So hemp is legal in Ok?

Yes, but growing hemp is still illegal in to Oklahoma. As to why take it from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

From: https://www.ok.gov/obndd/faqs.html

6. Should farmers be allowed to grow hemp (marijuana) and use it as fiber, thus achieving environmental benefits?

When farmers could do this in the early twentieth century in the U.S., no one did. If it is such a good idea, why aren't other countries around the world doing this? Even if Congress granted the supposed benefits of "hemp as fiber," the costs of such a program would still clearly outweight the benefits. It is clear that groups pushing for the legalization of "hemp for fiber" are simply looking for a loop hole in the law so they can legally grow and smoke marijuana. Don't be fooled!

So hemp is legal in Ok?

I saw this in Walmart tonight...

12364

Yes, but growing hemp is still illegal in to Oklahoma. As to why take it from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

From: https://www.ok.gov/obndd/faqs.html

6. Should farmers be allowed to grow hemp (marijuana) and use it as fiber, thus achieving environmental benefits?

When farmers could do this in the early twentieth century in the U.S., no one did. If it is such a good idea, why aren't other countries around the world doing this? Even if Congress granted the supposed benefits of "hemp as fiber," the costs of such a program would still clearly outweight the benefits. It is clear that groups pushing for the legalization of "hemp for fiber" are simply looking for a loop hole in the law so they can legally grow and smoke marijuana. Don't be fooled!

I gotta say, that is one of the stupidest things I have read in a long time.

I gotta say, that is one of the stupidest things I have read in a long time.

They're known for putting out stupid sh*t, I believe on their Facebook page in particular.

Wow I nearly got fooled there for a minute! I don't know the specifics of OK. But in many states hemp seed is legal. If you make a hole in the ground and put one in. You're a dope farmer and a criminal. Woody Harrelson got himself arrested by doing this in protest years ago.

Fantastic news!

My wife and I were in Tulsa on Friday so I thought "why not drive by and check out Trader Joe's?". I was non-committal about going inside because of what I've heard about the crowds, poor parking, etc.. We got there and found the parking lot in the back and my first inclination was to not even try but after driving around the block once, I decided to at least see what the parking looked like. Long story short, the parking lot was a free-for-all with people cutting other people off for parking spaces and numerous vehicles parked in such a way that their vehicle impeded other vehicles. In their defense, the parking lot is very poorly designed and is just generally a mess.

Once we got inside, the situation wasn't much better. This was 2:00 pm on a Friday afternoon and the place was a zoo. My initial impression was how small the place actually was. I seem to remember their product count was low but it never registered that the store would be that tiny. The space between the ends of the checkout counters and the front of the store is just a few feet (single digit) and barely wide enough for a grocery cart and a person. It was a total mess trying to get out of the store after the 20 minute check-out experience.

My experience conformed to what I have read to expect. I was pretty underwhelmed with the store but had read that was pretty common and that it takes a few trips find those things that make you appreciate Trader Joe's. I decided to just browse thru and pick a few interesting items and the couple of items I could remember that people have recommended online. We ended up with some canned salmon, a jar of cookie butter, a jar of natural peanut butter, a jar of olive tapenade, a jar of bruscetta, some bread crisps (for the bruscetta), some Root Beer and a couple of Chocolate batons. We just got home and I had to try some of them and so far my impressions are positive. I also picked up a copy of their monthly product bulletin, which was very entertaining.

This visit was a spur-of-the-moment thing and I wish I had thought about it before we left OKC so I could have done some online reading to get a better list of recommended products. I've been hearing about TJ's for well over a decade and it's consistently mentioned in many forums I participate in so I was very curious about it. The day after, I've decided it was a pretty cool place to visit and I plan to make some more visits to get a broader sample of their products. Since we were traveling and staying in a hotel Friday night, I didn't even look thru the refrigerator and freezer cases, where a lot of the items I remember people liking are located.

My wife and I were in Tulsa on Friday so I thought "why not drive by and check out Trader Joe's?". I was non-committal about going inside because of what I've heard about the crowds, poor parking, etc.. We got there and found the parking lot in the back and my first inclination was to not even try but after driving around the block once, I decided to at least see what the parking looked like. Long story short, the parking lot was a free-for-all with people cutting other people off for parking spaces and numerous vehicles parked in such a way that their vehicle impeded other vehicles. In their defense, the parking lot is very poorly designed and is just generally a mess.

