Did Trader Joes's just try to purchase the old Toys R Us building?

That's a rumor floating around thanks to chatter at the Stop and Shop next door. According to sources, an unidentified employee at Stop and Shop was overheard saying that Trader Joe's put a bid on the Toys R Us building on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie.

The employee went on to claim that Stop and Shop swooped in, overbidding for the property so Trader Joe's would not be able to open a store that close to the supermarket. We reached out to Stop and Shop's corporate offices to find out if there is any truth to this rumor, but they have yet to respond. As for Trader Joe's, the food market generally does not comment on potential new locations.

Trader Joe's Open New Store In Miami Area
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Stop and Shop, which now also owns Hannaford Supermarkets, is also rumored to have purchased back the building in Wappingers Falls that they once occupied before selling it off to Tops Supermarket in 2016. The location was sold after Hannaford and Stop and Shop merged into one company. One year later, Tops closed down due to economic reasons. If rumors about the purchase are true, this would be another attempt from the supermarket chain to block any competition from moving into their territory.

It's common practice for supermarket chains to purchase properties near their most successful stores to block competition from moving in, so at least that part of the rumor isn't too hard to believe. As for Trader Joe's looking to increase their footprint into the Hudson Valley, that's anyone's guess. There was a strong rumor floating around in 2016 that Trader Joe's was looking at a property in Kingston, but an announcement about opening a location in Ulster County has yet to happen.

What do you think about Trader Joe's potentially moving into the Hudson Valley? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

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