Monica, owner of the Rancho Cordova Grocery Outlet, will be demonstrating how to make a restaurant-quality steak with ingredients from Grocery Outlet on the news.  Here is her recipe for your reference:

Restaurant-Style Marinated Top Sirloin Steaks
This marinade adds flavor and tenderness to lean top sirloin steak.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup very finely chopped onion (add coarsely chopped onion to small food processor, if you have one, and pulse until almost pureed)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Pinch of cayenne red pepper

4 or 5 top sirloin individual steaks (about 5 ounces each), trimmed of visible fat

Preparation:

1. In an 8-cup measure, whisk together balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, pepper, Worcestershire, onion, salt (if desired), and cayenne.

2. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish and cover with the marinade. Turn to coat both sides well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for up to two days.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly coat the grill grate with canola cooking spray or oil. Add steaks and grill 5-7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steak and the desired doneness. Throw away any leftover marinade (because it has raw meat juices in it).

Enjoy your delicious steak!  Serves 4-6.

I published a teaser post last week about Fresh-tival: our extreme bargain extravaganza on fresh produce.  And now, here are the details:

 

Fresh-tival: Grocery Outlet's 72-hour Produce Sale
When: Friday, July 30th—Sunday, August 1st
Where: your local Grocery Outlet store

And here are a couple of the fresh produce bargains that will be in every store:

• Juicy Watermelons, $1.99 each!
• Sweet Cantaloupes, $0.99 each!
• 3 lb. Dole Bananas, $1.99!

Come check out Fresh-tival and enjoy summer's best sun-ripened produce at exceptional prices!

 

Psst!  Next week, I'll be posting details, but I wanted to give our readers a sneak peek of our upcoming event:

 

One of the best things about summer is how evenings last so much longer.  You’re a little too keyed up to hit the pillows early, but what to do while the weather is so invitingly warm?

Our bargainistas compiled a couple of our favorite ideas on how to keep cool, save money, and take advantage of the long, dusky summer evenings.

1. Make special meals with your family.  Avoid the high price of going out to dinner but increase the fun by cooking something out of the ordinary.  In our $3-A-Day brochure, we have several inexpensive, easy recipes to help you shake up your routine.

2. Host a trivia night.  You can either break out a traditional trivia game, or make up your own, based on whatever interesting facts you can find on the internet.  One of our favorite things to do is to come up with trivia facts about our friends and family and share them at the end.

3. Have a campout overnight in your backyard.  Pitch a tent or sleep out under the stars in your sleeping bag.  Get a book on astronomy from the library, pull out your flashlight, and see if you can find Ursa Major and her little sister, Ursa Minor.

4. Speaking of flashlights, play Flashlight Tag!  Choose someone to be “It”, and give that person a flashlight.  The person who is “It” counts to 50 while everyone else hides.  The person who is “It” tries to find people.  When they find someone, they shine the flashlight on that person and call out their name.  The first person to be caught then becomes “It”.  Be careful bumping around in the dark though.  Safety first!

5. Your Own Outdoor Theater - It doesn't take much to have your own outdoor theater. If you don't have a projector and DVD player, rent one (try your local library or community college).  Hang a sheet on the side of your house, (preferably where people can lounge on the lawn or set up chairs) run an extension cord, set up the system and play a DVD from Grocery Outlet.  Or throw open the windows and invite everyone around the TV.  Paired with a barbecue, this will create an enjoyable night your friends and neighbors won’t forget.

Share your tips with us!  What do you do on warm summer evenings?

Even though the economy has picked up a little, frugal families are still choosing to stay at home during vacation season.  There are numerous benefits to a “staycation”—you save money and enjoy the comforts of home, while avoiding the hassle of travel and the stress of constant activity.  

