Stephen Dubner

and that one of those branches also owned Trader Joe's. I found this fact surprising only because when I think of German business practices, I don't think of a groovy, earthy, crunchy, California surfy vibe, but there it was.

I also learned that Trader Joe's stores were much smaller than typical supermarkets, that they had their own way of doing things, and that places without Trader Joe's often started petitions to bring one to their town. It was a sort of loony devotion usually reserved for sports teams or your favorite band. What kind of grocery store has a following like that?

I also learned that Trader Joe's stores were much smaller than typical supermarkets, that they had their own way of doing things, and that places without Trader Joe's often started petitions to bring one to their town. It was a sort of loony devotion usually reserved for sports teams or your favorite band. What kind of grocery store has a following like that?

I also learned that Trader Joe's stores were much smaller than typical supermarkets, that they had their own way of doing things, and that places without Trader Joe's often started petitions to bring one to their town. It was a sort of loony devotion usually reserved for sports teams or your favorite band. What kind of grocery store has a following like that?

And then when I learned that Trader Joe's outsells all other grocery stores per square foot, I really started paying attention. Then one opened up near my office here in New York. I started shopping there and for the most part, loving it. I realized it's not for everyone. In fact, part of their strategy is trying not to be for everyone. But I did want to know the secrets to their success.

And then when I learned that Trader Joe's outsells all other grocery stores per square foot, I really started paying attention. Then one opened up near my office here in New York. I started shopping there and for the most part, loving it. I realized it's not for everyone. In fact, part of their strategy is trying not to be for everyone. But I did want to know the secrets to their success.

And then when I learned that Trader Joe's outsells all other grocery stores per square foot, I really started paying attention. Then one opened up near my office here in New York. I started shopping there and for the most part, loving it. I realized it's not for everyone. In fact, part of their strategy is trying not to be for everyone. But I did want to know the secrets to their success.

We reached out to the Trader Joe's headquarters in Monrovia, California, and were politely told to get lost. As we mentioned earlier, the company is known for its secrecy.

We reached out to the Trader Joe's headquarters in Monrovia, California, and were politely told to get lost. As we mentioned earlier, the company is known for its secrecy.

We reached out to the Trader Joe's headquarters in Monrovia, California, and were politely told to get lost. As we mentioned earlier, the company is known for its secrecy.

It's a strange combination, a firm that prides itself on user friendliness while also keeping its distance, which means that a lot of what's known about it comes from industry analysts and other secondary sources. Let's start here. In the very beginning, there really was a Joe behind Trader Joe's, Joe Colombe. He opened the first store in 1967 in Pasadena, California.

It's a strange combination, a firm that prides itself on user friendliness while also keeping its distance, which means that a lot of what's known about it comes from industry analysts and other secondary sources. Let's start here. In the very beginning, there really was a Joe behind Trader Joe's, Joe Colombe. He opened the first store in 1967 in Pasadena, California.

It's a strange combination, a firm that prides itself on user friendliness while also keeping its distance, which means that a lot of what's known about it comes from industry analysts and other secondary sources. Let's start here. In the very beginning, there really was a Joe behind Trader Joe's, Joe Colombe. He opened the first store in 1967 in Pasadena, California.

He went with a South Seas theme, beachy tchotchkes, Hawaiian shirts, calling employees captains and crew members. In 1979, Colombe sold the chain to one of the secretive Albrecht brothers, Theo. Theo Albrecht was a recluse, perhaps, it was said, because he had once been kidnapped and held for ransom for 17 days in Germany. Albrecht died in 2010, but Trader Joe's remains notoriously press shy.

He went with a South Seas theme, beachy tchotchkes, Hawaiian shirts, calling employees captains and crew members. In 1979, Colombe sold the chain to one of the secretive Albrecht brothers, Theo. Theo Albrecht was a recluse, perhaps, it was said, because he had once been kidnapped and held for ransom for 17 days in Germany. Albrecht died in 2010, but Trader Joe's remains notoriously press shy.

He went with a South Seas theme, beachy tchotchkes, Hawaiian shirts, calling employees captains and crew members. In 1979, Colombe sold the chain to one of the secretive Albrecht brothers, Theo. Theo Albrecht was a recluse, perhaps, it was said, because he had once been kidnapped and held for ransom for 17 days in Germany. Albrecht died in 2010, but Trader Joe's remains notoriously press shy.

It's also a privately held company, so no earnings calls with investment analysts, no public proclamations of any sort, really, about how it does business. And so to figure out how it works, we'll rely on a few people who've spent a lot of time thinking about Trader Joe's, including the business school professor Michael Roberto, whom you've already met. Correct.

It's also a privately held company, so no earnings calls with investment analysts, no public proclamations of any sort, really, about how it does business. And so to figure out how it works, we'll rely on a few people who've spent a lot of time thinking about Trader Joe's, including the business school professor Michael Roberto, whom you've already met. Correct.

It's also a privately held company, so no earnings calls with investment analysts, no public proclamations of any sort, really, about how it does business. And so to figure out how it works, we'll rely on a few people who've spent a lot of time thinking about Trader Joe's, including the business school professor Michael Roberto, whom you've already met. Correct.

Also, the Columbia Business School professor Sheena Iyengar, whose research specialty is particularly relevant here.