Article: Shopper's Special; Analysts who study Trader Joe's attribute the company's finanical success to the canny use of private labels, direct deals with producers and very compact stores. But there's another critical element in the mix: the Carefully selected employees who know how to keep shoppers coming back for more.(News)

Byline: Irwin Speitzer

When Trader Joe's, the quirky specialty grocer from Southern California, goes shopping for new employees, it looks for more than generic clerks. While retail experience is a plus, what really impresses managers is a helpful, friendly attitude. Job postings suggest that prospective employees should be ambitious and possess qualities that might apply equally to a cruise ship crew: outgoing, engaging, upbeat, fun-loving and adventurous.

Mark Mallinger, director of the MBA program at Pepperdine University, has studied Trader Joe's. He recalls a conversation with the company's former CEO, John Shields, about how managers interviewing ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!