Pirate Joe’s, Maverick Distributor of Trader Joe’s Products, Shuts Down -<br />By CHRISTOPHER MELEJUNE 8, 2017<br />Shoppers of Pirate Joe’s, the Canadian renegade reseller of groceries from the American chain Trader Joe’s, no<br />longer have a place to buy products like Organic Carrot Turmeric Juice Blend or Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers.<br />A Federal District Court in Washington ruled that the violations occurred in Canada, where Trader Joe’s has no stores, and<br />that Trader Joe’s failed to prove that Pirate Joe’s affected business in the United States.<br />His bulk shopping trips got the attention of Trader Joe’s,<br />and in 2013, the company filed a lawsuit against Mr. Hallatt for trademark infringement, unfair competition, false designation of origin and false advertising.<br />Pirate Joe’s, which for more than five years celebrated its status as an unauthorized importer of Trader Joe’s products with a blend of cheeky humor<br />and David-versus-Goliath determination, closed its doors at 12:01 a.m. Thursday after a protracted legal battle with the corporation.<br />Mike Hallatt, the founder of Pirate Joe’s, had an approach<br />that was both simple and complex: He sought to meet a demand for Trader Joe’s products in Vancouver, British Columbia, by opening a store and selling the goods at inflated prices.<br />Mr. Hallatt had been banned by Trader Joe’s from stepping foot in its stores,<br />but he had devised workarounds to shop undetected and keep his enterprise afloat.