It’s easy to get bored with the same old routine however, so we at Grocery Outlet want to share our favorite ideas on how to make your staycation spectacular:

 

 

1.   Treat your staycation the same way you would if you were a tourist in your home city.  Plan out how you’ll spend your time, research popular tourist attractions, and map out the best way to group locations together so that you save gas by not driving all over town.  
2.   Check the internet and your local paper for free or reduced admission blocks, which many museums, sporting events, and amusement parks have during the summer months.
3.   Look on your county and city websites for what the Parks and Recreation Department is up to.  It may be a big surprise to you what cool stuff is going on in your neighborhood, and many times, for free!  One of our favorite things is a free concert in the park.  Grocery Outlet has a bunch of great deals on meat and picnic food, so stop by your local store on the way to the concert to stock up!
4.   Create a scavenger hunt for your kids around the house.  Give a prize to the winner.
5.   Take a vacation for free—sit under an umbrella or pitch a canopy with some travel books, sip a cool beverage and imagine what it would be like to travel to the featured destination.   Truly free travel and an afternoon escape all in one!

Whatever you end up doing, enjoy it.  Contentment comes not from the money you spend, but spending your time well. 

Now and again, I like to highlight a great product at Grocery Outlet that might be getting a little lost on the shelves.  We have this fantastic dishware in stock right now:

 

There's a 12 inch plate and a 9 inch bowl to choose from—both only $0.99!  It's an attractive set, and best of all, it's microwave and dishwasher safe! 

Pretty, inexpensive, and low-maintenance: don't you wish everything could be this way?

It may surprise you to know that Grocery Outlet is on a mission to become eco-friendly.  Even though our primary goal is to bring you quality products at extremely low prices, we also include sustainability and eco-responsibility in our overall strategy.  Here are some things that Grocery Outlet has done in our corporate offices to reduce waste, save energy, and make our planet a better place:

1. We used to provide free bottled water for employees. We've now switched to filtered drinking water coolers and drinking glasses. We recycle the paper cups we do use.
2. We bought Duplex Printers—we encourage printing on both sides of the paper.
3. We switched to energy saving smart power strips
4. We bought energy saving dishwashers. We switched to motion lights in offices to save energy.
6. We made the change to organic, fair trade coffee and biodegradable coffee filters.
7. We provide incentives for employees to ride their bike or carpool to cut down on emissions.
8. We recycle cardboard, plastic, cans, bottles, paper, bubble wrap, and Styrofoam, as well as cartridges, staplers, and other difficult items to recycle.
9. We buy recycled copy paper and office products.
10. We switched our janitorial supplies and paper towels to more sustainable, eco-friendly products.
11. We try to make electronic copies more than paper copies.

Also, we've made sourcing organic, sustainable, and eco-friendly products for you a priority.  You'll regularly see brands like Amy's Organic, Kashi, Annie's, Nature's Gate, and many more in our stores.  The eco-friendly product that I'm most excited about is Bear River Valley Cereals.  We're featuring these cereals in our July ad (consider this a sneak peek!).  Bear River Valley cereals use 75% less packaging than other brands, and the manufacturer supports renewable wind energy.  Also, all shipping cartons are made from 100% recycled product.  You can learn more about Bear River Valley here.

Best of all, each cereal is only 99 cents!  You save up to $2 on this cereal.  That's something to cheer about!

This is just one of many examples of how Grocery Outlet can help you save money and the planet.  We'll keep our eyes out for more fantastic eco-bargains.  Stay tuned!

Doug Due, our Director of Wine and Beer, recently traveled to Australia for a big wine buying trip.  Grocery Outlet's purpose is to provide quality products at extreme bargains, and sometimes we have to travel around the world to do that!

 

 Vineyard in Australia's Barossa Valley

 

Here's my interview with Doug about his trip:

What locations did you visit? Sydney, Hunter Valley, Gold Coast, Griffiths/Riverina, Melbourne, Adelaide, Barossa and McLaren Vale Valleys.

What's the best growing season in Australia? 
Australia is on the Southern side of the world so they are just the opposite of our growing seasons.  They harvest in February and March, we harvest in September and October.

What's unusual or specific about Australian wines?
Australia wines are very similar to California in style—Australians are the best producers of Shiraz in the world and they also do well with Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Are there any wines coming down the chain from Australia that you're excited about?
We're bringing in Barossa and McLaren Vale Shiraz that we can sell at $5-6 a bottle. Other retailers are selling the same wine for $18-30 a bottle. I'm excited to provide that value to our customers!

Do other countries provide better bargains than the U.S.?
The simple answer is yes. Producing wines in California can be more expensive than Australia or South America—the cost of land, building a winery, and hiring employees can all be more expensive. That's a very general statement and there are always going to be exceptions, but overall, Australia and South America can offer better bargains because their cost structure is less.

