History of Trader Joe's in Timeline

Trader Joe's is an American grocery store chain headquartered in Monrovia, California. It operates 597 locations across the United States. Known for its unique and affordable products, Trader Joe's cultivates a distinct shopping experience. The company sources many of its items directly from suppliers, often sold under its own private labels. This strategy allows Trader Joe's to offer competitive prices and control product quality. The chain is also known for its commitment to customer service and a relaxed, informal atmosphere, enhancing its appeal.

1955: Trader Vic's Opens in Beverly Hills

In 1955, the tiki-themed restaurant Trader Vic's opened its first Southern California location in the Beverly Hilton; Trader Joe's name later spoofed this restaurant.

1958: Pronto Market Chain Founded

In 1958, Joe Coulombe started a Greater Los Angeles area chain of convenience stores known as Pronto Market, the precursor to Trader Joe's.

1967: First Trader Joe's store opened

In 1967, the first Trader Joe's store was opened by founder Joe Coulombe in Pasadena, California.

1970: Jumbo Jets Premiere

In 1970, new jumbo jets were due to premiere, which Joe Coulombe believed would accelerate international travel.

1977: International Brand Variants Introduced

In 1977, Trader Joe's began introducing international-sounding variants of its brand for some of its private label ethnic food items, such as "Trader José", "Trader Joe San", and "Trader Giotto".

1979: Theo Albrecht bought the company

In 1979, owner and CEO of Aldi Nord Theo Albrecht bought the company as a personal investment for his family.

1979: Chain Sold to Aldi Founder Theo Albrecht

In 1979, the Trader Joe's chain was sold to Theo Albrecht, the founder of Aldi.

1987: John V. Shields Succeeded Coulombe as CEO

In 1987, John V. Shields, Joe Coulombe's Stanford roommate, succeeded him as CEO of Trader Joe's.

1990: Store Expansion Begins

Between 1990 and 2001, Trader Joe's quintupled its number of stores and increased its profits tenfold.

1993: Expansion into Arizona

In 1993, Trader Joe's expanded into Arizona under the leadership of CEO John V. Shields.

1996: First East Coast Stores Opened

In 1996, Trader Joe's opened its first stores on the East Coast in Brookline and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1997: Home Value Increase Near Trader Joe's

Between 1997 and 2014, Zillow found that homes grew more rapidly in value if they were closer to a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

2001: Store Expansion Begins

Between 1990 and 2001, Trader Joe's quintupled its number of stores and increased its profits tenfold.

2001: Dan Bane Succeeded Shields as CEO

In 2001, Dan Bane succeeded John V. Shields as CEO of Trader Joe's.

2004: BusinessWeek Reports Store Growth

In 2004, BusinessWeek reported that Trader Joe's quintupled its number of stores between 1990 and 2001 and increased its profits tenfold.

February 2008: Highest Sales Per Square Foot

In February 2008, BusinessWeek reported that Trader Joe's had the highest sales per square foot of any grocer in the United States.

February 2008: Phase Out Single-Ingredient Products from China

In February 2008, Trader Joe's announced that it would phase out single-ingredient products from China by April 2008, because of unspecified customer concerns.

April 2008: Phase Out Single-Ingredient Products from China

Trader Joe's announced in February 2008 it would phase out single-ingredient products from China by April 2008, because of unspecified customer concerns.

2008: Listed Among Most Ethical Companies

From 2008 to 2010, Ethisphere magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States.

May 2009: Ranked Second-Best Supermarket Chain

In May 2009, Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the United States.

June 2009: Ranked Second in Customer Service

In June 2009, MSN Money released its annual Customer Service Hall of Fame survey results, in which Trader Joe's ranked second in customer service.

2010: Listed Among Most Ethical Companies

From 2008 to 2010, Ethisphere magazine listed Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States.

2010: Theo Albrecht's Death

In 2010, Aldi founder and Trader Joe's owner Theo Albrecht died, and ownership of Trader Joe's passed to his heirs.

2011: No Longer Listed Among Most Ethical Companies

In 2011, Ethisphere magazine did not list Trader Joe's among its most ethical companies in the United States.

2012: Greenpeace Ranking Improves

Between 2012 and 2013, Trader Joe's moved from 15th on Greenpeace's CATO (Carting Away the Oceans) scale to third.

September 2013: Changes to employee benefits due to ACA implementation

In September 2013, Trader Joe's announced changes to employee benefits in response to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part-time employees would need to work an average of 30 hours per week to qualify for medical insurance. Those not qualifying would be eligible for ACA plans if their employer didn't offer a plan. Full-time employees were unaffected.

2013: Greenpeace Ranking Improves

Between 2012 and 2013, Trader Joe's moved to third on Greenpeace's CATO (Carting Away the Oceans) scale.

2014: Ranked Top-Scoring Supermarket Chain

In 2014, Consumer Reports again ranked Trader Joe's a top-scoring supermarket chain.

2014: Protests in Portland

In 2014, Trader Joe's agreed to halt plans to open a store in a historically black neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, following protests.