Once we got inside, the situation wasn't much better. This was 2:00 pm on a Friday afternoon and the place was a zoo. My initial impression was how small the place actually was. I seem to remember their product count was low but it never registered that the store would be that tiny. The space between the ends of the checkout counters and the front of the store is just a few feet (single digit) and barely wide enough for a grocery cart and a person. It was a total mess trying to get out of the store after the 20 minute check-out experience.

My experience conformed to what I have read to expect. I was pretty underwhelmed with the store but had read that was pretty common and that it takes a few trips find those things that make you appreciate Trader Joe's. I decided to just browse thru and pick a few interesting items and the couple of items I could remember that people have recommended online. We ended up with some canned salmon, a jar of cookie butter, a jar of natural peanut butter, a jar of olive tapenade, a jar of bruscetta, some bread crisps (for the bruscetta), some Root Beer and a couple of Chocolate batons. We just got home and I had to try some of them and so far my impressions are positive. I also picked up a copy of their monthly product bulletin, which was very entertaining.

This visit was a spur-of-the-moment thing and I wish I had thought about it before we left OKC so I could have done some online reading to get a better list of recommended products. I've been hearing about TJ's for well over a decade and it's consistently mentioned in many forums I participate in so I was very curious about it. The day after, I've decided it was a pretty cool place to visit and I plan to make some more visits to get a broader sample of their products. Since we were traveling and staying in a hotel Friday night, I didn't even look thru the refrigerator and freezer cases, where a lot of the items I remember people liking are located.

Anytime something new opens up especially if it seems to be the flavor of the month I always wait a few months before even considering going to it, and TJs will be the same for me. I remember the mess that Krispy Kream created when they came in to town.

@corwin1968 awww you beat me.. I wanted to be the first to post about my Tulsa TJ's experience :( :wink:

I went last Sunday, and honestly did not expect it to be that crazy. But I hadn't been to a TJ's in almost five years, so I almost forgot what it was like.
There were quite a lot of people who just ~browsed~..which was a bit irritating, because it was so crowded.
But I get it; it's new, people want to see what the fuss is about, etc.
And horrible parking is an unfortunate part of TJ's. No matter how much customers complain, they don't care, because they know it won't affect their business whatsoever -_-
And like Aldi, you gotta go a few times to "get" it.
I'm just grateful Oklahoma finally has one, and of course OKC will get one this year,
things I never EVER thought would happen when I initially moved here.
I hope they will have brined turkeys for Oklahoma because I always bought theirs for Thanksgiving before moving here.
But yay Trader Joe's Oklahoma! Y A Y!

I stopped by the TJ in Tulsa yesterday. I am not jewish but was still supprised to see that they had a lot of koser meats. I also talked with a manager and he said that they have had delays at the NH location and to expect opening sometime in Feb. Was not happy about the opening being that far off. Anyway, did manage to get some great stuff. Forzen cod chucks for $3.99 lb. (I had my freezer bag with me.) Wish I could make a trip up each month.

boo hiss on the delay. Pete, have you heard anything about a Feb 2017 opening?

Out of curiosity, does anyone know about when they'll start hiring? I have a person I'd like to recommend apply, potentially for management, but for sure as an entry level employee.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know about when they'll start hiring? I have a person I'd like to recommend apply, potentially for management, but for sure as an entry level employee.

I don't think they are anywhere close.

The work being done now is by the landlord. As far as I know, they have not even filed their tenant finish building permit.

Went to Tulsa over the weekend and stopped in the TJ location. I must say, I was unimpressed. They didn't even have what I was looking for! I don't know if it's been mentioned but they're opening a smaller store next door for their alcohol. Will be separate and operate like a liquor store.

Went to Tulsa over the weekend and stopped in the TJ location. I must say, I was unimpressed. They didn't even have what I was looking for! I don't know if it's been mentioned but they're opening a smaller store next door for their alcohol. Will be separate and operate like a liquor store.

And I thought the TJ's grocery store was crazy! Two Buck Chuck is probably going to drive people insane.

Went to Tulsa over the weekend and stopped in the TJ location. I must say, I was unimpressed. They didn't even have what I was looking for! I don't know if it's been mentioned but they're opening a smaller store next door for their alcohol. Will be separate and operate like a liquor store.

I don't think TJ's is doing that, that's Costco, they've partnered with someone local to "own" the related liquor store. From what I understand TJ's is just waiting on a change in the law.

ugh that's terrible news about the OKC delay :( Sigh guess I will have to make trips to Tulsa more often, even though I still cannot get use to their vibe haha

Looking at this logically...

The landlord is still doing improvements to the TJ's space in Nichols Hills Plaza.

