What a visionary!

RIP Trader Joe.

Yes, we should all go shopping in his memory.

It's a wonderful grocery chain. He did well.

NYTimes, LINK

What a great vision Joe Coulombe had for realizing the need for change from those Pronto Markets to Trader Joe's. I used to shop at TJ's when the only store they had in the country was here in Pasadena. Still going strong all these years later. My thanks to you, Joe...well done and then some.

ETA - Even years ago their customer service was great. Joe played a big part in that, too.

It was a pretty small "chain" of small locations when he sold it to Aldi Nord in 1979. I think all stores were in California, I don't remember when the Bay Area stores opened. So most of the product development and expansion have happened during the Aldi Nord years, they've owned it longer than Joe did. I remember going to TJs in LA in the mid-70s (my parents were keen TJ customers) and I remember being blown away by the noticeable quirky vibe. Unknown at the time and very unique.

Aldi Nord management has stayed true to his vision to be off-beat and innovative and work with suppliers to develop products not readily available elsewhere. I can't think of another grocery operation that's close to immune from competition as TJs is. Customer loyalty to the "only can find it there" products will never change, and that allows them to now sell many "can find it elsewhere but I'm already here" products, something they didn't have in the old days. Many try to copy the products individually but none have emulated the approach.

never been to a TJ, don't have one close enough to me. we are supposed to be getting an Aldi - will that be the same as going to a TJ store?

desertsteph, I don't think they are much alike. We have both here. We have multiple Aldi's but only one Trader Joe's. At Aldi it is very bare bones, mostly their house brands. You don't get any kind of bag unless you buy one there. Trader Joe's is much more hip and carries lots of cool and groovy foods, a selection of food already cooked and ready to eat, It is very difficult to get into on the weekends. Lines can be long. But the cashiers and other workers are very nice and personable.

TJs and US Aldi stores are owned by two different companies. No common ownership or management.

We are very close to two Aldi's and three TJ's. No question for me that TJ's is preferable.

I shop there nearly every week. I cannot get everything I need/want, but it's handy and not so big as supermarkets. They don't carry major brands. Great values on plants and flowers and greeting cards too. They do a good job getting seasonal items in stock. Clerks are always friendly. Coffee and samples always available.

This will sound unbelievable to most. I had heard about Trader Joe's for years. My family in the States would mention going there but I wasn't interested in the least -- I thought it was some high end store that also had foreign foods -- or something. A month ago I actually went to a Trader Joe's with the family. I was floored -- and one of the most impressive finds was ... Trader Joe products that were LOW SODIUM. There were many things I liked about the store but that is the one that surprised me. Sodium is killing us, don't you think?

I love TJ's. I can do my weekly shopping in about 10 minutes. I rarely have to wait for more than one customer ahead of me at check-out and all the employees are so helpful and happy. The only time I go to a different grocery store is when I want a larger selection of SKUs to make specific recipes. Thank you for starting the business, Mr. Coulombe!

RIP Joe. You were ahead of your time!

TJ's is my favorite. I'm gratful for the vision of Joe Coulombe.

He did a great thing and I am very glad he did!

I shop both TJ's and Aldi for groceries now that we have them here, and barely ever set foot in any of the chain supermarkets any more. Aldi has great savings on a lot of household and paper goods which TJ's doesn't carry, and their organic eggs, milk & butter are less $$ as well.

I love going to TJ's early enough to indulge in their free coffee samples too. I often have 2-3 😉

I shop like you do, Carol. You can't beat Aldi for price and excellence, and I've been using my own cloth bags for centuries, wherever I shop in all kinds of stores. Also, Aldi is a quick and easy shop because one doesn't have to use coupons or compare prices on the shelves.

That said, I do love Trader Joe's for its interesting foods seen nowhere else. RIP, Joe.

I've been a big fan of Trader Joe's ever since I moved to Culver City in January 1989. There was a TJ store three blocks from my apartment, and so it was easy to get to, although I usually did drive so that I would not have to carry groceries three blocks. I found the store just by exploring my neighborhood - not from its reputation. It immediately became a favorite of mine, and I especially liked the prices as well as the specialty products.

My brother is quite the wine collector and has a huge wine cellar in his Culver City home which was stocked originally with his finds at Trader Joe's as far back as the 60's or perhaps earlier. I think he found TJs when he was getting his masters at Cal Tech and a whole group of his friends were into wine and the bargains that TJ offered in them. Decades later, we celebrated my sister's 70th birthday with a special wine my BIL had bought there and saved for a special occasion. The cork was crumbly, so the kitchen staff was involved in helping the wine staff open it, and we were the talk of the 5 Crowns Restaurant staff. The bottle was now worth $2000, and still affixed was the price tag from Trader Joe's, something less than $10, I don't remember exactly.

https://www.enviro30.com/post/aldi-tells-suppliers-product-packaging-must-be-100-recyclable-reusable-or-compostable-by-2025

Yea, Aldi!

I have an Aldi in my small town, and a Trader Joe's is about 60 miles away, but we do make trips there several times a year. I shop my local Aldi regularly, I like the small store, the fast checkout, the low prices and the selection of gluten free products for my celiac daughter.

I'll bet I sent a hundred emails to TJs, trying to get them to put one in our area, and finally Grand Rapids got one, before that the closest one was 4 hours away!

Thanks, Joe.

Annie

I once had a conversation with someone from TJ's corporate office here in Monrovia, CA. The woman told me one thing they look at when choosing locations is distance between the store and a warehouse center. The two have to be no more than a certain distance from each other which she said is not always easy. Clearly demographics and buying power also factor in. At the time, I didn't ask how state liquor laws might affect locations. Things might have changed by now. Seems a hefty chunk of their sales comes from liquor.

No alcohol sold in TJ's here in PA because of the state laws, but the stores are always very busy.

Good to know, sushipup!