Shoppers pack Trader Joe's for opening

Eager shoppers packed the new Raleigh Trader Joe's Friday, snapping up cheap produce, cheese, snacks and -- of course -- cheap wine.

An hour after opening, checkout lines were 10 or 15 people deep.

But unlike the last two Triangle Trader Joe's openings, there was a little less of the frenzy that fans have come to expect. As of 8:30 a.m., just half an hour before the 9 a.m. opening, just one person was in line: Karen Zander.

The Durham resident works near the Raleigh Trader Joe's, 3080 Wake Forest Road, and said she's drawn by the friendly workers, good prices and high-quality products.

"I took an hour off of work," she confided. "My co-workers laughed and said it was typically me."

By the time the store did open, Zander had been joined by about 200 other shoppers. But the true rush didn't come until about 10 a.m.

By then, the store had run out of shopping carts and the checkout lines stretched into the aisles. The parking lot at the Holly Park shopping center was packed.

After seeing two Trader Joe's openings in this market, many shoppers said they just didn't feel the need to be there the moment the store opened.

"It just so happens today was my big shopping day and they were here," said Paula Cochran, a Raleigh resident who was one of many standing in line waiting to check out. "Normally I would drive 30 minutes to get over to Cary. I'm thrilled they're closer."

Area shoppers who were unfamiliar with Trader Joe's before it began opening stores here have had three years to become acquainted with the California gourmet grocery chain.

The first store in the state opened in Cary in late 2006, followed by a store in Chapel Hill a year later.

Store manager -- or store "captain" in Trader Joe's lingo -- Ken Marks said he was delighted that so many shoppers came to the opening. "It definitely exceeds my expectations."