Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe’s—the U.S.-based supermarket chain we love to love—died on February 28, 2020, after battling a long illness. The pioneering businessman was 89 years old.
Coulombe, who lent his first name to the megapopular business…
Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe’s—the U.S.-based supermarket chain we love to love—died on February 28, 2020, after battling a long illness. The pioneering businessman was 89 years old.
Coulombe, who lent his first name to the megapopular business, was born near San Diego and received a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University. In 1967, after years of owning and operating a series of convenience stores across the Los Angeles area, Coulombe opened the first Trader Joe’s store in Pasadena, Calif.. His Californian upbringing and love for travel suffused the store’s general vibe—Coulombe decided on a South Seas aesthetic, decorating the aisles with fishnets and plastic lobsters, and instituting an employee uniform of floral tropical shirts.
Read More >>