So when The Springfield News-Leader, a newspaper serving Springfield, Mo., reported that Trader Joe’s planned to open a store there with a quote from a company statement, it got noticed.
“I am pleased to confirm that we have plans to open a new store in Springfield,” a Trader Joe’s spokeswoman wrote, according to the newspaper.
But “Springfield” turned out not to be descriptive enough. There are Springfield, Fla., Springfield, Mass., Springfield, Ill., Springfield, NJ, Springfield, Ohio, Springfield, Ore., Springfield, Pa., Springfield, Vt., Springfield, Tenn., and Springfield, Va.
Springfield is also where ‘The Simpsons’ takes place. Show creator Matt Groening, who has acknowledged in recent years that the town in the state of Oregon was the inspiration for the town on the show, said: “Springfield was one of the most common names for a town in the US. Anticipating the success of the show, I thought, “This is going to be cool. everyone will think it’s their Springfield.” And they do.”
Minutes after the Springfield, Mo. newspaper. published the Trader Joe’s news, the company’s spokeswoman said she was mistaken, the newspaper reported. “I realized this morning that The Springfield News-Leader is in Missouri. Unfortunately, I thought you were talking about Springfield, Virginia,” he said.
