The original store was founded in 1958 by Joe Coulombe, who opened a chain of convenience stores named after him in Southern California. In 1979, he sold his chain to the Germany-based Albrecht Family, responsible for building a $27 billion grocery empire through its discount retailer, Aldi (Batavia, Ill.). There are 4,000 Aldi supermarkets in 11 countries, including 700 in the U.S. The Albrechts also own 11% of the stock in Albertson's (Boise, Idaho) grocery chain, and sales hit $36 billion in 2002.
Pat St. John, the company's vice president of marketing, says, “We keep our promise, which means continuing to deliver interesting, high-quality foods at very good prices. Trader Joe's brand isn't about the products; it's about the customer experience. Our employees are friendly and very knowledgeable about the products.”