Trader Joe's Company · Monrovia, CA United States

When it comes to grocery chains, Trader Joe's isn't your average Joe. With about 325 stores in some 25 states, the company offers upscale grocery fare such as health foods, organic produce, and nutritional supplements. To keep costs down, its stores have no service departments and average about 10,000-15,000 sq. ft. The company's specialty is its line of more than 2,000 private-label products (70% of sales), including beverages (its signature Charles Shaw brand wine sells for $2 a bottle), soup, snacks, and frozen items. Started by Joe Coulombe as a Los Angeles convenience store chain in 1958, the company was bought in 1979 by German billionaires Karl and Theo Albrecht, who also own the ALDI food chain. To read the full description, subscribe now.