Grocery Outlet Recaps Expansion Efforts
Extreme-value retailer Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. is closing the 2024 calendar year with 533 stores across 16 states. As the historically West Coast grocer continues its eastward expansion, it wraps the year up with 34 stores in Pennsylvania, 12 stores in Maryland, seven stores in New Jersey, three stores in Ohio and its first in Delaware.
“We are incredibly proud of our footprint growth over the past few years,” said Layla Kasha, Grocery Outlet’s chief new store growth officer. “As we round the corner on 2025, we will continue to focus on our core markets as well as clustered growth in Cleveland, Las Vegas and Baltimore. We see a lot of potential in the years ahead serving customers looking for a treasure-hunt shopping experience to stretch their dollar on our wide selection of fresh produce, meat, deli, dairy, packaged groceries, frozen, health and beauty care products.”
Grocery Outlet was able to widen its footprint this year due in part to the acquisition of United Grocery Outlet (UGO), a fellow extreme-value grocery retailer, which operates throughout the southeastern United States. With 40 stores and a distribution center, the acquisition of UGO will expand Grocery Outlet's presence into Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia.
New store sales stood out in Grocery Outlet’s third-uarter earnings report. Net sales increased 10.4% to $1.11 billion during the quarter ended Sept. 28, due to new store sales and a 1.2% increase in comparable-store sales, which represents 7.6% comp growth on a two-year basis.
Grocery Outlet is also getting a boost with its new private label portfolio, which officially launched earlier this year. GO Brands comprises of three lines: SimplyGO, Go Home & Haven, and GO Paw & Pamper, offering customers additional value on grocery basics, household essentials and pet products.
Also this year, the retailer introduced its GO Mobile App so customers can stay up to date on exclusive offers and deals while customizing their shopping experience.
Grocery Outlet was in flux in 2024 with its executive team, however. At the end of October, former CEO and current Chairman of the Board Eric Lindberg was named the company’s interim president and CEO. Lindberg stepped into the role following R.J. Sheedy’s departure from the position and resignation from the company’s board of directors.
Grocery Outlet aims to start the new year off right with a new CFO. Christopher Miller will join the extreme-value retailer as EVP and CFO, effective Jan. 6. Miller joins Grocery Outlet from Phoenix-based Shamrock Foods Co., the largest family-held foodservice distributor in the western United States, where he was CFO.
Emeryville, Calif.-based Grocery Outlet offers products sold through a network of independently operated stores at more than 530 locations in California, Washington state, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia. With approximately 1,000 employees, The company is No. 66 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
