Trader Joe's and the Natural Food Channel - Insight into the billion dollar company

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Apr 29, 2014, 12:52 ET

DUBLIN, Apr. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pw4nq4/trader_joes_and) has announced the addition of the "Trader Joe's and the Natural Food Channel" report to their offering.

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Renowned for its quirky personality and unique products, Trader Joe's Co. is an $11.3 billion, not-quite-nationwide, chain of more than 400 small-footprint stores that likewise appeal to both natural food shoppers and gourmets and command intense fandom.

Unlike conventional supermarkets, Trader Joe's is a destination: a place consumers seek out and travel to over long distances. The chain's retail strengths echo market strategies similar to its competitor Whole Foods, as both seek to capitalize on growing consumer interest in natural and organic products.

In many ways, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods also have very similar - and actually often the same - customers. Yet, the striking differences between the two chains are what keep the same consumers shopping at both. At Trader Joe's, the focus is a sharply edited assortment of great products at great prices. At Whole Foods, the focus is premium quality and huge selection.

In separate chapters, Trader Joe's and the Natural Food Channel analyzes Trader Joe's historical growth and expansion strategies, mission/position, store location and design, product standards and programs, use of private label, pricing, advertising and use of social media, organizational structure, ethical and environmental initiatives, consumer demographics and psychographics, and more.

In addition the Retail Competitors chapter examines the wave of up-and-coming competitors in the natural foods space. In the past two years, several growth-oriented specialty food retailers and natural food chains - including Sprouts Farmers Market, The Fresh Market, Fairway Market, and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage - tapped the stock market with initial public offerings (IPOs). Natural Markets Food Group, which owns the Mrs. Green's Natural Market chain, is said to be eyeing an IPO as well.

Then there is startup company Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, backed by Midwest-based supercenter retailer Meijer Co. It also is strongly rumored that billionaire investor Ron Burkle's private equity firm Yucaipa Cos. plans to revive the Wild Oats Market name, converting the Fresh & Easy stores it acquired from Tesco Plc in November 2013 into Wild Oats natural foods markets. No. 1 supermarket operator Kroger Co., which maintains more than 2,400 stores across the country under regional banners including Kroger, Ralph's, and Fry's, is also making a play for the natural and organic food space and considers itself the second-largest player in this market after Whole Foods.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Chapter 2: Trader Joe's

Chapter 3: Retail Competition

Chapter 4: The Natural Food Store Shopper

Companies Mentioned: