Trader Joe's 481581 226044856 2008-07-16T16:08:16Z Langhorner 828666 re-revert to add link to foreign language wikipedia article -- see talk page {{Infobox Company | company_name = Trader Joe's | company_logo = [[Image:TraderJoe.gif|200px]] | company_type = [[Private equity]] | foundation = 1958 [[Greater Los Angeles Area]] | location = [[Monrovia, California]] | key_people = [[Joe Coulombe]], Founder<br/>[[Dan Bane]], Chairman & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] | industry = [[Retailer|Retail]] | products = [[Supermarket]] | revenue = $6.5 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] (2007)<ref name="SupermarketNews"/> | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = | homepage = [http://www.traderjoes.com/ www.traderjoes.com] }} '''Trader Joe's''' is a [[private equity|privately held]] chain of specialty [[grocery store]]s headquartered in [[Monrovia, California]]. [[As of June 2008]], Trader Joe's has a total of 300 stores.<ref name="Locations">[http://www.traderjoes.com/Attachments/all_locations.pdf Locations] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF file]]), Trader Joe's, [[June 18]], [[2008]]. Retrieved on [[June 18]], [[2008]].</ref> Its stores are located most densely in [[Southern California]], but the grocery company has locations in 22 other states and [[Washington, D.C.]] Trader Joe's was founded by [[Joe Coulombe]] and is currently owned by a family [[trust (property)|trust]] set up by [[Germany|German]] [[billionaire]] [[Theo Albrecht]], one of the two brothers behind [[Aldi]].<ref name="BusinessWeek2004">[http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_17/b3880016.htm Trader Joe's: The Trendy American Cousin], ''[[BusinessWeek]]'', [[April 26]], [[2004]]. Retrieved on [[August 1]], [[2006]].</ref> == History == [[Image:Traderjoes facade.JPG|right|thumb|200px|An example of a Trader Joe's storefront]] <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Trader Joe's old logo.png|right|thumb|Trader Joe's previous logo]] --> Trader Joe's is named for its founder, Joe Coulombe. The chain began in 1958 as a [[Greater Los Angeles Area|Greater Los Angeles area]] chain of "Pronto Market" [[convenience store]]s. The original Pronto Markets were similar to [[7-Eleven]] stores, so similar that Coulombe felt that the competition with 7-Eleven would be fatal.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/dining/08joes.html?ex=1299474000&en=beebc3a779df6687&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss For Trader Joe's, a New York Taste Test], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 8, 2006.</ref> He is said to have envisioned the Trader Joe South Seas motif while on vacation in the Caribbean.<ref>[http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/137334_traderjoes30.html Trader Joe's targets 'educated' buyer], ''[[The Associated Press]]'', August 30, 2003.</ref> 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. The first store named "Trader Joe's" opened in [[Pasadena, California]] in 1966. This store, on Arroyo Parkway, is still in operation. In response to strong 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 and freshly cut cheese and fresh squeezed orange juice. [[Theo Albrecht]] bought the company in 1979.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1091106,00.html The American Way of Aldi],''[[Deutsche Welle]]'', January 16, 2004</ref> Joe Coulombe continued running the company until he was succeeded by [[John V. Shields|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 its store count while increasing its profits tenfold.<ref name="BusinessWeek2004"/> ''Supermarket News'' estimates that Trader Joe's total sales for 2007 was $6.5 billion, which gave it a ranking of No. 23 on the list of "SN's Top 75 Retailers for 2008".<ref name="SupermarketNews"> [http://supermarketnews.com/profiles/2008-top-75/ SN's Top 75 Retailers for 2008] ''Supermarket News''. Retrieved on [[February 6]], [[2008]].</ref> The October 2006 issue of ''[[Consumer Reports]]'' ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the nation, after [[Wegmans]].<ref>[http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/supermarkets-10-06/overview/1006_supermarkets_ov1.htm Win at the grocery game], ''[[Consumer Reports]]'', October 2006.</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=2386915&page=1 The Nation's Best Grocery Stores], ABC News, September 2, 2006.