Then, TJ's has to file a building permit, get it approved, start their tenant finish out, then move in all their shelving and inventory.

All that takes time but I would hope it could still happen by this fall, although that would certainly be ambitious at this point.

According to my sources, the building permit was issued months ago. In fact, construction is ahead of schedule and may be completed by the end of July.

Yours truly,

citizenkane

^

There was a building permit for the landlord improvements but i don't think TJ's has even applied for their tenant improvements yet.

Hope I'm wrong about that last part.

As I said, my info came from the on duty manager of the Tulsa TJ. He was saying it was due to delays in being able to pull the permits. I did not ask beyond that. My main interest was when can I shop tj in OKC.

It's so disappointing that the Tulsa Trader Joe's completely turns its back to one of the most urban parts of OKC with entrances only facing the parking lot, not Peoria. They really couldn't have made it more uninviting to pedestrians.

Making progress:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/tj050716.jpg

It's so disappointing that the Tulsa Trader Joe's completely turns its back to one of the most urban parts of OKC with entrances only facing the parking lot, not Peoria. They really couldn't have made it more uninviting to pedestrians.

ehh, not really. It isn't like we are talking about some massive store where you have to go out of your way to walk around to the back. They built the store up to the side walk, put in benches, kept the street parking, and have windows facing the street. I am not going to complain too much about their not being a door off the side walk, especially since the adjacent store fronts do.

I understand that refrigeration units were delivered today.

They are really moving fast now... They have already received delivery of all their freezer / refrigerator cases:



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/tj060616a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/tj060616b.jpg

Pete, does this mean TJ's HAS applied for the tenant permits?

Pete, does this mean TJ's HAS applied for the tenant permits?

Yes, they must have but since they go through the Nichols Hills system, there is no easy way to check on them.

But clearly, they wouldn't be doing that work inside without a BP.

I'm really surprised they already have all their cases. And given the number of workers in there and all the activity, this store could open in about 60 days if they were motivated to do so.

I saw today a sign out front that says all Trader Joes deliveries to the south entrance. Not that that is official, but there is actually the use of the Trader Joe's name now.

It's officially on the Trader Joe's web page!!

12714

AND it says Opening Soon!

I wouldn't be surprised if they were open in about 90 days.

They had a big crew working last time I was out there, already have all their frig/freezer units, etc.

Pete,

Now that Trader Joe's is about to open, and you found Sam's to be an adequate substitute for Costco, what are you missing from the retail landscape of OKC in comparison to SoCal?

Pete,

Now that Trader Joe's is about to open, and you found Sam's to be an adequate substitute for Costco, what are you missing from the retail landscape of OKC in comparison to SoCal?

Better mid-market grocery stores. Walmart NM and Homeland don't compare well with Ralph's/Kroger.

Otherwise, most non-food items can be easily bought on the internet (Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrel, Container Store, Ikea, etc.)

I also really love Nordstrom but recently shopped there much less than I used to. Prices are just too high for clothing, although I love the store and shopping experience.

But you are right, once we get TJ's I won't miss that much. As you said, Sam's has turned out to be a fine substitute for Costco -- more so than I would have thought.

When the liquor laws change, I really hope to see Beverage & More and/or Wine & More. Both are awesome for parties and entertaining.

BTW, I think Crate & Barrel and the Container Store will be in OKC within a couple of years. Both are actively working deals in town.

Sorry. Off topic but related to previous posting. Pete, a store we would like to have is Sur la Table. Anything in the works that you know? Thanks.

Sorry. Off topic but related to previous posting. Pete, a store we would like to have is Sur la Table. Anything in the works that you know? Thanks.

Yes!

I had heard that Sur la Table had a letter of intent to take space in the Glimcher development at 63rd & Western.

Pete, there are some pretty sh!tty Ralphs around here, but there are also some very nice ones.

Most Ralph's are very nice and the crappiest ones are still nicer than the average Homeland.

That is true.

I did not find Sam's to be a suitable substitute for Costco. Costco treats its employees better, pays them more, had a spectacular return policy, has much better food options, and their in house brand is superior to others. However, Trader Joes opening up is a huge improvement in the OKC market.

I did not find Sam's to be a suitable substitute for Costco. Costco treats its employees better, pays them more, had a spectacular return policy, has much better food options, and their in house brand is superior to others. However, Trader Joes opening up is a huge improvement in the OKC market.

I generally agree but employee issues aside, what I buy from both places are pretty comparable.

I never bought much of the Kirkland (Costco brand) stuff so that part doesn't really matter to me.

