Before there was Trader Joe's, there was Pronto Market. Owned and managed by Joe Coulombe, the variety store was teetering on the precipice thanks to 7-Eleven, a competitor making its way to California. Coulombe went into crisis mode and headed to Arrowhead to strategize. Inspired by Trader Vic's mai tais, old movies about trading ships, and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, he decided that instead of competing, he would pivot.
The first Pronto market was opened in Pacific Palisades. Soon, they would become Trader Joe's. Photo courtesy of HarperCollins.
Coulombe identified a market of "overeducated and underpaid" Americans, a burgeoning set of customers who went to college and had travelled abroad. Conscious efforts toward good health and ecology were part of Coulombe's ethos, placing dried fruits and nuts, longline-caught tuna, and extra large eggs on market shelves.
Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys, co-authored by Coulombe and Patty Civalleri, details Coulombe's mission to build an iconic shopping experience.
"Becoming Trader Joe" is the story of the man behind the Bermuda shorts and Fearless Flyer, who championed both the customer and employee. Photo courtesy of HarperCollins.