2015: Natural Grocers to be Built

In 2015, along with a proposal to build new affordable housing, the city announced that a different store, Natural Grocers, would be built on the vacant lot where Trader Joe's was to be built in Portland.

February 2016: Cage-Free Eggs Goal Announced

In February 2016, Trader Joe's announced their goal to have all eggs sold in western states come from cage-free suppliers by 2020 and all eggs sold nationally to come from cage-free suppliers by 2025 because of customer feedback.

2016: Fortune Estimates High Sales Per Square Foot

In 2016, Fortune magazine estimated Trader Joe's sales to be $1,750 in merchandise per square foot, more than double the sales generated by Whole Foods.

2016: Settlement with EPA and Department of Justice

In 2016, Trader Joe's agreed to a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice regarding violations of the Clean Air Act related to refrigerants.

March 2018: Consumer Protection Lawsuit Filed

In March 2018, a consumer protection lawsuit was filed against Trader Joe's regarding the labeling of its cage-free eggs.

June 2018: Lawsuit Settlement Reached

In June 2018, Trader Joe's reached a settlement in a consumer protection lawsuit and agreed to pull the packaging of its cage-free eggs nationwide.

2019: Greenpeace Petition Delivered

In 2019, Greenpeace delivered a petition of 100,000 signatures for Trader Joe's to phase out single-use plastics. Trader Joe's committed to stop offering single-use carryout bags nationwide, replace its produce bags with biodegradable and compostable options, replace styrofoam trays, and sell more loose, unwrapped produce.

2019: Ranked Among Best Places to Work

Trader Joe's ranked number 23 among the 2019 Glassdoor best places to work in the US.

July 2020: Petition to Rename Products

In July 2020, during the George Floyd protests, an online petition criticized Trader Joe's international brand variants as "racist" and asked the company to rename these products.

2020: Death of Joe Coulombe

Joe Coulombe, the namesake of the Trader Joe's brand, died in 2020.

2020: Cage-Free Egg Goal in Western States

Trader Joe's announced in February 2016 their goal to have all eggs sold in western states come from cage-free suppliers by 2020 because of customer feedback.

2020: Ranked Among Best Places to Work

Trader Joe's ranked number 14 in the 2020 Glassdoor best places to work in the US.

2021: Products Sold, Donated, or Composted

In 2021, Trader Joe's said that approximately 99.5% of all products were sold in stores, donated to food recovery partners, or composted, and it donated $349 million worth of products.

2021: Packaging Improvements

In 2021, Trader Joe's stated that it had improved over 200 products by eliminating excess components, and increasing the amount of recycled and sustainably sourced materials; The company also removed over 4 million pounds of plastic packaging from their products in 2021.

May 14, 2022: Hadley, Massachusetts Trader Joe's workers announce intent to unionize

On May 14, 2022, workers at the Trader Joe's in Hadley, Massachusetts, announced in an open letter to the CEO their intent to push for unionization, citing stagnated wages and a desire for better pay, benefits, and workplace conditions.

September 2022: Death of Fred Franzia

Upon the death of Fred Franzia of the Charles Shaw label in September 2022, The New York Times reported Trader Joe's had sold over one billion bottles of Charles Shaw wine.

2022: First Trader Joe's store unionizes

In 2022, the Trader Joe's store in Hadley, Massachusetts became the first Trader Joe's location to unionize, after prior accusations of union busting in numerous cases.

2022: Typical Customer Profile

In 2022, the typical Trader Joe's customer was a married person living in an urban area, between 25 and 44 years old, earning at least $80,000.

January 2023: Most Popular Items of the Year

In January 2023, Trader Joe's released its list of most popular items from the previous year. Top items included Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips, Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice, Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Butter Chicken, seasonal candles, bananas, Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones, and Cashew & Basil Pesto.

April 20, 2023: Oakland, California Trader Joe's location votes to unionize

On April 20, 2023, crew members at the Trader Joe's location in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California, voted 73–53 to unionize.

July 2023: Bryan Palbaum Appointed CEO

In July 2023, Dan Bane retired as the CEO and was succeeded by Bryan Palbaum, who previously served as the company's COO and president. At the same time, Jon Basalone was named vice-CEO and president.

2023: Increased Product Donations

In 2023, Trader Joe's was able to donate $469 million more worth of products to their communities.

January 2024: Trader Joe's challenges the National Labor Relations Board

In January 2024, Trader Joe's argued at a Connecticut hearing that the National Labor Relations Board was unconstitutional and overstepping its jurisdiction, during an investigation of complaints from Trader Joe’s in Hadley, Massachusetts and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

January 1, 2025: 593 Stores Across 43 States

As of January 1, 2025, Trader Joe's had 593 stores across 43 states and the District of Columbia in the United States.

2025: Cage-Free Egg Goal Nationally

Trader Joe's announced in February 2016 their goal to have all eggs sold nationally to come from cage-free suppliers by 2025 because of customer feedback.