Trader Joe's spokeswoman acknowledges error — new store planned in Virginia, not Missouri

Update: Unfortunately, the Trader Joe's news was a false alarm. After confirming to the News-Leader that a Springfield store was planned, a Trader's Joe spokeswoman followed up to acknowledge she made an error and thought the News-Leader was located in Virginia, where a store is planned in another Springfield. This story will be updated as more information is available.

Trader Joe's is coming to town.

Now the only question is when and where. A representative from the grocery store chain, which has long been awaited in Springfield, confirmed to the News-Leader on Thursday that plans were underway for a Springfield store.

"I'm happy to confirm we have plans to open a new store in Springfield," said Trader Joe's public relations manager Nakia Rhodes in an email. "I do not yet have a location or timeline to confirm."

More: 'Oops, it's that other Springfield' — how that viral Trader Joe's announcement went wrong

The announcement comes after rumors swirled in the "Bring Trader Joe's to Springield, MO" Facebook page about the brand searching for a location. The Facebook page has nearly 4,000 members.

"As of early 2024 Trader Joe's is working with a real estate developer in Missouri to find a store location in Springfield," the anonymous post said.

More: Redesigned Target store with fulfillment center coming to west Springfield in April 2025

About Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is a grocery store chain based in Monrovia, California. The store sells several items under its own private "Trader Joe's" labels at a discount to name-brand equivalents. The chain has more than 500 locations across the U.S.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Trader Joe's not coming to Springfield, Missouri. Spokeswoman admits error