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Author Name: BoingBoing
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License: CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0.[2]


A book by Trader Joe himself

2021-10-23 00:00:00

"Growth for the sake of growth still troubles me. It seems unnatural, even perverted," writes Joe Coulombe in Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys.

The California businessman is best known for founding Trader Joe's, a quirky grocery chain owned by Aldi since 1979. On paper, its success seems a bit unlikely: all products are private label; the company rarely offers sales or coupons; its stores are small and cramped; it barely advertises. Yet Trader Joe's has developed a cult following for its cheerful staff and unique products— like speculoos cookie butter, two buck chuck, "everything but the bagel" seasoning, and almond butter (which Trader Joe's created with discarded almond parts!).

Coulombe passed away in February 2020 at the age of 89, and his book was released in June of this year. Without pretending to be a literary masterpiece, it offers a fascinating peek into the grocery industry. The New Yorker calls the book "an unusually colorful and sensible business guide that refuses to glamorize entrepreneurship."
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