I am not a lawyer, so I don't know that I am qualified to comment on the legal issues.
I can say that this does make me upset at Trader Joe's, and I will be considering where else I can spend my money.
They could have worked with this guy, eventually set up a Trader Joe's in Canada, and then offered to let this guy run it. That would have been better for their brand, in my view.
I care about what companies do. Costco hires employees and treats them well. It pays above average, and it hires and keeps on people with disabilities and injuries, even if they can't do everything someone else can do. It makes me feel good to shop there. And it's employees are loyal, hard working, happy and friendly, and they have less pilferage then other stores.
This idea that a company has a duty to be a dick is silly. Companies should care about their brand, and about being a good corporate citizen.
I totally get what you're saying, but if you're a business about to open in a new country, and you have to choose a manager for your first location there, would you pick some random businessperson or would you pick a guy you've banned from shopping in your store who's been sneaking into your Seattle stores in a wig and fake glasses in order to sell in Vancouver with inflated prices? Because I'd totally pick the random guy.
Well, if the guy with a wig proved he could grow a business selling my products in my target market, and is connected to a large base of potential customers, no I should totally not pick the random guy.
Trader Joe's own staff are already highly motivated because they're paid really really well.
The reason they don't set up in Canada is not lack of motivation, but that as a chain they'll have to get all sorts of products certified as suitable for sale. Most countries have strict rules about the import and sale of fresh produce or meat. Trader Joe's doesn't want to open a store that doesn't carry a full line of products, which would damage their brand. As a small store owner this guy was able to skate on all that regulatory overhead.
It really depends upon the person, as I'd never want to go into a business partnership with someone who's just as likely to try and undermine or countermand me later over opinion, but yeah, my inclination would be to at least interview the guy.
How does his opinion differ, really? Everything he's done indicates that his desire was to operate as closely as possible to the Trader Joes formula as he could. He has proven he can operate a successful business. At the very least I'd give him a franchise to run.
So it's okay to mimic stores, down to riding on their trademark?
It's probably best to think of "What if someone cloned my favorite game and called it a slightly different name?" People had big problems with what Zynga was doing.
When they don't exist in the country, yes. Likewise, if my favorite game had georestrictions prevents its sale in some countries, I'd have no problem with Zynga selling clones for those countries.
I can say that this does make me upset at Trader Joe's, and I will be considering where else I can spend my money.
They could have worked with this guy, eventually set up a Trader Joe's in Canada, and then offered to let this guy run it. That would have been better for their brand, in my view.
I care about what companies do. Costco hires employees and treats them well. It pays above average, and it hires and keeps on people with disabilities and injuries, even if they can't do everything someone else can do. It makes me feel good to shop there. And it's employees are loyal, hard working, happy and friendly, and they have less pilferage then other stores.
This idea that a company has a duty to be a dick is silly. Companies should care about their brand, and about being a good corporate citizen.