The man, the myth, and the face of a grocery chain known for its affordable prices, global products, and a bell that rings across aisles was, in fact, just your average Joe. No, seriously. Trader Joe's was founded by a man named Joe Coulombe who had a very specific vision for his namesake store.
Before opening Trader Joe's, Coulombe owned a chain of convenience shops called Pronto Markets. These market stores had stiff competition with 7-Eleven in the 1960s and were eventually on the verge of bankruptcy until Coulombe was inspired to pursue a new business venture. Much like the bargain of its , Trader Joe's began because of another steeply discounted grocery item: a carton of extra large eggs.
In Coulombe's memoir, "Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys," he recounts how an egg supplier with too many extra large eggs came into a Pronto Market with a business proposition, and he took him up on it. How Joe Coulombe started Trader Joe's The egg supplier, hoping to get rid of his surplus before they went to waste, offered to sell them to Joe Coulombe for the same price as large-sized eggs. This allowed Pronto Markets to sell the eggs at a significant discount and undercut the competition.
The sales kept Pronto Markets afloat and provided Coulombe with the tools he needed to open the in 1967 in California. In various interviews with media outlets, Coulombe was clear about who Trader Joe's was aimed at — and why. reported Coulombe noticed high.