of simple, to show Trader Joe's that the West Ashley area is ready for them now. With the recent announcement that another grocery retailer will be closing their doors in West Ashley, not due to economic struggles in this particular region but due to struggles throughout other regions of the state causing them to close all stores, a pristine location in the South Windermere Shopping Center will soon be a ripe location for Trader Joe's to put a store. With this shopping center sitting adjacent to the Greenway, and walking distance from four historic neighborhoods in the area, this seems like a prime opportunity to bring in a much desired and beloved business to further bolster our community.

If you support the efforts of this community to try and convince Trader Joe's to put a store in the South Windermere shopping center, please take the time to sign this petition. If you feel so led, please share this petition on all of your social media feeds as well. Let's bring Trader Joe's to West Ashley!