Trader Joe's is an "offbeat, fun discovery zone that elevates food shopping from a chore to a cultural experience," writes Fortune's Beth Kowitt in a long look at the operations of one of the hottest retailers in the U.S. There are now 344 stores in 25 states and Washington, D.C., and a long list of wannabe locations.

The story is replete with phrases such as "yuppie-friendly," "goofy trademark Hawaiian shirts" and "cheerfully refund" but Kowitt is definitely on the outside looking in. Management is "obsessively secret," she reports, and has never participated in a major story about its business operations. Including this one.

But analysts and former insiders say that the company has a winning formula and could easily triple its size in the coming years if it continues to come across to shoppers as a mom-and-pop operation. "They see themselves as a national chain of neighborhood specialty grocery stores," says Pepperdine University professor Mark Mallinger. But there are "buts," of course.

Some former employees claim that CEO Dan Bane has made Trader Joe's more corporate and added layers of management. That may not matter if it's transparent to what one observer jokes is the typical shopper: a "Volvo-driving professor who could be CEO of a Fortune 100 company if he could get over his capitalist angst." Read the whole story...

Sarah E. Needleman reports on the growth of companies that create customized goods -- from mattresses to pet foods to toilet paper --for customers who are not only discerning but also tight-fisted. The made-to-order goods may cost more than mass-produced products but they are generally cheaper than luxury goods because of the efficiencies of the Internet and low start-up costs. Lack of inventory is another advantage. "We don't have to make anything in advance," points out Nick LaCava, co-founder of a design-your-own-chocolate-bar business called Chocomize.com.

Young people, accustomed to customized ring tones and the like, are the main buyers. "It's almost a base expectation that a product should be tailored to one's personality," says Avery Pack, founder of RepublicBike.com.

An online directory of custom home-furnishings businesses, CustomMade.com has more than 1,000 businesses listed that are expected to earn a combined $20 million from consumers who find them there. Read the whole story...

Hundreds of Popeyes' fans emblazoned in orange took to Times Square yesterday and a none-too-subtle microsite -- http://www.popeyesbeatkfc.com/ -- went live, both trumpeting the fact that its Spicy and Mild Bonafide bone-in fried chicken beat out KFC Original Recipe in a national taste-test.

Among other things, Jennifer Rooney talks with Popeyes CMO Richard Lynch about the riskiness of conducting taste tests. "We believed we would win the taste test," he says. "When you're a brand that's about the food and you believe you have a superiority claim, you can't not do it." But if they lost, they would have told us, too, right?

As for its future strategy, Lynch says that the brand's Louisiana heritage is its "rudder" but that new products will be the "key" to its growth. He also says that the brand is currently getting more traction on Facebook than Twitter, a reversal. "There is a cult nature about this brand that lends itself nicely to social media," he claims. Read the whole story...

Popeyes isn't the only brand taking its message to the crossroads of the world. Pop-Tarts World, which joined storefront brands such as M&M and Hershey when it opened Aug. 11 on 42nd Street in New York, is enjoying significant buzz on the Web, Elaine Wong reports, in addition to the 1,500 to 2,000 visitors who cross the portal each day.

Pop-Tarts' Facebook page grew from 1.8 million to 2 million fans within two weeks after the store opened, according to Kellogg. And positive mentions rose to 88% from 74% before the opening, according to Zeta Interactive. "All this pop that is being generated in terms of awareness could register in terms of receipts and cash registers [ringing]," says Zeta Interactive CEO Al DiGuido.

Consumers come into the store for many reasons, according to Pop-Tart brand associate director Scott Sundheim, but they're all looking for "a really fun experience." Read the whole story...

Hoping to raise its profile among its pigskin-leaning consumers, Discover Financial Services will be the title sponsor of the Orange Bowl, one of college football's most prestigious bowl games, Becky Yerak reports. Conveniently, the company already has orange in its logo.

"Our cardmembers are passionate about college football and hockey," says Harit Talwar, president of U.S. cards for Discover, who says that they are 20 to 30% more likely to watch college football than the average consumer. "Our overwhelming goal is to increase wallet share with our customers."

FedEx has been the Orange Bowl title sponsor for 21years. Discover's deal is for four years and five games -- the 2011-14 Orange Bowl games and the 2013 Bowl Championship Series. Read the whole story...

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