While browsing the aisles at Grocery Outlet in Orange, shopper Ann Valenzuela stopped her cart and gasped when she spotted a Lindt chocolate bar on sale for $1.99.
“I love this chocolate. These are usually $2.99 or more,” she said, her jaw still dropped at the bargain price.
Welcome to Grocery Outlet, a Bay Area grocery chain often described as the T.J. Maxx of supermarkets. Grocery Outlet, which opened its fourth Orange County store Thursday to a modest crowd of more than 30 locals in Orange.
The Emeryville-based chains sells surplus or discontinued national-brand groceries at up to 70 percent off retail prices. As a result, the store’s six aisles are stocked with a treasure trove of food surprises. Offerings change week to week.
During Thursday’s grand opening, employees including owner-operator Josh Harsh, were constantly educating Outlet newbies on how to shop at the store.
“If you find something you love, you might not see it again,” so stock up, he said.
Shopper James Holland said the stockpiling is something he’ll have to get used to.
“When I do find something, I’d prefer for it to be stable – there every time. But, it’s not a perfect world,” he said while chomping on a $1.99 bar of chocolate.
Like Valenzuela, he couldn’t resist the 3.5 ounce bar of chocolate; he also couldn’t stop himself from cracking it open before checkout.
In fact, chocolate is what brought Holland to Grocery Outlet, which opened inside a Fresh & Easy that closed late last year. The British-conceived brand liquidated its remaining 100 stores in 2015, eight years after trying to crack the tough Southern California supermarket industry.
Like other curious shoppers, Holland missed having a grocery store nearby. He also missed the imported jumbo chocolate sold at Fresh & Easy. He was happy to find the gourmet chocolate and the overall low prices.
On Thursday, shoppers snapped up Grade AA eggs for 89 cents a dozen, bananas for 39 cents a pound, 2-pound blocks of cheese for $4.99, and buy-one-get-one-free bags of Kettle potato chips.
“That’s a dollar per bag,” shopper Laurie Stewart said of the deal.
The Orange resident saved $22 on a $15 grocery bill, according to her receipt.
Jaime Lemire, retail marketing manager for Grocery Outlet, said the learning curve is short for those unfamiliar with the store. Extremely low prices inevitably speak for themselves, convincing people to give them a shot, she said.
“Hopefully we’ll convert them,” she said.
That was the case with Jennifer Phillips.
Going into the store Thursday morning, the 29-year-old vegan said she was crossing her fingers that Grocery Outlet would have a great assortment of vegan and organic groceries.
She soon discovered the chain’s NOSH aisle, which is stocked with a variety of natural, organic, specialty and healthy groceries. At checkout, the flight attendant’s basket was stocked with whole bean organic coffee, dairy free Steve’s cookie butter ice cream, non-toxic lavender dish liquid, and organic prosecco (Italian sparking wine). She saved more than $60 on her bill.
“The prices were really good. They had more than I thought. I can do most of my shopping here,” she said.
Grocery Outlet, open daily at 8 a.m., has more than 250 stores. The Orange store is at 1803 E. Chapman Ave. in the same center as Rite Aid and Fitness 19.
The chain plans to open another 12 markets in Orange and Los Angeles counties. The next openings are in Long Beach, Duarte and Paramount. Opening dates have not been disclosed.
Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com
