Trader Joe’s Wine Shop in New York City’s Union Square has permanently closed. The unexpected move came on Thursday, Aug. 11, when shoppers encountered a letter posted on the door of the East 14th Street location.
“We have been operating our small Wine Shop in the Union Square neighborhood for over 15 years, and we thank you for your business and support throughout the years,” the letter noted. “It is now time for us to explore another location that will allow us to optimize the potential of our one and only license to sell wine in the state of New York.”
Wine shop associates will be paid for their scheduled shifts through Aug. 28 and have the opportunity to transfer to another New York City Trader Joe’s location, the letter added.
The Union Square wine shop opened in 2006 shortly after the East 14th Street grocery store location, which was the first Trader Joe’s in the Big Apple and remains open.
“We look forward to sharing with you our plans to offer an even better wine shop experience to our New York customers as soon as they are finalized,” the posted letter concluded, followed by the sign-off “All of us at Trader Joe’s.”
A company representative has confirmed the wine shop’s permanent closure to a local press outlet.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery stores, meatpacking plants and other industries across North America, has accused Trader Joe’s of “engaging in an illegal union-busting technique that has been utilized by other national corporations facing organizing campaigns of their own, like Starbucks and Amazon.” The wine shop closing was allegedly in response to employees’ organizing efforts and intention to file for a union election, according to Washington, D.C.-based UFCW. Last month, workers at a Trader Joe’s store in Hadley, Mass., voted to form an independent union.
With more than 500 stores in 40-plus states, Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe’s is No. 27 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.