People who shop at Trader Joe's are a lot like Disney adults or Swifties — diehard fans; which is to say, they REALLY love shopping at the store and cannot be sold on any other option. Trader Joe's has the type of fanbase that's willing to put up with a limited stock variety, fewer locations, and nearly always full parking lots for their precious Mandarin Orange Chicken. , so fans of this brand have decided to exude a level of patience that you wouldn't find in Walmart's parking lot.
In an episode of the official Trader Joe's podcast "Insider Trader Joes" we were given some insight into why they don't feel the need to expand parking lot sizes (via ). At this point, there is no big conspiracy behind the lack of parking spaces at these stores. Simply put, Trader Joe's is a small store that has to adhere to a standard known as the "parking ratio" based on every location's square footage, among seemingly countless other considerations.
Why does the parking ratio matter? Understanding the basics of parking ratios is an essential component when discussing the purchase and use of a commercial property. The size of a building is only the tip of the iceberg that comes with a parking spot allotment process. Basically, a commercial establishment's property type, location, and local zoning requirements are also taken into account to determine how many parking spaces are required for any business.
In layman's terms, larger establishments are allowed more parking and Trader Joe's locatio.
