There is no more Limonata at Trader Joe's

by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2007/05/13 03:01 -04:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2007/05/13/2589142.aspx

Yesterday afternoon, I scooted over to Trader Joe's to get a few cases of San Pellegrino Limonata. I'm down to just a few and I like to stay stocked up, after all.

I look around for an employee to ask. She checks with the folks at the front desk, and it turns out that Trader Joe's isn't carrying it anymore.

"Does not sell enough units," apparently. Though she pointed out that was a never a problem in this particular store.

(She looked over and noticed I had three empty cardboard cases as she said that, and smiled.)

I won't bother that text again like I did in this post and this other one. But as changes go this one kind of stinks.

I am floored in the hugely competitive Seattle grocery store market that this sort of thing would happen. Though in theory they may start carrying it again if they find a supplier to work with.

I also just realized the downside of buying in quantity -- it leaves you a few weeks behind the times when changes like this happen. :-(

I scooted back home and over to the car. Top down, I drove out to Larry's in Redmond, where the assistant grocery manager was floored. She wondered who their suppliers could be that they wouldn't be able to get cases of items that sell in quantity.

No matter, really -- as she will be happy to order it any time I need it. Trader Joe's loss is Larry's gain....

Though it does mean that when I head out to San Jose next week to go the Unicode Technical Committee meeting that I'll have to bring some Limonata with me myself (I verified that they have none left at the Mountain View store either).

Which means I'll have to check a bag -- TSA won't let you carry cans of anything through security these days.

Too bad it isn't an item that Microsoft stocks in the cafeterias; I could put in a Product Studio bug about it. :-)

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I've discovered over many years that there is a secret cabal that muscles all the grocery stores into removing the best products from their shelves.

Every tasty snack or drink I've loved has always been "deleted" despite always being sold out.

I think if the population at large found out there were so many yummy treats available we would have riots on our hands. The cabal steps in to "clear up" whenever a manufacturer makes an error and accidently releases a truely delicious product.

We REALLY stock up, so only now did we discover that TJ's isn't stocking this anymore. The Mountain View store is the one near us. I am certain we can find it SOMEWHERE around here, but not sure yet where. Trader Joe's has done this before - they used to have a great organic sparkling grapefruit juice, but no more. Ah well - the world has changed.

-Scott

I remember Trader Joes deleting Limonata...I was gutted (in CA).

Fortunately, Whole Foods carried it, so I was able to continue getting it. Then I moved to TX...Whole Foods here had it...so far so good...

But then about a month ago it disappeared, and hasn't been back since. And no-one there seems to know what has happened!

seems like a slow conspiracy to me...

i've bought some recently in my local QFC [Kenmore] the packaging has been completely redesigned. they also sell the orange flavour...

Sorry, it's the one across from Bastyr in that area of Finn Hill where Kenmore, Kirkland and unincorporated Bothell meet so i guess it's considered to be a Bothell QFC

Oh, no worries. I was on the phone with Teresa (who lives in Kenmore) when I read your comment, and when I mentioned it -- and made fun of her getting it at Costco if she could have gone to a store right near her -- and she questioned the Kenmore thing.

One of those weird timing things. :-)

Hey, I just found you on a search of 'Limonata Seattle' because my main dope peddler was QFC up here on Broadway Capitol Hill (Sea) and they just wiped it clear from their shelves. So after TJ dropping it and another QFC, I'm left with Whole Foods. I can find it online for 6-8 bucks a six, but that seems silly. Anyone else seen Capitol Hill outlets?

I just picked up a 6-pack Limonata at Bevmo here in CA bayarea. They have it online also so I assume you can pick it up at your local Bevmo if you have some.

No Bevmos in Seattle, unfortunately. :-(

But they do have it online, e.g. here.

The Amazon sellers have higher prices, like here and here, if I do the remote ordering. I'll probably go the local Costco route, though Bevmo might be an option if I can't find it on special....

BevMo and Whole Foods are not selling at a good price.

I'm gonna go with someone (who's a member) to CostCo, gotta get me some.

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