Think they should try again?
Today reports that the new Trader Joe’s supermarket in Harlem, New York, is facing controversy after shoppers deemed the in-store graffiti unnecessary.
The colorful artwork went viral on social media, as viewers can see the graffiti posted at the store’s entrance. Opening on Jul. 25 on 125th Street in the historically Black neighborhood and in the same building rumored to be the new headquarters of the National Urban League, shoppers didn’t seem too happy about the choice of artwork. “You can open a store in Harlem, so no need to do all that,” @gnarlyheffner wrote on X.
The store manager, Tracy-Ann Reeves, defended the graffiti, saying she wanted the inside of the store to reflect the neighborhood surrounding it. “The signs and murals in the store are something that we really do pride ourselves on, to make sure that it is connecting with the community,” Reeves said.
“We spent a lot of time in Harlem just touring, looking at pieces at parks and wherever in the neighborhood.”
Customers have come from all over to take in the colorful decor, including depictions of the iconic Apollo Theater. However, the signage over the entrance received positive and mostly negative reactions. “I think this is dope af. Kinda racist, but it’s a nice touch, lol,” @ethvnn said. One social media accused the brand of gentrifying the neighborhood while another compared the work to the controversial Paris Olympics performance by Australia’s Raygun, geared towards cultural appropriation, saying, “If that Australian breakdancing lady was a grocery store.”
Some fans celebrated the artwork, like @soulljahhh, who wrote, “Is it bad that I kinda like it?” Another user named @SceneByAshlix checked those who were critical of the work. “They hire local artists for each and every store to manage their artwork and store signs. So, based on this being in Harlem, I’m not surprised. My Boston one has MBTA trains on the wall,” she wrote.
“Never been in a Trader Joe’s before?”
They hire local artists for each and every store to manage their artwork and store signs. So based on this being in Harlem, I’m not surprised. My Boston one has MBTA trains on the wall. Never been in a Trader Joe’s before? pic.twitter.com/GxP4tbmwlj— Sunglasses x Sneakers (@SceneByAshlix) August 9, 2024
Source: Black Enterprise