I just buy dog food in bulk and a few other items and they have everything I would buy at Costco, although I did have to switch from Kirkland dog food but they have the same exact thing under their own brand. I'm sure it's manufactured the same place.

had a spectacular return policy

Zachj,
Just curious, what is it about the Costco return policy that is spectacular? I have no opinion because I have never lived in a place that had Costco, but Sam's is pretty much bring it in and if they sell it, they will take it back, no questions asked. I have seen many abused items but my favorite example was a Honda powered lawn mower that looked like it had been used commercially for a couple of seasons, and returned. The reason for return, it didn't work! It had obviously been used a lot before it was returned. I don't have first hand experience because I have never returned anything to Sam's but I have purchased three returned items and was happy with the product.
C. T.

I did not find Sam's to be a suitable substitute for Costco. Costco treats its employees better, pays them more, had a spectacular return policy, has much better food options, and their in house brand is superior to others. However, Trader Joes opening up is a huge improvement in the OKC market.

Unless they have majorly changed the way they do things, then I beg to differ on how they treat employees. :) I worked at Sam's in college and as a cashier I started out making $10.60 an hour and had fairly large raises every 6 months. And this was in 2005, when minimum wage was still around $5.15. I had great upper management support and recognition.

Seeing it on the official site is making me cry so hard.. and if it really is opening in three-ish months, I am gonna be one of the first few people in line for the grand opening :D

Zachj,
Just curious, what is it about the Costco return policy that is spectacular? I have no opinion because I have never lived in a place that had Costco, but Sam's is pretty much bring it in and if they sell it, they will take it back, no questions asked. I have seen many abused items but my favorite example was a Honda powered lawn mower that looked like it had been used commercially for a couple of seasons, and returned. The reason for return, it didn't work! It had obviously been used a lot before it was returned. I don't have first hand experience because I have never returned anything to Sam's but I have purchased three returned items and was happy with the product.
C. T.

Hey C.T.

I find the return policy spectacular in my own opinion and experience compared to Sams. Sams is no slouch in return policy, but Costco is known for their return policy. I had an expensive coffee maker break and outside of the 1 year warranty. I decided to try to see if Costco would return it, and they did! Incredible. I have heard stories of a return policy that never ends on things other than electronics. Costco's aim is to please the customer and I am very satisfied with the guarantee that Costco will not hassle me if I chose to return something. Obviously this leaves some room for abuse, but overall, the Costco demographic is not likely to abuse this privilege. There are examples of people testing Costco's return policy and successfully returning 10 year old pants. It's interesting to hear about your experience with the Sam's return policy. I am glad Sams has adopted a return policy like the example you have provided.

But overall, the reason I like Costco is that they pay their employees well, their food variety and quality surpasses Sams (in my personal opinion of being members at both), and their kirkland brand is great! I also enjoy their rental car feature which routinely saves 20-30% off rental cars.

Unless they have majorly changed the way they do things, then I beg to differ on how they treat employees. :) I worked at Sam's in college and as a cashier I started out making $10.60 an hour and had fairly large raises every 6 months. And this was in 2005, when minimum wage was still around $5.15. I had great upper management support and recognition.

Hi Seaofchange,

That's great! Costco has a similar paygrade. Their entry level is around 13.50 a hour, however, in states with a higher cost of living like California, the entry rate is higher. The average rate is 23 a hour after four years of working. Costco employees also get excellent benefits. The Costco CEO makes significantly less than the Walmart/Sams CEO which shows its commitment for economic equality with its employees. During the recession, Costco increased employee pay significantly which is nice. Costco also hires its managers from inside Costco, as most have worked on the Costco floor and became managers. Overall, it's just a great place for employees which passes down to the customer through customer service.

SORRY PETE for hijacking the thread. Back to Trader Joes lol.

Seeing it on the official site is making me cry so hard.. and if it really is opening in three-ish months, I am gonna be one of the first few people in line for the grand opening :D

Haha! I have since moved out of OKC to Indy. We have a few trader joes and Costcos. You'll love it! Trader Joes has so many great things. I love how they make most of it!

Hey C.T.I had an expensive coffee maker break and outside of the 1 year warranty. I decided to try to see if Costco would return it, and they did! Incredible.

Zachj,
I'm glad they replaced your coffee maker that was outside of the warranty, but if I was a stockholder, I wouldn't be pleased. I will admit, that is above and beyond! I'm ready for a Costco if for no other reason than the competition.
C. T.

Zachj,
I'm glad they replaced your coffee maker that was outside of the warranty, but if I was a stockholder, I wouldn't be pleased. I will admit, that is above and beyond! I'm ready for a Costco if for no other reason than the competition.
C. T.

