Trader Joe’s stores are just about everywhere nowadays. And people can’t get enough of it. Grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s is perceived as an adventure to customers because of the wide variety and diversity of foods and meals. They buy directly from growers and manufacturers, removing all the middlemen in between so they’re always getting ahead of the trends, even starting the trends. They’ve reinvented the foods we shop for. Additionally, Trader Joe’s is known for donating their foods to hunger relief organizations such as their Neighborhood Share Programs.
This past Friday, the creator of Trader Joe’s, Joe Coulombe (coo-LOAM) died at 89 years old in his home in Pasadena, California. Pasadena was also the city where the first Trader Joe’s opened back in 1967. Mr. Coulombe is best known for the stores he created with the relaxed south seas environment, including employees outfitted in tropical shirts and adventurous decor, as well as international, modestly priced food assortments, affordable wines (Two Buck Chuck) and friendly, helpful employees.
Trader Joe’s, however, wasn’t Mr. Coulombe’s first retail venture. Early on, he owned a small chain of convenience stores in the LA area called Pronto Markets, however, he soon came to the realization that he couldn’t compete with 7-Eleven type chains. He had a keen awareness of the growing education levels in the United States and thought that it, along with the new Boeing 747, would give rise to more international travel. As such, he thought Americans would have a greater interest in food from other countries. He also associated higher education with higher alcohol consumption, thus his generous wine assortment. He launched his own Trader Joe’s private label for many products and often at low prices. He also introduced organic and natural foods to his clientele before they became mainstream. And unlike most other retailers who restocked items after they disappeared off store shelves, Mr. Coulombe’s philosophy was to sell a finite supply and noted that when items sold out and were gone, they were really gone.
In 2014, Mr. Coulombe told the Los Angeles Times that he created Trader Joe’s for “overeducated and underpaid people.” Trader Joe’s grew from a cult-like local favorite to over 500 stores in more than 40 states. It is also known as one of the best places to work due in part to their impressive benefits and wages, but also because of its high employee morale. And though Trader Joe’s grew to be a huge retail establishment, it never lost its intimate, inviting atmosphere.
In 1979, Coulombe sold Trader Joe’s to Aldi, the German retail giant, yet he remained CEO for nine years and up until he retired. He continued to personally sample the foods and wines as he thought it was important to do so before he sold it to his customers.
So, the next time you’re shopping at Trader Joe’s stop to look around and really take in the relaxed, south seas environment, the adventurous decor and the exotic assortment of offerings. Realize that Joe Coulombe took particular notice of every detail when creating this unique concept almost 50 years ago. And know that he even had us in mind when creating it all; the overeducated and (currently) underpaid people. Here’s to you, Trader Joe.
(If you haven’t been there yet, visit Trader Joe’s at 3425 Thomasville Rd. You won’t be sorry!)
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