The extension of that question is how does that benefit our customers?  The more competition we have for our shelf space the better.  By working with other countries, our California partners have to provide as good if not a better value to earn shelf space.  Some countries do a better job with a specific varietal, for example Argentinian Malbec, Chile Carmenere, Australian Shiraz, and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc are all top varietals, and that's reflected in their value.

What's your strategy in regards to traveling to different countries to buy?
We want to buy the best wines from the best regions in the world.  With our buying power and efficiency of supply chain, we can offer varietal and regionally correct wines beating our competition on quality at the same price point or beating them on price while matching their quality. We're very proud of that.

Thanks Doug! And welcome home.

Victor was our most prepared, even-keeled chef.  He came in early to scope out Grocery Outlet and see what our product offering was before he crafted his dish.  Victor is from Puerto Rico, and wanted to pull together a classic dish with tastes of his home.  His dish, Mojito Mofongo, is a dish of mashed plantains with rice.  He paired it with shrimp cooked in salsa.  The dish impressed our judges with its flavor, elegance, and presentation. It was closest to the caliber one would expect from a fine restaurant.  Just goes to show that good preparation and planning pay off!

 

Victor scopes out the Crown Hill Grocery Outlet.

 

 

Victor's ingredients.

 

 

Victor zesting a lemon while STAR 101.5's Jill Taylor interviews him.

 

Alex was outgoing, funny, and had some fantastic culinary ideas.  The judges liked his concept of Chicken Thighs with Beurre Blanc (a sauce made from butter and white wine) and thought his dish was refined, but he got points knocked off for execution.  The judges wanted the rice to be a little more cooked, so when you make his recipe, be sure to check the rice.

 

Though Alex didn't win first place, he made a delicious dish that was inexpensive and paired well with wine.  He's also the only chef who used wine to cook with in his dish. 

Click here to view Alex's recipes.

Click here to see his receipt.

Josh Schimmel-Bristow was our 3rd place winner with his Lemon Chicken with Parslied Rice Pilaf.  Josh was an engaging, personable chef with admirable knife skills.  I was impressed with his talent in the kitchen and his take on classic comfort food.  Of all the recipes, I think his meal would appeal most to our customers with families—it's the most kid-friendly and would make a fantastic fall or winter dinner.

 

 

Josh comes in just under his $20 budget, even with wine and half and half!

 

Prepping the chicken and vegetables.

 

 

 Lemon Chicken with Parslied Rice Pilaf

Click to download a PDF of Josh's recipes.
To see Josh's receipt, click here.

While all of the dishes scored very well, there can only be one winner.  Stay tuned for Alex and Victor's dishes!

On June 5th, Grocery Outlet hosted a Fresh & Frugal Chef Showdown at our Crown Hill store.  Our premise: 3 student chefs from the Art Institute of Seattle compete for tuition money by creating a restaurant-quality meal for a family of 4 (plus wine!), using ingredients solely from Grocery Outlet.

This event was a fantastic example of what creativity and frugality can do when combined.  Our chefs created and executed delicious meals, and they all came in under their goal of $20.  We're even going to post the receipts to prove it!

Follow along this week as we post their dishes and recipes.  In the meantime, here are a few pictures from the competition.

 

 

 

 

I'm always thinking about creative ways to both save money and the environment at the same time.  I turn to Apartment Therapy's Re-Nest blog often for its useful and fantastic ideas on how to be an eco-frugalist. 

One article I return to constantly is this one: 10 Simple Uses for Spaghetti Jars.  It has great ideas on how to re-use those jars—packaging we mostly overlook before we (hopefully) throw it in the recycling bin.  You can save a lot of money by re-using and re-purposing items you might otherwise throw away.  And the nice thing about jars is that they look great and don't degrade while leaching icky chemicals the way that plastic does.

