Joe Coulombe, founder of the American supermarket Trader Joe's, died at his home in Los Angeles this Friday. He was 89 years old.
The son confirmed the news, saying that he had been ill for a long time before his father died.
As early as in the 13-year Consumer Reports survey, Americans have selected Kudzu as the number one retail supermarket in their minds; according to a survey initiated by the British retail consulting firm dunnhumby, Kudzu was selected as the U.S.'s mind for 2018 and 2019 Favorite supermarket.
Because of the homophony, fellow Americans in the United States are more affectionately calling this supermarket "Qi Dexun". The name of Joe in Trader Joe's is the name of the founder. The more respectable title should be called Mr. Coulombe, but the team here will be more directly named Joe, because Kudzu is a unique, warm and warm existence for food.
It has helped thousands of international students who have just arrived to find out that because of the rich immigration culture in the United States, there can be so many delicious food and delicious surprises around them.
Joe Coulombe was born in San Diego in the early summer of 1930. After the U.S. Air Force military service, he entered Stanford University to study economics and an MBA. He then joined a retail drug store group Rexall. The group hoped that he would open the Pronto Market convenience store business. After 18, he found out how to develop can not beat 7-11, so Joe began to think about doing something else.
Joe's keen business sense found that there are a group of well-educated intellectuals and literary youths in the United States who have a strong curiosity and pursuit of quality of life. They cannot satisfy the industrialized standardized products of large supermarket chains, but Can't afford a luxury niche for a fine niche. So from the beginning of the lack of virtue, the target group is: ”Vereducated, and underpaid ''Joe alsoThe rapid development of Boeing aircraft foresaw the rise of tourism and globalization, and he believed that it represented an increasingly diversified taste of the American people and more demand for exotic cuisine.
Joe opened Trader Joe's first store in Pasadena in 1967 and it has been in business ever since.
(AP Photo / Chris Pizzello)
In 1979, German supermarket brand Aldi acquired Trader Joe's.
In 1988, Joe, 58, officially stepped down as CEO of Trader Joe's, and the second CEO will step out of California step by step.
Up to now, Dekuan has grown to more than 40 states, more than 500 stores, countless loyal fans patronize every week, and spontaneously create various small communities online to discuss what new products have been eaten and what treasures have been explored.
The annual turnover is US $ 133 billion, which is not as good as Whole Foods (US $ 160 billion) just acquired by Amazon, and it is not as good as Wal-Mart, the first supermarket in the United States (US $ 1187 billion).
Kudzu's values that continue to this day:Better products, lower prices. Many other supermarkets, such as Costco, do the same, but lack the right choiceMore soul.
Joe mentioned in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he would not enter Coca-Cola, because it is a product of standardized production in large quantities and can be bought in any other supermarket. He will come in.Products that are not found in other supermarkets, come from all over the world, have unique characteristics, and have limited stock.
The most basic principles:Must be delicious!
Joe cut off dealers from the beginning, working directly with wholesalers and even manufacturers, 80% of which are private labels. In the fruit and vegetable section, he brings customers more local and fresh ingredients; on the other hand, he searches for the best food from around the world.
Therefore, it uses the low price strategy, but it hasThe highest turnover per square foot in the U.S. ($ 1750), About twice that of Whole Foods.
When Joe first named Trader Joe's, he had designed it for consumers. He uses the trading post concept:
My name is Joe, and I am a trader who travels around the country and brings delicious food and exotic goods from all over the world.
That's where Trader Joe's name comes from.
So, until now, all Trader Joe's are full of port and dock style, wearing Hawaiian fancy T-shirts; the manager is called "captain", the deputy manager "the first mate" is also the captain's first officer, and the other employees are "crew member "crew.
In 2017, Joe, his son Joe Jr., and two employees celebrated the 2th anniversary of the establishment of Kui Dezhen.
The store does not use big speakers to communicate, but uses bells to exchange information: one beep indicates that a new checkout counter is to be opened, two beeps indicate that someone has a question at the checkout, three beeps indicate that the management staff is ...
It turns everyday trivial supermarket shopping into exploration and adventure again and again.
For foodies who love to taste, share, and understand culture through discovering food, every visit to Trader Joe's is a wonderful journey.
The article says she"The original biggest dream was to develop new products."
"The biggest difference between it and other supermarkets is that it can always bring me happiness and surprise;I basically patronize every week, because some new products are launched every week. Even if it may not be delicious or thunder, but the mood of excitement and expectation at the moment when I buy a new product is a small luck in life ."
Knowing netizen Julia, Joe is an American with "the right taste".
Indeed, Joe is also Trader Joe's number one buyer, purchasing manager, and product manager.
