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Trader Joe's is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. As of November 2009[update], Trader Joe's has a total of 337 stores.[3] Approximately half of its stores are in California, with the heaviest concentration in Southern California, but the company also has locations in 24 other states and Washington, D.C. Trader Joe's was founded by Joe Coulombe and is currently owned by a family trust set up by German billionaire Theo Albrecht, one of the two brothers behind the German supermarket chain Aldi.[4]
[edit] History Trader Joe's is named after its founder, Joe Coulombe. The chain began in 1958 as a Greater Los Angeles area chain of "Pronto Market" convenience stores. The original Pronto Markets were similar to 7-Eleven stores, so similar that Coulombe felt that the competition with 7-Eleven would be ruinous.[5] He is said to have developed the idea of the Trader Joe South Seas motif while on vacation in the Caribbean.[6] He had noticed that Americans were traveling more and returning home with tastes for food and wine they had trouble satisfying in supermarkets of the time.[7] The first store named "Trader Joe's" opened its doors in Pasadena, California in 1967. This store, on Arroyo Parkway, remains in operation. In response to competition from 7-Eleven, the chain differentiated its stores' offerings and doubled the floor space in 1967. In the first few decades of operation, some of the stores offered fresh meats provided by butchers who leased space in the stores. Trader Joe's at one time had sandwich shops, freshly cut cheese, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Theo Albrecht bought the company in 1979.[8] Coulombe was succeeded by John Shields in 1989. Shields retired in 2001, turning the reins over to Dan Bane. Shields still does consulting for the company. A Business Week article about the store noted that, between 1990 and 2001, the chain quintupled the store number and increased its profits by ten times.[4] Supermarket News estimates that Trader Joe's total sales for 2008 were $7.2 billion, which gave it a ranking of No. 23 on the list of "SN's Top 75 Retailers for 2009."[1] The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after Wegmans.[9] In June 2009 MSN Money released its third annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results. Trader Joe's ranks 2nd in customer service.[10] Trader Joe's was named one of the most ethical companies in the United States by Ethisphere Magazine in 2008 and 2009.[11][12] [edit] ProductsTrader Joe's describes itself as "your neighborhood" or "your unique grocery store". Products sold include gourmet foods, organic foods, vegetarian food, unusual frozen foods, imported foods, domestic and imported wine and beer (where local law permits), "alternative" food items, and basics like bread, cereal, eggs, dairy, coffee and produce. Non-food items include personal hygiene products, household cleaners, vitamins, pet food, plants, and flowers.  Many of the company's products are environmentally friendly.[8] In October 2007, Trader Joe's began to phase out foods imported from China amid concerns that standards on "organic" products from the country aren't as stringent as they should be.[13] Between February 2008 and April 2008, Trader Joe's phased out single-ingredient products from China due to concerns over tainted goods.[14] Trader Joe's maintains low prices by having smaller and plainer stores, using plainer packaging, and carrying a smaller variety of products and getting more turnaround on products they do carry, which enables the purchase of larger quantities of perishable items closer to the expiration date at better prices, knowing that they can be sold within shelf-life parameters.[15] Trader Joe's sells many items from any of several of its own private labels. Such labels are quirkily named in accordance to the ethnicity of the food in question, such as Trader Jose's (Mexican food), Trader Ming's (Asian food), Baker Josef's (bagels), Trader Giotto's (Italian food), Trader Joe-San (Japanese food), Arabian Joe's (Middle Eastern food), Pilgrim Joe's (Seafood) JosephBrau (beer), Trader Johann's (lip balm), Trader Jacques' (imported French soaps), Joe's Diner (certain frozen entrees), Joe's Kids (children's food), and Trader Darwin's (vitamins). By selling almost all of its products under its own label, Trader Joe's "skips the middle man" and buys directly from both local and international small-time vendors.[16] Trader Joe's is the exclusive retailer of Charles Shaw wine, popularly known as Two Buck Chuck[8] because of its $1.99 price tag in California; in some locales, it sells for more than $3 a bottle due to varying state liquor taxes and transportation costs. Of the wine selection at Trader Joe's, Coloumbe has said, "We built Trader Joe's on wine first, then food. I tasted 100,000 wines, and most weren't wonderful. They were submitted to us by desperate vintners." Along with Charles Shaw, Trader Joe's is known for stocking a very large selection of California and New-World wines.[17] Though there are no Trader Joe's stores in Europe, products branded with its name have begun to appear in Aldi stores there. Products that have been made available include iced tea, salmon, dried plums, raisins, dried fruit, nuts, and crispbread.[18] Trader Joe's promises that anything with a "Trader Joe's" logo contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, contains no MSG or trans fats, and is sourced from non-genetically modified ingredients.[19] [edit] EmployeesAccording to BusinessWeek, Trader Joe's pays above-union wages and generous bonuses.It contributes an additional 15.4% of each worker's gross pay into a company-funded retirement plan. As of 2004[update], pay for entry-level part-timers was $8 to $10 an hour; first-year supervisors average more than $40,000 a year.[4] Trader Joe's also offers health insurance benefits (dental, vision, and medical) to part-time employees and their dependents. Part-time employees must work 900 hours per year (an average of 20 hours per week) and be employed for a minimum of three months consecutively to qualify. All part-time employees are evaluated every six months with the possibility of a pay increase. They also receive a 10 percent discount on items bought at the store.[20] Instead of public address systems, Trader Joe's uses a bell system to communicate. One bell notifies the crew to open another register. Two bells means that assistance is needed at the checkout stand. Three bells means that a manager is needed for assistance at the checkout stand.[21] [edit] LocationsAs of November 2009[update], Trader Joe's has a total of 337 stores in 25 states and Washington, D.C., with more stores being added regularly.[3] [edit] Environmental issues and Greenpeace campaignOn July 2, 2009, Greenpeace began a series of non-violent campaign actions aimed at raising consumer awareness of unsustainable seafood practices on the part of Trader Joe's. (Specific information can be found in Carting Away the Oceans, a semi-annual retailer analysis generated by the environmental group.)[citation needed] On July 11, 2009, Trader Joe's released a statement announcing the company's intention to use the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program to inform its purchasing decisions.[22] At some locations, there is a weekly or monthly drawing for a gift certificate or bag of groceries for customers who bring in their own bags. [edit] References
[edit] External links
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