 

 

 

Here are some of their tips on how to re-use jars, plus some of our own:
1. Storage of bulk foods - re-use jars for storing sugar, flour, grains, rice, etc. when the original packaging wears out, or if you split with a friend.
2. Watering your houseplants – skip a watering can and fill up a jar instead.
3. Cold drinks - add some lime or lemon juice or some cucumber to a jar of water, put the lid on and give it a little shake. Then stick in the fridge until you need some refreshment. Works well for iced tea too.
4. Breakfast on the run – add instant oatmeal, dried fruit and brown sugar to a jar and toss in your bag. Once you're at work, at some hot water, mix well and enjoy.
5. Leftovers – who needs expensive Tupperware? Great for dips, sauces, and soup.
6. Organization - keep various screws and nails of all sizes in these, or cotton balls and swabs in your bathroom. Jars are clear so you can see what's inside.
7. Gifts – pass along those sauces, mixes, and other edibles in a jar. Tie a pretty ribbon around the lid and you’re done.
8. Make your own flavored olive oil – mix oil with your favorite herbs like rosemary or basil and let sit for a few days. Drizzle a salad or dip in some fresh bread.
9. Ribbon or string/yarn/twine storage - Cut a hole in the top for a twine dispenser or slit for ribbon dispenser.
10. Piggy bank – corral loose change and keep handy for those parking meters and bus fares.

Check out our varied selection of pasta sauces and jarred foods to spice up your lunches and dinners. We offer sauces, jams, pickles, peppers, and all kinds of other jarred foods whose packaging can be reused in creative ways.

We are very excited to announce our upcoming Fresh & Frugal Chef Showdown! 

We challenged three culinary students from the Art Institute of Seattle to create a restaurant quality meal (including a wine pairing!) that serves four for only $20. Our esteemed judges include Marlee Ginter from KOMO-4, Jill Taylor from 101.5 FM, Lorna Yee from Seattle Magazine, and Jason Wilson, Executive Chef for Crush Restaurant, and recent winner of the 2010 James Beard Award for Best Northwest Chef! Congratulations Jason!

When: Saturday, June 5th, 1-3 p.m.
Where: the brand-new Crown Hill Grocery Outlet - 8700 15th Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98117

This event is free and open to the public.  We'll have live entertainment, food, and prizes.  Come join us!

 

Canned food sometimes gets a bad rap.  There’s a misunderstanding about the freshness and nutritional value of canned fruits and vegetables, but much of this bad press simply isn’t true.  Canned fruits and vegetables are comparable in nutrition to those that are cooked fresh or frozen.  In fact, just like frozen food, canned fruits and vegetables are picked and processed at their peak, which seals in nutrients.

Also, canned foods are convenient: since the food inside is usually already cooked, it lessens your cooking time, allowing you to get food on the table faster.

Grocery Outlet has long promoted the benefits of canned food items, and we’re here to show that you can create gourmet-style meals in your kitchen that are healthy, cheap and easy to make.  Here's our first recipe, an easy asparagus soup that you can make in minutes.

 

 

 

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can asparagus
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Blend the asparagus, with liquid, in a blender or food processor until completely smooth.
2. Heat asparagus and chicken broth together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in milk, and bring to a low simmer. Stir in butter to finish, and season to taste with, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

 

For more delicious recipes, click here to download our Cooking from Cans recipes.  We've even included a dessert! 

Remember: just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it's any less delicious.  Enjoy!

Keeping your kitchen clean can be a chore, but it’s the best way to ensure that the food you’re eating and feeding your family is free of bacteria and other nasty critters.  Plus, it just makes you feel great to have a clean kitchen.

And no need to stress out!  Keeping your kitchen clean requires less than 5 minutes of your time every day.  Here’s our recommended list of what we do to keep our kitchens clean and how long it takes.  

Every Day
-Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
-Wipe down the stove top (1 minute).
-Wipe down the counters (1 minute).
-Sweep or vacuum the floor (2 minutes).
Total time: 4 minutes, 30 seconds.  Have the coffee pot going while you clean.

Every Week
-Mop the floor (5 minutes).
-Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).
-Wash the dish rack (4 minutes).
-Wipe the switch plates and phone (1 minute).
-Wipe the inside of the garbage can (1 minute).
Total time: 21 minutes.  Schedule a phone call with a pal and talk while you scrub.

Every Season
-Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).
-Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).
-Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).
-Clean the stove-hood filter (10 minutes).
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes—shortened considerably if you enlist your kids to help with the easy jobs!

