Trader Joe's Recipe for Success

It began with plain, "Greek style" yogurt, which has a somewhat sharper taste than the traditional American kind. Then came the nonfat version and one mixed with honey. Soon, a cornucopia of new flavors appeared. Strawberry, fig, and the truly yummy apricot/mango blend. The cost: $1.29 for an 8 oz. container that's a little larger than a typical yogurt serving. That's how it is at Trader Joe's, where a trip to the supermarket is sort of a culinary adventure, a chance to discover something new, like apricot/mango Greek-style yogurt.

There are lots of ways to demonstrate customer service. Trader Joe's excels at one of the basics: delivering unique products at reasonable prices. The chain, which has 280 stores in 23 states, has from its earliest days tried to bring unusual goods to a clientele ranging from gourmands to starving artists. The strategy helped Trader Joe's rack up an impressive $6.5 billion in sales last year, according to the trade publication . "I do as much shopping as possible at Trader Joe's because of the prices," says Elizabeth Payne, an actress in Los Angeles.