Pirate Joe’s, an Unlicensed Trader Joe’s Retailer, Has Closed

For the last 5 years, residents of Vancouver, British Columbia, who wanted to get their hands on items from Trader Joe’s had two options: cross the border into the U.S. and visit a Trader Joe’s store, or make a quick stop into Pirate Joe’s, a renegade shop run by Mike Hallatt. Hallatt set up the shop years ago to meet the demand for Trader Joe’s products in his city. He would cross the border and buy in bulk from a Seattle TJ’s and then sell the items for a slightly increased price at his Pirate Joe’s shop. Despite a lawsuit filed in 2013, Hallatt continued making his runs, sometimes donning a disguise and sometimes hiring people to buy the products for him. Well, Vancouver folk, the fun has ended, as Hallatt was finally forced to close his doors this past week. You can read more about the story at The New York Times.