You can always find a fantastic selection of cleaning supplies at your local Grocery Outlet.  From detergents to counter sprays, sponges to dish soap, we’ve got you covered.  We've even started carrying eco-friendly products so you can keep your home clean without damage to the environment—or your wallet.

A couple weeks ago, our Wine Director, Doug Due, and VP of Purchasing, Steve Wilson, traveled to Chile and Argentina to source some fantastic South American wine.  South America is a current "hot" region to buy wine from, given the increasing quality of the wine, plus the still inexpensive price of the wine.

Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the ninth largest producer. The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France. The most common grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère.  

Argentina is the fifth largest producer, and has a rich wine history, dating back to the 16th century, when the Spanish imported grape vines to the region.  Argentina is best known for its Malbec and Torrontés wines, though Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and other international varieties are becoming more widely planted.

 

Doug and Steve’s first stop was in Santiago, Chile.  They visited several wineries, cherry-picking great wines.  One of the more exciting finds was Carménère wine, made from a grape found almost exclusively in Chile, although its origins are the Bordeaux region in France.  For more on Carménère, click here.
 
On Wednesday, Steve and Doug flew to Mendoza, Argentina and met with 19 wineries on Thursday and Friday.  Doug is especially excited about the Malbec wines he found.  Malbec is celebrated as an Argentine varietal, though like the Carménère, it traces its origins back to Bordeaux.  Malbec is a very intense wine, so it is also commonly used in blends, such as with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create the red French Bordeaux claret blend.  For more on Malbec, click here.

On Saturday, our intrepid adventurers were scheduled to fly back to Chile, but the Chile earthquake woke them up at 3:34 am!  Mendoza is 105 miles from Santiago, which is itself 100 miles from the quake’s epicenter.  The Andes dampened the effects of the quake—Mendoza shook, but did not receive anywhere near the devastation that Chile encountered.  Still, Steve said, it was quite scary to be woken up by the hotel rolling and shaking.   Instead of flying back home through Santiago, Doug and Steve transferred to flights out of Buenos Aires.  We’re happy to have them back safe and sound!

Doug says that we will be planning a South American wine promotion in a month or two.  Since the earthquake damaged a lot of the export infrastructure, we’re still waiting for the wine to show up.  Still, when that wine comes in, it’s going to be fantastic!

“Look for quality and pricing on par or better than what we had for Australia,” Doug says.  “We’re very excited to bring you top-quality wines at bottom-of-the-barrel prices.”

It’s been a month or so since the layoff, and while things have started to look up, this period has really made me consider what it means to be frugal.  Necessity really forces you to consider all your choices, from “do I want this?” to “do I need it to survive?”  And let me tell you, asking myself that every day with every single item I thought about buying was pretty depressing.  

It also makes me feel tired, because every time I go to the store I have to do mental gymnastics just to get through my shopping trip.  “If I don’t get the good cheese, can I get lunchmeat for my sandwich?  Well, what about yogurt instead of crackers?  It’s healthier, but more expensive.  And I really like that one brand, but it’s $0.25 more, so… I’m putting it back.”  Every decision is a process.

I’ve been thinking about people that have to do this regularly, and I have a newfound respect for them.  I didn’t really understand how agonizing it is to have your financial future be uncertain until now.  Even though my personal situation seems to be improving, we still took a big loss of income and it makes you feel pretty insecure when you don’t know where your next paycheck is coming from.  Everything has to be put on hold until that’s resolved, and even so, you have to survive.

So that’s why I keep posting frugal ideas I find and keeping you in the loop about our great deals: because something that extends that dollar further means more comfort, more safety, and more enjoyment.  It means the difference between just living and having a life worth living.  

All of the recent news about earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, and Turkey has caused us to ponder our own disaster preparedness.  Most all Grocery Outlets are in the western states, especially California, which is prone to earthquakes.  Thing is, stowing away all the supplies you need for a disaster can get pretty pricey.  It’s a whole week’s (maybe more) food that you didn’t budget for.  Our question is: how do you prepare for disaster on a budget?  

