The Trader Joe's Adventure: Turning a Unique Approach to Business into a Retail and Cultural Phenomenon (Hardcover)

by Len Lewis (Author) "If you tuned into Los Angeles classical music station KFAC during the mid-1970s, you likely would have heard an unusual commercial that began something like..." (more)
Key Phrases: private label items, conventional supermarkets, supermarket industry, Trader Joe, Charles Shaw, Two-Buck Chuck (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Over the past five decades, popular niche grocer Trader Joe's has grown into a $2.6-billion chain boasting 234 stores in 19 states. How it got there—from a small chain of California convenience stores bought by Joe Coulombe in 1958—has the makings of corporate legend. Lewis, former editor-in-chief of Progressive Grocer, has an authoritative voice, but he simply cannot overcome an unfortunate dearth of raw material. Apparently, executives at Trader Joe's, 80% of whose goods are sold under the chain's private label, have never seen any point in providing an inside look at the company; Lewis is forced to stretch, and too often, repeat the little information that is publicly available. The result features a lot of filler: a plethora of secondhand opinions from industry experts, generic how-to advice and a chapter on the chain's corporate owner, German grocery giant Aldi, which turns out to be just as publicity shy as Trader Joe's. On the positive side, the major components of the company's success are made crystal clear: carve out a niche that the rest of the industry has ignored, serve it in a way that is difficult for competitors to copy and squeeze every dime to maintain the low-cost position. (Sept.)
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Review
"We’ll bite…(the book) describes how to build a strong culture, negotiate prices, and succeed in an industry crowded with giants." -- –Fast Company

"…it’s packed with mind-blowing data." -- --Business 2.0

"…so loaded with valuable tips and marketing secrets…you’ll feel an adrenaline rush to start or restart your own business." -- Food Industry News – June –

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Business (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419500139
• ISBN-13: 978-1419500138
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #215,899 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Save the money on the book, spend it at Trader Joe's, December 30, 2005

By	Sreeram Ramakrishnan (Yorktown Heights, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This will be a book referred to in all schools....unfortunately, not in the business schools, but in journalism schools; and worse, as an example of how not to use unwanted "flowery" language and poor editing (same sentences are used sometimes on 3 or 4 different occasions). Despite the great story "idea" (it remains an idea through out the book), the giddy writing style takes away any quality of the book. Part of the reason for disappointment is the author's own fault - setting high expectations - his introduction lists 9 questions which would interest any business buff. However, these questions are dealt with at a very superficial manner and never with a crticial perspective. It is almost as if the author decided to be a cheer-leader first and then rationalize it.

On the plus side, the book is short and is very light reading material. The summary history of Aldi is a welcome aspect of this book and informative. One does learn some important characteristics of the store, but mostly through comparisons with supermarket stores. I love the store, not this story.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars high on potential, low on result, November 10, 2005

By	D. Simons (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love to visit retailers, especially the ones with innovative concepts, or the ones undergoing change. Trader Joe's is one of the innovators in the industry, and I was delighted to see a book written about their philosophy and strategy.

Now the unfortunate thing about this book is that this book could have been summarized on 1 or 2 pages. Unless you have Alzheimer's, it's really not worth continuing to read after page 20, as the book will repeat itself time after time.

The book was not very revealing, and easily one to miss without feeling you missed something.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Grueling, February 2, 2006

By	James E. Butts "Young Strategist" (Fayetteville, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is great if you are new to the grocery retail industry and you want to learn about differentiation. However, the author could have condensed this book to 50 pages instead of 200. Lewis is like a broken record bringing up the same points in every chapter, which makes it exhausting to read. The book is very general when it comes to specific strategies since the author is just like you or me looking from the outside in.