{"id":1129,"date":"2015-08-03T05:20:24","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T12:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/?p=1129"},"modified":"2015-08-03T05:42:34","modified_gmt":"2015-08-03T12:42:34","slug":"16-fearless-flyer-facts-about-trader-joes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/re-tales.net\/?p=1129","title":{"rendered":"16 Fearless-Flyer Facts About Trader Joe\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This one is from Mental Floss, and there are some REALLY cool facts here! \u00a0 \u00a0I always wondered how they made those cool chalk signs and am definitely going to look for the plastic lobster next time I’m there. \u00a0 I was also told once that they have a universal markup of 25% across every item in the store, which would sure make deciding on what price to sell something for much easier. As long as they don’t stop selling the mint chocolate chip ice cream I’m a lifelong shopper.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0In a supermarket industry that thrives on selling you the same brands of chips, cereal, candy and soda wherever you shop, Trader Joe\u2019s is the wacky outlier. It\u2019s the only place where you can buy a jar of Cookie Butter<\/a> to go along with your Horseradish Chips<\/a> and Uncured Bacon Ganache Chocolate Bar<\/a>\u2014where employees go by maritime titles like \u201cmate\u201d and \u201ccaptain,\u201d wear Hawaiian shirts and cheerfully ring bells rather than use intercoms. The grocer’s quirky, foodie-pleasing ways have garnered legions of fans, even in cities that don\u2019t have a TJ\u2019s (sorry, Memphis<\/a>). But it\u2019s worth looking past the company\u2019s carefree attitude to see just what makes this ship float.<\/em><\/p>\n

1. THE FOUNDER ENVISIONED A MARKET FOR \u201cOVEREDUCATED, UNDERPAID\u201d SHOPPERS.<\/em><\/h4>\n
\n
\"\"<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

No, Trader Joe is not an eccentric world traveler in a safari hat. He\u2019s Joe <\/a>Coulombe<\/a>, a Stanford business school grad who made some savvy decisions back in the company\u2019s early days. In an interview with Entrepreneur<\/a>, Coulombe says he noticed a significant trend in the early \u201860s: salaries for college grads were falling. So he slashed prices on products throughout his stores, then known as Pronto Markets, and loaded up on something else his well-educated customer base could appreciate: booze. \u201cWe essentially married the health food store to the liquor store,\u201d he said in the interview. Smart man, that Joe Coulombe.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. TRADER JOE’S IS NOW OWNED BY A RECLUSIVE, MEGA-RICH GERMAN FAMILY.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Coulombe renamed his stores \u201cTrader Joe\u2019s\u201d in 1967, then sold the company to German billionaire Theo Albrecht in 1979. Albrecht, who died in 2010<\/a>, owned (along with his brother, Karl) the discount chain Aldi<\/a>, which is\u00a0currently one of the fastest-growing supermarkets<\/a> in the U.S. Both brothers were intensely private, which is understandable, really, considering that in 1971 Theo was kidnapped<\/a> and held for ransom for 17 days (the family negotiated the release, and the kidnapper, a small-time crook, was nabbed shortly after). Trader Joe\u2019s is currently owned by the Albrecht family trust.<\/em><\/p>\n

3. GRANOLA WAS THEIR FIRST STORE-BRAND PRODUCT.<\/em><\/h4>\n

About 80 percent of Trader Joe\u2019s products are its own kitschy brands, from Trader Jose salsa to Pilgrim Joe clam chowder. And it all started with granola, back in 1972.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. NATIONAL BRANDS MAKE THEIR PRODUCTS.<\/em><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s the secret Trader Joe\u2019s would rather you not know: Well-known manufacturers make its products<\/a>, then sell them under the company\u2019s sub brands at a significant discount. Why? Because they want to be in Trader Joe\u2019s, and they\u2019re willing to play along to do so. TJ\u2019s doesn\u2019t publicize its vendor relationships, and manufacturers are sworn to secrecy, so enterprising food journalists have run taste tests to connect the dots. That white cheddar mac and cheese you love? It\u2019s probably made by Annie’s Homegrown.<\/em><\/p>\n

5. THEY\u2019RE RUTHLESSLY EFFICIENT.<\/em><\/h4>\n
\n
\"\"<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

In addition to secretly contracting brand-name suppliers, Trader Joe\u2019s does a few other things<\/a>most supermarkets don\u2019t. They don\u2019t accept slotting fees<\/a>, which manufacturers pay retailers in return for shelf real estate (ever wonder why Pepsi and Coke have the soda aisle locked down?), and which increase prices. They also cut out distributors, often receiving products directly from suppliers. And as you\u2019ve likely noticed if you shop there, they don\u2019t offer coupons or special discounts. Because everything\u2019s already dirt-cheap.<\/em><\/p>\n

6. THEY REALLY DO SEND BUYERS ALL OVER THE WORLD.<\/em><\/h4>\n

The company employs a small, elite band of senior buyers to scour the globe for new products. They\u2019re like the SEAL Team 6 of specialty grocery. As one former buyer told Fortunemagazine, going to industry trade shows is \u201cfor rookies<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

7. THEY\u2019RE NOT LIKE WHOLE FOODS\u2014WELL, MOSTLY.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Although Trader Joe\u2019s doesn\u2019t position itself as a health food store<\/a>, it still adheres to guidelines that include no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives in any of its products, and no GMOs. Kind of like a certain higher-priced competitor, no?<\/em><\/p>\n

8. YOU CAN TRY PRETTY MUCH ANY PRODUCT BEFORE YOU BUY.<\/em><\/h4>\n
\n
\"\"<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

If you\u2019re not sure about those chocolate-covered potato chips (though why wouldn\u2019t you be?), ask a store employee for a sample<\/a>. You can try pretty much anything before you buy, with the exception of foods that need to be prepared (pasta, cake mix, frozen meals), and liquor. Wine sampling, meanwhile, varies from state to state.<\/em><\/p>\n

9. PEOPLE IN CITIES WITHOUT A STORE ABSOLUTELY PINE FOR ONE.<\/em><\/h4>\n

There aren\u2019t many grocery stores that inspire mass campaigns to bring them to town. Residents of Memphis<\/a>, Green Bay<\/a>, Lancaster, Penn.<\/a>, and other cities have set up dedicated Facebook pages displaying their loyalty to the company and begging them to drop anchor. Commenters often recount the days, months and even years since they last stepped foot in a store.<\/em><\/p>\n

10. THEY HAVE A CANADIAN BOOTLEGGER.<\/em><\/h4>\n