So when The Springfield News-Leader, a newspaper that serves Springfield, Mo., reported that Trader Joe’s was planning to open a store there with a quote from a company release, it got noticed .
“I am happy to confirm that we plan to open a new store in Springfield,” the Trader Joe’s spokeswoman wrote, according to the newspaper.
But “Springfield” didn’t prove descriptive enough. There are Springfield, Florida, Springfield, Massachusetts, Springfield, Illinois, Springfield, NJ, Springfield, Ohio, Springfield, Oregon, Springfield, Pennsylvania, Springfield, Vermont, Springfield, Tennessee, and Springfield, Virginia.
Springfield is also where “The Simpsons” takes place. Series creator Matt Groening, who in recent years has credited his home state of Oregon as the inspiration for the show’s town, said, “Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the United States. In anticipation of the success of the series, I thought, “This will 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 it had made a mistake, the newspaper wrote. “I realized this morning that the Springfield News-Leader is in Missouri. Unfortunately, I thought you were talking about Springfield, Virginia,” she said.