Jennifer Savage, from the North Coast Journal, has some great ideas in her article on disaster preparedness:
"Go to humboldt.edu/shakyground and click on "Supplies for Seven Days." This gives you standard non-perishable food ideas. Print it out. Fold it up and tuck the list in your purse or wallet. Each time you hit the grocery store—Grocery Outlet is especially great for this kind of stuff—pick up one of the items listed, two if they're on sale. Check it off your list. Keep that stuff in a box or tub labeled 'Emergency Supplies.'"

You’ll need two first aid kits: one for your home and one for your car.  You should stock them with any regular medications/toiletries you use.  Also, you should stockpile some cash, as ATMs might be down and banks might be closed.  Save $5 or $10 from every paycheck.

Remember your pets.  Start stocking up on food and supplies for them.  Pet travel items are good here, like a small litter box for cats, litter, toys, and any medicines or health care supplies.

Getting a hand-crankable or battery-operated radio is essential.  You can keep up with the latest news and get crucial updates.  Batteries are important.  Figure out what appliances you’ll want to operate (lights, radio, etc.), and buy batteries for them accordingly.  Grocery Outlet often has batteries in stock at a fraction of the price you’ll find them for at conventional stores.

Most importantly, make a plan for your family and loved ones.  When disaster strikes, you’ll be prepared.  Keep your loved ones safe and the rest will fall into place.

It’s not a stretch to say that Grocery Outlet has the best deals on wine in town.  Our process for sourcing fantastic wines at incredible deals is a little out of the ordinary, so we’d like to shed a little light on it for you.

The 3-Tier System

99% of total wine sold in the U.S. is moved through a 3-tier system, and wineries are the first tier.  While wineries put their heart and soul into the wines they make, they do not have the ability to sell all of their wine direct to the consumers, so they work with importers and distributors to market, sell, warehouse and deliver their product to the local wine shops, restaurants and liquor stores that sell most of the wine in America.

The second tier in the 3-tier system is made up of the importers and in-state distributors.  Importers and distributors choose the wineries they represent, and develop a ‘Book of Brands’.  Most large importers and distributors will offer all varietals from the most famous wine growing regions of the world.  Smaller distributors are usually more specialized in what they offer, sometimes only selling wines from a specific country or region.  

All importers and distributors bring wine into their warehouse and have salespeople that visit the wine buyers at the local wine shops, restaurants and liquor stores.  These salespeople take samples to the wine buyers, who taste the current vintages available for sale.  Wine buyers try to pick and choose wines that fit their customers’ taste or flavor profile.  The only wines offered are those represented by the importers and distributors.  As a result, buyers only have access to wines represented by importers and distributors within this system.

The third tier in the 3-tier system is the retailer or restaurant that sells the wine to the consumer.  There are many different reasons why wine buyers chose one wine over another, but most are knowledgeable about wine, their customer base, and what they can sell.  This is why you see a large difference between a grocery store selection and a fine wine shop, from a Steak House wine list to an Italian restaurant.  

How does Grocery Outlet come in?

The 3-tier system is very inefficient: there’s a lag from when the winery releases the wine to when the importer and distributor have the wine available to show and sell, so sometimes they miss the window of opportunity.  Also, importers and distributors sometimes buy wines and find they cannot sell the wine at a certain price or in a specific market.  All of these inefficiencies create opportunities for non-traditional retailers like Grocery Outlet.

The industry average is 90-95% efficiency.  In most years, importers, distributors and wineries will sell most of their wines, but almost always there’s some wine remaining.  If a winery produces 10,000 cases and is 95% effective as selling their wines, they have 500 cases at the end of the year; if a winery produces 5,000,000 they have 50,000 cases.

These overstocks are most of what Grocery Outlet buys.  The wine can be from the winery, importer or distributor.  Past vintages are opportunistic buys, because once a vintage has been replaced by a newer vintage, the salespeople stop showing the older vintage.  Older vintages become a storage expense, not a sales opportunity.  Wineries, importers and distributors have money tied up in this stock.   To quickly move through non-performing inventory, wineries, importers, and distributors will sell the wine at cost or even a loss.

This is why Grocery Outlet can offer wines that were sold 6 months ago at 20-35% of regular retail.  This is the first of several postings that will help you understand who we are and how we find you such great deals.

Cheers,
Doug

Wine Buyer for Grocery Outlet