Island Residents Once Again Convinced Trader Joe’s Coming To Hilton Head, Somehow Forget About Existing 8 Grocery Stores
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC — Local Facebook groups lit up this week after a blurry cell phone photo of an empty retail space sparked renewed rumors that Trader Joe’s was finally opening on the island.
“I heard from a friend’s neighbor’s dog walker that it’s happening this time,” said resident Martha Ellison, who admits she starts the same rumor every six months. “This is huge news. We’ve all been forced to make do with only Publix, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Fresh Market, Walmart, and Piggly Wiggly. It’s been brutal.”
Speculation reportedly intensified following the closure of Whole Foods in 2022, which left some islanders in what one local described as “an organic kale panic.”
Other residents echoed the excitement, insisting they would still shop at all the other stores but “just like having options.”
Town officials confirmed they have not received any applications from Trader Joe’s, but acknowledged they expect the rumor to return by Thanksgiving. “It’s as regular as hurricane season,” said spokesperson Carol Middleton.
At press time, islanders were reportedly forming search parties to confirm whether a single jar of Everything But The Bagel seasoning had been spotted on the south end.
