The Secret Life of Groceries pulls the curtain back on the dark world behind the abundance within American grocery stores. Benjamin Lorr studies Trader Joe’s, works at Whole Foods, rides along with a trucker, visits meat production facilities, speaks to fish slaves in Thailand and interviews industry insiders to tell the Secret Life of Groceries. The book is fun and enjoyable while Lorr showcases the unique business strategy of Trader Joe’s, but it becomes depressing and thought-provoking when he digs into the exploitative world of new product development, trucking and the shrimp supply chain in Thailand. 

My favorite part of the book examined Joe Coulombe’s strategy in building Trader Joe’s. Colombe foresaw a changing population demographic with more college educated adults (aftermath of GI Bill) and more world travelers (cheaper air travel). He built a store that allowed consumers to impress their friends with their unique taste and worldly knowledge instead of the mass produced and advertised products pushed on traditional media outlets in the 1960s. Trader Joe’s competed on product knowledge (wine and nuts were early areas of expertise), and the company developed the private label strategy that is now widespread. For example, the company created almond butter because they did not like the peanut butter supply chain and its margins. Trader Joe’s was one of the few chains competing on something other than price which allowed the company to make different supply chain decisions. 

Lorr uses Trader Joe’s as a lens to compare other grocery chains, and he often refers to Trader Joe’s as he tells the story behind products and their arrival at large grocery store chains. The book was enjoyable and interesting throughout, but it felt a little disjointed at times while digging into certain areas of the supply chain. The book’s conclusion is mostly sad and leaves little hope that any mass produced good comes without some kind of human exploitation somewhere along the supply chain.