Trader Joe’s can feel like a cult. Most folks know the seasonal snacks by name — from Scandinavian Swimmers to Chili & Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. Walk in and workers greet you, smiling a little too widely, sometimes offering a sample. In the aisles, people stop and chat — do they know each other from their weekly grocery runs or because they play tennis together?
This Monrovia-born grocery store can be a marketplace or a civic common ground. And in February, it landed the top spot on Forbes’s 2026 list of America’s Best Large Employers, edging up from No. 2 the year prior. Alongside it are the usual Silicon Valley titans: Google, Apple, NVIDIA, and Salesforce.
According to Forbes, the grocery chain employs roughly 50,000 people nationwide — a far cry from its 1958 beginnings as a cluster of Southern California convenience stores. It has since grown to more than 450 locations, with a business model built on private-label goods, minimal advertising, and a grocery shopping experience that feels like an Easter egg hunt. The result: industry-leading sales per square foot and a fiercely loyal customer base…