Some day, stockholders are going to learn taking care of your customers is good for business. It's been proven beyond all doubt over and over and over again.

Some day, stockholders are going to learn taking care of your customers is good for business. It's been proven beyond all doubt over and over and over again.

Stile,
I agree totally, but if something is out of warranty, it doesn't seem to make sense. As a buyer, I would never ask for a refund on something out of warranty, it's just not the way I was raised.
C. T.

nm

Hi Seaofchange,

That's great! Costco has a similar paygrade. Their entry level is around 13.50 a hour, however, in states with a higher cost of living like California, the entry rate is higher. The average rate is 23 a hour after four years of working. Costco employees also get excellent benefits. The Costco CEO makes significantly less than the Walmart/Sams CEO which shows its commitment for economic equality with its employees. During the recession, Costco increased employee pay significantly which is nice. Costco also hires its managers from inside Costco, as most have worked on the Costco floor and became managers. Overall, it's just a great place for employees which passes down to the customer through customer service.

SORRY PETE for hijacking the thread. Back to Trader Joes lol.

Thats good info to know! Thank you! :) (I make my comments about Sam's as someone who now Walmart at all costs BTW, haha.)

Stile,
I agree totally, but if something is out of warranty, it doesn't seem to make sense. As a buyer, I would never ask for a refund on something out of warranty, it's just not the way I was raised.
C. T.

It depends. Did it happen 380 days afterward?

Now if it were a 5 year old coffee maker and they honored it, that's ridiculous. But I imagine the original instance was pretty close.

It depends. Did it happen 380 days afterward?

Now if it were a 5 year old coffee maker and they honored it, that's ridiculous. But I imagine the original instance was pretty close.

I actually agree that the example with the 10 year old pants (and if the coffee maker were 5 years) was ridiculous...but that actually just strengthens my point. Does it open to the possibility of abuse? Of course. But Costco is willing to deal with a small amount of it here and there for the goodwill it generates (case in point, we're talking about them right now instead of Sam's). Remember, this is a membership store where they know every purchase made on a membership, and every item returned. If someone abuses it it's really simple to shut them down. If someone spends $2500/year there, the stockholders might be upset about a one time $50 return, but Costco isn't. And the stockholders should be happy about that, because odds are very high that person that just returned the coffee maker out of warranty (be it a day, a month, a year, or whatever) is going to walk out of that store with a new coffee maker, as well as coffee, creamer, filters, muffins, case of Mountain Dew, bag of bagels, etc etc. They're also going to discuss it with others (as we are doing right now) who may very well then say "this is a store I need to be shopping at". We're also assuming Costco had a choice. Many credit cards offer an extended warranty automatically on all purchases, and while the new Costco card is with Visa, it used to be with American Express, ANOTHER company with a name for customer service. While usually this extended warranty is done through the card payment network (Visa, American Express, Mastercard, etc) if it were on Costco's card they probably handled it all in the background and ended up not even taking the loss.

tl;dr: In this scenario it is actually easier for Costco to do 'the right thing', it has a very positive, directly measurable effect on the bottom line, and generates goodwill, something which can't be purchased at any price.

Walmart has always had a no questioned asked policy

I would like to know if anyone in the OKC area is currently receiving the "Fearless Flyer" from Trader Joe's? I signed up way before the Tulsa store opened and have never received a copy. I just signed up again.

Walmart has always had a no questioned asked policy

Walmart does have a fairly liberal return policy - typically as long as they can still scan the UPC and it's in their system. But their written policy is 90 days for most returns, and shorter-to-no return periods for certain items. They've denied a couple of my returns over the years; one for being past 90 days. They almost denied one return on opened software (I did not agree with the EULA on the software, and that EULA states if I do not agree that I should return the software to the store it was purchased from; after a lot of questions and talking to the GM they finally accepted my return). Walmart's full conditional return policy is here: http://corporate.walmart.com/policies#00000150-2911-d285-add2-fff948300000

Just stopped at the TJ in Tulsa. Tentative opening date for OKC is September 23rd.

Just stopped at the TJ in Tulsa. Tentative opening date for OKC is September 23rd.
Bless you!!!!!!!!!!! 2+ months left :D

There's been unconfirmed reports of people getting home with their wal mart products only to realize there's no product inside. I bought an empty box of headphones from Best Buy recently. Had to get the GM to replace the empty box. My favorite story is the guy who bought a linksys router from wal mart containing a zip lock bag of sand.