Grocery Outlet

Grocery Outlet was founded on June 11, 1946, by James Read, who used his entire life savings of $800 to purchase military surplus food products and resell them in San Francisco, California, under the name Cannery Sales. The company was renamed Grocery Outlet in 1987 after Read's sons Steven and Peter took over following their father's death in 1982. The chain's model is built on opportunistic buying — purchasing overstock, closeout, and seasonal merchandise from national brands at deeply discounted prices and passing those savings to consumers, typically 40–70% below conventional retailers. The vast majority of stores are independently operated by local families, with each store having flexibility in its product offerings to serve local tastes. Grocery Outlet went public on the Nasdaq in June 2019 under the ticker symbol "GO."