He traveled all over the world, from Napa Valley to France, looking for good and inexpensive wine brands. The most talked about is the Charles Shaw, Two-Buck Chuck series, a good bottle of wine for only $ 1.99!
Rudeness from California to the United States
In 1987, a reporter from the New York Times came to Los Angeles. On the Hollywood Hills, a fellow Los Angeles friend brought out bread, cheese, and wine for a picnic. This reporter found it unexpectedly delicious.Just ask which supermarket did you buy it from?A friend in Los Angeles replied: "Trader Joe's. We buy food at his house now. It's delicious and not expensive."
So there was an impromptu interview. In this interview, Joe and the reporter said,He still insists on the pro test of all products."I also thought about whether I should continue to do this (pro-test) or give it to others", "but I found that Bloomingdale's number one buyer will still handle all the products by himself, then I still have to test 4 wines every year . "
You know, this is 1987, the year before he retired from Trader Joe's.
Perhaps this interview planted seeds in the hearts of many New Yorkers.
From the opening of New York City in 2006 to the present, there are 11 stores in New York. The shop still rubs its shoulders.
Some people from the squadron:
"I used to go to school in the large rural area,The earliest I saw the guide to the lack of German snacks posted by others, but the closest one to the school was in the state capital, an hour and a half away by car. Only save the article first.
At that time, it was not long before I bought a car, and I didn't dare to drive at a high speed. Finally, I felt that I could drive a long distance. I went to the state capital to buy a pass. (However, I went to Monkey Father and Son and the Japanese supermarket on the same day.) At the time, I thought it was amazing. So many products that I have never seen in other supermarkets are self-contained painting styles.
At that time, the most amazing thing was rice pudding, mochi cracker, and Xiaolongbao in the freezer (a few years ago, the corn field school was lacking in material, and it was super moving to eat Xiaolongbao). There are also a variety of frozen foods that are surprisingly delicious. Since then, I have been in state capital shopping once every two months, and I have to go to lack of morality every time. "
"When I first came to the U.S., because I couldn't distinguish between the grocery store and the market, I felt that Trade Joe's had very few items. I could only buy food and had no daily necessities. I disliked it very much.One day I wanted to go out and buy some fruit, but I turned into the trade joe when I turned the wrong way, thinking that I was just buying food anyway, and went in.If I did n’t browse carefully, I would n’t find that there are so many self-operated products in his family, and they are more delicious and healthy than the outside ~ even frozen food is particularly delicious, and it is also particularly good ~ especially his family-specific Rice pudding, opened the door to my new world and subverted my understanding of pudding ~ "
"Hui Deyi has always been the number one supermarket in the US!Mushroom chicken, Korean cow bone and crayfish tail in the frozen area are all available at home, as well as exotic-style frozen bento suitable for one person, Indian chicken tikka masala, Italian spinach tomato lasagne, and mushroom pizza are all good.A variety of snacks are also good!Nuts dried vanilla ice cream flavored fries three brothers hazelnut chocolate butter waffles, I can't help but choose a few each time.The bread was delicious too!There is no unpleasant fragrance aftertaste after eating ordinary supermarkets.I really appreciate the existence of supermarkets that take care of all tastes of the world ... "
There is no doubt that Trader Joe's has changed the consumption habits of Americans: where to buy, what to buy——
Eaters do n’t need to stop in front of the frozen freezer, and store frozen frozen beef pie, frozen potato chips, and frozen pizza for a week;
They can go to Trader Joe's to eat the freshest watermelon and avocado, the most surprising and interesting cheese, and the cheapest and delicious red wine.
For the squad and many food items, Kudzu opened a door, where a variety of different cultures converged, forming a rare and colorful but gentle existence. At the same time, the resonance from the taste gives a sense of security, and the intimate service is as inclusive and warm as the open door.
This even represents the spirit of immigrant culture in the bones of this country.
The delicious dried mango and green pomegranate, find a bag of small buns and rejoice, get up the courage to buy a strange brand of yogurt, taste the Indian curry has been planted ...
These are the wealth left to the foodies.
Thank you, dear Joe, and Kudzu.
This love for food and life,
We feel and move, and we will always love it.
Written | Captain
Edit | Captain
Reference:Some pictures from RedditFB
https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/joe-coulombe-founder-trader-joes-dies
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/05/travel/shopper-s-world-a-pound-of-brie-a-jug-of-wine-and-bargains.html?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/business/joe-coulombe-dead.html
https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-02-29/la-me-joe-coulombe-trade-joes-dead
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/obituaries/story/2020-02-29/la-me-joe-coulombe-trade-joes-dead
https://www.guruin.com/news/5405
* This article is an original article on food,
Represent the views of the author only,
Not related to business interests.
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