The busiest Trader Joe\u2019s location is shutting its doors \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n
The Upper West Side store at West 72nd Street and Broadway is closing temporarily for \u201cmajor renovation plans\u201d starting next month.<\/p>\n
According to a physical sign<\/a> sitting outside the store, their last day open will be May 17.<\/p>\n The Upper West Side Trader Joe\u2019s at West 72nd Street and Broadway is closing temporarily. Matthew McDermott for NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cWe promise not to be gone too long & will reopen as soon as we can!\u201d the sign read. \u201cThis is not a goodbye but a see you later!\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Trader Joe\u2019s told West Side Rag<\/a> that the closure will last for \u201cseveral months\u201d and they will reopen \u201cas soon as we possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe will be updating a lot, including refrigeration and vertical transportation,\u201d Nakia Rohde, a Trader Joe\u2019s spokesperson, told WSR via email. \u201cAll the changes are to improve the in-store experience for our customers and Crew.\u201d<\/p>\n Rohde added that some of the Trader Joe\u2019s employees working at that UWS location will continue to work for the grocer at surrounding stores.<\/p>\n The store plans to close on May 17. Helayne Seidman for NY Post<\/p>\n The colossal 12,500-square-foot location is \u201chands down the busiest Trader Joe\u2019s in the world,\u201d according to Trader Joe\u2019s<\/a> itself.<\/p>\n Two blocks from Central Park, the store covers two stories \u2014 or three, if you count the entrance \u2014 and is serviced by two elevators and four escalators, including a specific escalator just for shopping carts.<\/p>\n The location has three times as many checkstands and crew members as a typical Trader Joe\u2019s.<\/p>\n Given the wear and tear of heavy foot traffic, it seems the store was due for an upgrade \u2014 and that doesn\u2019t appear to be a complete surprise to those in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n The temporary closure is due to the store undergoing \u201cmajor renovation plans.\u201d New York Post<\/p>\n The Rag started to receive emails from locals regarding a potential closing starting in September 2025. They noted that a clerk or manager at the store had told customers that the outpost would close for renovations in the near future.<\/p>\n \u201cA store manager told me the other day at the Trader Joe\u2019s on 72nd Broadway that it will be closing in its entirety to replace all the escalators, elevator and remodel the store,\u201d one person emailed West Side Rag in September.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, loyal T. Joe\u2019s shoppers were devastated to hear about the closure.<\/p>\n A spokesperson at the UWS Trader Joe\u2019s location said the closure will last for \u201cseveral months.\u201d New York Post<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a catastrophe. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time,\u201d wrote one New Yorker on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lamented another<\/a>, \u201cYikes. The one on Columbus is going to be even more crazy now.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 Trader Joe’s at West 72nd Street and Broadway is temporarily closing for “major renovations” on May 17.<\/p>\n As of now, it is unclear how long the closure will last. pic.twitter.com\/xLoP0jlW6I<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) April 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n