Trader Joe’s files application for possible third Albuquerque store

Trader Joe’s has filed a city application that points to a possible third Albuquerque store on the West Side, a move that could shorten grocery trips for shoppers who now drive across town for the chain’s specialty items and private-label products.

The filing is a concrete first step, not a final commitment. Trader Joe’s has not opened the store or announced a firm timeline, but the application shows the company is testing a northwest Albuquerque location in a market that already supports two stores: store No. 166 at 2200 Uptown Loop NE and store No. 167 at 5916 Holly Ave. NE.

A sketch plan application filed July 23 placed the proposed store at 10651 Unser Blvd. NW on a vacant 1.8-acre lot. That location would put a Trader Joe’s squarely in one of Albuquerque’s fastest-growing retail corridors, where west-side residents have long had to make longer drives to reach the chain’s existing locations.

For Bernalillo County households, the practical change would be immediate if the store moves forward. A West Side Trader Joe’s would likely pull some traffic away from the Uptown and Northeast Heights stores, reduce commute time for northwest Albuquerque and Rio Rancho shoppers, and add another destination retailer to a part of the city that continues to absorb new housing and commercial growth.

The proposal also fits a broader retail pattern on Albuquerque’s West Side. Albuquerque Journal has reported that the Trader Joe’s project could be joined by Boba Tea Co., a bank and a gas station, which would turn the site into a small commercial cluster rather than a single stand-alone grocery stop. KOB has also covered a separate West Side retail hub near Paseo del Norte and Unser Boulevard that moved ahead despite neighborhood challenges, underscoring how much development pressure is focused on that part of the city.

The timing matters because Trader Joe’s has been in expansion mode nationally. KRQE News 13 reported in July 2025 that the company was opening 30 new locations across 18 states, and in February 2026 it reported new stores coming to multiple states. That does not guarantee an Albuquerque opening, but it does show the chain is still adding stores rather than holding its footprint steady.

Albuquerque has been on Trader Joe’s radar before. In May 2016, Albuquerque Business First reported that the biggest thing stopping the company from opening more stores in the city was a slowdown in population growth. A decade later, the West Side’s residential buildout and steady retail expansion suggest the company may be seeing a stronger case for a third local store, especially in a corridor where shopping access has become a growth story of its own.