Trader Joe's Founder Joe Coulombe Dies At 89

Joe Coulombe, the man who founded Trader Joe’s, has died. He was 89.

The figure behind one of America’s most beloved grocery chains passed away at his home in Pasadena, California, on Friday (February 28). According to USA Today, a statement from Coulombe’s son, whose name is also Joe, revealed the entrepreneur died after a long illness.

Coulombe was born and raised on an avocado ranch in Del Mar, California. He graduated from Stanford University in 1952 with an economics degree and went on to earn an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business two years later. In the late-50s, Coulombe launched his career with Rexall, for whom he ran several Pronto Markets — a 7-Eleven competitor brand — before buying them out when Rexall shuttered the company.

From there, the rest was history. By 1967, Coulombe had transformed Pronto Markets to what we now know as Trader Joe’s and continued to helm the franchise until selling the company 12 years later to German billionaire Theo Albrecht. Coulombe remained the company’s chief executive until his 1988 retirement.

Trader Joe’s has become widely successful since its inception. As of November 2019, the brand has over 500 stores nationwide in 42 states, including Washington, D.C.

Coulombe is survived by his wife, Alice Steere, and their three children.

Photo: The Coulombe Family


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