</ref> ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' reported Trader Joe's stores in Southern California are facing competition in the small grocery store industry from the British grocery chain [[Fresh & Easy]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Hirsch |first=Jerry |title=Fresh & Easy sets up shop a few paces from rival Trader Joe's |publisher=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |date= July 2, 2008 |url= http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-grocery2-2008jul02,0,4094225.story |accessdate=2008-07-02 }}</ref> == Products == Trader Joe's describes itself as "your unique grocery store". Products sold include [[gourmet]] foods, [[organic food]]s, [[vegetarianism|vegetarian food]], unusual [[frozen food]]s, imported foods, [[kosher foods]], domestic and imported [[wine]], "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. [[Image:Trader Joes Union Square by David Shankbone.JPG|thumb|left|Interior of the [[Union Square, Manhattan]] store.]] Many of the company's products are considered [[environmentally friendly]].<ref name=German>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1091106,00.html The American Way of Aldi], [[Deutsche Welle]], January 16, 2004.</ref> However, some of its frozen fish products – notably, its [[orange roughy]] – come from species sensitive to over-fishing and that are subject to destructive<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2002/boston_2002/1823575.stm Deep fish 'trawled to oblivion'], BBC News</ref> deep-sea [[bottom trawling]].<ref>[http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_OrangeRoughyReport.pdf Seafood Watch: Orange Roughy], Monterey Bay Aquarium</ref><ref>[http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/publications/consnews/2007november.pdf Conservation News], Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand</ref><ref>[http://www.mar-eco.no/mareco_news/2004/should_we_be_eating_orange_roughy Should we be eating Orange Roughy?], Census of Marine Life</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/612152,CST-NWS-CHINA20.article Chicago Sun Times], October 20, 2007 </ref> Trader Joe's sells many items from any of several of its own [[store brand|private labels]]. Such labels are quirkily named by the ethnicity of the food in question, such as ''Trader Jose's'' (Mexican food), ''Trader Ming's'' (Chinese food), ''Baker Josef's'' (bagels), ''Trader Giotto's'' (Italian food), ''Trader Joe-San'' (Japanese food), ''Trader Johann's'' ([[lip balm]]), ''Trader Jacque's'' (imported French soaps), Joe's Diner (certain frozen entrees), Joe's Kids (Kid Foods), 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.<ref>[http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/channel-marketing/219840-1.html All Business], June 1 2002</ref> Trader Joe's is the exclusive retailer of [[Charles Shaw wine]], popularly known as ''Two Buck Chuck''<ref name=German/> because of its $1.99 a bottle price in California (although in some locales it sells for over $3 a bottle, due to varying state liquor taxes and transportation costs). == Employees == According to ''[[BusinessWeek]]'', Trader Joe's contributes an additional 15.4% of each worker's [[gross pay]] into a company-funded [[retirement plan]]. As of 2004, pay for entry-level part-timers was $8 to $10 an hour; first-year supervisors average more than $40,000 a year.<ref name="BusinessWeek2004"/> 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 6 months with the possibility of a pay increase. They also receive a 10 percent discount on items bought at the store.<ref>[http://www.traderjoes.com/benefits.html Benefits], Trader Joe's, Retrieved January 5, 2007.</ref> == Locations == [[As of June 2008]], Trader Joe's has a total of 300 stores in the following states: [[Arizona]], [[California]], [[Connecticut]], [[Delaware]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Illinois]], [[Indiana]], [[Maryland]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Michigan]], [[Minnesota]], [[Missouri]], [[Nevada]], [[New Jersey]], [[New Mexico]], [[New York]], [[North Carolina]], [[Ohio]], [[Oregon]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Virginia]], [[Washington]], [[Wisconsin]], and [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="Locations"/> The most recent stores to open are in [[Bend, Oregon]]; [[Chino Hills, California]]; [[Claremont, California]]; [[Grosse Pointe, Michigan]]; [[Pinole, California]] [[Phoenix, Arizona]] (Paradise Valley); and [[Woodland Hills, California]]. Stores are scheduled to open in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] (Buckhead); [[Brooklyn, New York]]; [[Larkspur, California]]; [[Redding, California]]; [[Richmond, Virginia]]; and [[Westwood, California]].<ref name="Coming Soon Locations">[http://www.traderjoes.com/locations.asp Coming Soon Locations], Trader Joe's. Retrieved on [[May 30]], [[2008]].</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons|Category:Trader Joe's|Trader Joe's}} *[http://www.traderjoes.com/ Official Web site] *[http://www.traderjoesfan.com/ Trader Joe's Fan Site] [[Category:Companies established in 1958]] [[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles County]] [[Category:Privately held companies of the United States]] [[Category:Supermarkets of the United States]] [[de:Trader Joe's]] [[ja:トレーダー・ジョーズ]]