“Grocery Outlet, Bargain Market” — if you can’t help but read these words to the tune of the store’s catchy jingle, you may be a regular at this discount retail chain. Grocery Outlet sells a mix of both standard and higher-end groceries, home goods, and beauty and personal care products – all at a 40-70% discount. Considered mostly a West Coast grocer, the chain operates around 470 locations in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, with some locations in states like Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. If you’ve ever walked through the aisles and seen a pricey brand, like Hagen Daaz ice cream for $2 a pint, you’ve likely wondered, “How?”
To be able to offer customers such good deals on groceries and other necessities, Grocery Outlet does not operate like other traditional grocery stores. Instead, it specializes in selling surplus, overstock leftover after packaging changes, or closeout grocery items at a discounted rate; the products it shelves come directly from brands, manufacturers, or mainstream retailers. It moves the products quickly through its supply chain, and does not charge sellers a slotting fee, which is a fee for shelf space sometimes found at a normal grocer. Grocery Outlet purchases items at a super discounted rate, and then they pass the savings on to consumers. If you’ve ever wondered how much customers are actually saving here, last year Grocery Outlet reported that its customers saved nearly $3 billion collectively.
Grocery Outlet’s selection
The selection found at Grocery Outlet may be inconsistent, as the retailer does not buy and stock the same products every week. There are pros and cons to this; there’s always a rotating selection of products, but the deal you scored last week may never repeat itself again. Therefore, if you find something you like at a great price, it’s ideal to stock up on it if it’s shelf-stable or can be frozen.
The discount retailer is locally owned, which means each independent operator has the opportunity to choose what they would like to stock from the chain’s inventory. While we expect consistency from shopping at grocery chains like Trader Joe’s, one Grocery Outlet may have totally different products from the other.
If you go shopping with a strict grocery list, Grocery Outlet may not be ideal. You might find five different seasonal coffee creamer flavors, but may struggle to find the one you buy on a weekly basis. It makes sense to head to Grocery Outlet first (with an open mind!), and then head to a regular grocery store to pick up any items you weren’t able to find. For budget-savvy shoppers with a flexible grocery list, it’s worth visiting regularly to score deep discounts on favorite and new products.
Packaging and shelf life
Grocery Outlet veterans know how important it is to check the expiration date before throwing items in the cart. Newbies shopping at the discount retailer may have stocked up on three containers of their favorite hummus brand for 50% off, only to return home and see that all packages expire the next day. Because the items may have been purchased with a somewhat short remaining shelf life, by the time it makes it to your cart, some products are close or even past their expiration date. While this is something we normally don’t think about when shopping at a regular grocer, it’s something to stay vigilant about at Grocery Outlet. This, however, can be taken advantage of; stock up for dinner parties or with foods and beverages nearing their expiration day, which are normally heavily discounted.
Some product packaging may be slightly damaged or altered, but the product inside remains unaffected. You may recognize a product and brand, but not the packaging; products with outdated packaging may be sent to the Grocery Outlet. It might be surprising to see a pumpkin spice baking mix in December, or peppermint mocha marshmallows in February, but Grocery Outlet buys and stocks these products past the specific holiday seasons, when other retailers cannot.
Store layout and shopping experience
Don’t expect a perfectly organized and categorized aisle as you might find in a regular grocery store. Grocery Outlet has aisles, but items are not shelved as neatly or logically; this doesn’t mean that it’s a disorganized mess, but more like you might find coconut oil on one end of the aisle, and olive oil on the other end. In general, things are where they should be — the refrigerated dairy section contains cheese and yogurts, the produce section stocks fruits and vegetables, and the alcohol area features beer and wine. However, when it comes to dry food goods like snacks, cereals, bread, grains, and canned foods, it can be more of a hodgepodge of an aisle.
Sometimes products are displayed on the shelf, and other times they are kept in a box or bin. It might take you a bit longer to do your grocery shopping here, as it takes time to find what you’re looking for. Some of the best deals are featured at the front, right when you walk into the store. The shopping experience can feel more like treasure hunting, as you search the aisles for grocery list items, fun new items to try out, and unexpected deals.
Items to look for in Grocery Outlet
You may never be sure of what you’ll find on the next aisle, but there are some key categories and particular items that Grocery Outlet regulars recommend keeping an eye out for. Vegans can head to the retailer and happily fill their baskets without worrying so much about the prices — plant-based products ranging from alternative cheese to meat can be found here for a fraction of the regular price.
The NOSH aisle is not to be missed; an acronym for “natural, organic, specialty, and healthy,” this section is dedicated to items you might find at Whole Foods, but of course, for way cheaper. Aside from vegan items, other dietary preferences are also represented in this aisle, like gluten-free, keto, and paleo. Speaking of organic, outside of the NOSH aisle, you’ll find organic fruits and veggies in the produce section that won’t break the budget. Other high-quality staples, like cage-free, organic eggs and grass-fed beef can be found for half the price of other grocers.
While TJ’s is a favorite retailer for its affordable, globally sourced wine, Grocery Outlet can supply some pretty good bottles and prices too. Its yearly wine sale is not to be missed, with a 20% discount off already affordable bottles. Don’t forget non-food items: Grocery Outlet is surprisingly great for toiletries, beauty supplies, and kitchen necessities, like soap, detergent, and towels.
