Trader Joe’s is a popular store in the US, and often viewed with fondness, like a quirky friend that brings you interesting things to eat. But, as with any company, we should be looking beyond that strategically nurtured image and focusing on the company’s impact on society and the planet. In other words, we should be asking: How ethical is Trader Joe’s?
Some background: Trader Joe’s is a US-based supermarket chain that’s owned by the German retail company, Aldi Nord. There are two versions of Aldi after the original Albrecht Diskont, owned by the Albrecht brothers, was split in two in 1960. Aldi Nord includes Trader Joe’s as well as Aldi stores in northern Germany, France, Spain and various other countries. Aldi Süd is a legally separate entity that operates Aldi stores in southern Germany, the US, Ireland, and the UK, among other countries. I hope to cover Aldi stores at a future point, but right now I’m focusing solely on Trader Joe’s.
It seems a bit overwhelming to score Trader Joe’s for ethics and we might be tempted to just fall back on the opinion that it’s friendly or fun. I’ll try to put together this ethical review in a short space of time to demonstrate that even complex businesses can be reviewed and scored fairly easily, if broken down into manageable parts. So let’s get started!
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