by So when The Springfield News-Leader, a newspaper serving Springfield, Missouri, reported that Trader Joe’s planned to open a store there with a quote from a company statement, it took notice.
“I am happy to confirm that we have plans to open a new store in Springfield,” the Trader Joe’s spokeswoman had written, according to the newspaper.
But “Springfield” turned out not to be descriptive enough. There are Springfield, Florida, Springfield, Mass., Springfield, Illinois, Springfield, New Jersey, Springfield, Ohio, Springfield, Ore., Springfield, Pennsylvania, Springfield, Vermont, Springfield, Tennessee and Springfield, Virginia.
Springfield is also where “The Simpsons” takes place. The show’s creator, Matt Groening, who has acknowledged in recent years that the city in his home state of Oregon was the inspiration for the city on the show, has said: “Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. Anticipating the success of the program, I thought, ‘This will be great; Everyone will think it’s their Springfield. And they do it.”
Minutes after the Springfield, Missouri, newspaper published the Trader Joe’s story, the company spokeswoman said it had made a mistake, the newspaper wrote. “This morning I realized that The Springfield News-Leader is in Missouri. Unfortunately, I thought he was talking about Springfield, Virginia,” she said.
