TheSquareFoot Blog

While more technology firms and financial businesses continue to search for office space for lease in Houston, Austin and Dallas, one national grocery chain has announced its intention to occupy space in another key Texas metropolitan area.

Trader Joe's signed a lease for 11,000 square feet of San Antonio retail space, according to a March 20 report from the San Antonio Express-News. The San Antonio store is just the latest in a string of new Texas retail locations for the popular chain, which has opened four other stores in the state within the past few months. Trader Joe's has recently secured Fort Worth, Plano, The Woodlands and Dallas retail space for rent, said the report.

Locals say they support the new addition to the local grocery market. In fact, a Facebook page titled "San Antonio Needs a Trader Joe's" had recently swelled to more than 550 members, many of whom proclaimed their excitement when news broke of the new store.

Commercial real estate experts told the Express-News that, despite stiff competition from other nearby grocers, the new Trader Joe's will be in a position to thrive.

"That space gives them a premier stage to launch their first store in the area. There are a lot of people waiting for a San Antonio store, so this announcement will make a lot of people happy," local real estate expert Kim Gatley told the source.

If the store thrives, it provide commercial real estate leasers with an example of how the right location can lead to success even in a market that is already saturated with competing services or businesses. Partnering with the right real estate agents and consultants can help businesses identify ideal locations when they search for retail space to rent.