Everything You Need To Know Before Shopping At Grocery Outlet Bargain Market

For anyone who has wondered how to make the most use of Grocery Outlet Bargain Market — or, if you're a true newbie, what even is Grocery Outlet — your bewilderment has come to an end. It's totally worth a visit, but only if you know how to do it right. Why? Because Grocery Outlet isn't your average neighborhood shop. This discount grocery store keeps its prices low by obtaining goods at significantly reduced prices, usually because they were discontinued, overproduced, or repackaged, and passing the savings on to you. Even chefs swear by its low-cost goodness.

First, a quick clarification for those wondering about the difference in nomenclature: "Grocery Outlet Bargain Market" used to be simply "Grocery Outlet," and before that, it was "Canned Foods." The chain changed from "Canned Foods" to "Grocery Outlet" by 1993 and was officially rebranded by 2006, represented by the jingle that started playing that year. (FYI, this research was a relief to me, because it proves that I'm not crazy for calling it the "canned food store" my whole life, which made me seem a bit simple in my husband's eyes. Take that, husband!)

With that out of the way, you're no doubt wondering exactly what it takes to make the most of Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. Without further ado, here are 11 tips to keep in your back pocket the next time you go shopping.

The first rule of Grocery Outlet is: You do not expect to find specific products. The second rule of Grocery Outlet is: You do not expect to find specific products. Grocery Outlet's bargain-price model relies on getting extra inventory from brands eager to move it quickly, so the store's supply depends on supply and demand from other companies, rather than its own. Therefore, while you will often find products you love, like your Kettle Chips or Cheerios, they might not be there on another visit to the store.

Instead of planning on specific products, get the app. Yep, there's a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market app, and you can get major savings if you sign up for it. It enables you to see what's in stock and on sale every week. If you know what you want to get for your next trip, you can design menus around it or tailor your neighborhood grocery shopping trip to what you'll be able to get there. Personally, I like to use Grocery Outlet as a basis for menus, because you can get so many basics: pasta, rice, meat, cheese, frozen seafood, and the like. With the app, you can also check whether a Grocery Outlet product price is cheaper than at your regular store.

Most Grocery Outlet stores feature a wall of goods — chips, cookies, fruit, even refrigerated items — on your way into the store. While there are sometimes good deals hiding in here, I've found they often represent the store's pricier items, with which they'd like you to fill your cart on the way to better deals. It's always fine to come back to this section, and we often do, but be careful not to chuck everything in at first just because it's (still definitely) cheaper than your neighborhood grocery store. You can do better.

However, since there are often items that catch my eye, I pull out my phone and write down a few of the best-looking items. If I don't find better or cheaper products elsewhere in the store, I'll circle back at the end. Because the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market Wall O' High Prices is usually located close to the checkout registers, it's no hardship.

When we shop at Grocery Outlet, we typically hit the produce section first to see what we can find that isn't jarred or frozen. You can now find local, organic, and plastic-free goods there — but a lot of it won't be brands you recognize. That said, don't skip it just because it doesn't have a brand name or a giant "organic" sticker on it. A little googling can reveal that your produce actually comes from the next county over, a natural but not organic farm, or a B Corp that does good in the world.

The same goes for the meat, dairy, eggs, and bread. Grocery Outlet Bargain Market increasingly offers plant-based, organic, brand-name, and otherwise desirable fresh goods if you look for them or do a search on your phone. You can freeze many items, such as meats, breads, and cheeses, which will last for weeks to months. Therefore, it's good to stock up.

While Grocery Outlet's produce is getting better all the time, and is way more bountiful than when I was a child, you still shouldn't plan on specific types of fruit or veggies. You get what you get. Make sure you designate a section of your cart for produce and stack it carefully to avoid squishing.

One of the best things about Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is how many supplies you can lay in for such an affordable price. Both cans and jars are abundant, so make sure you give them a thorough inspection to find the steals. You'll find plenty of high-cost brands (think San Marzano tomatoes or California Olive Ranch Olive Oil). If you find two good options and aren't sure which one to choose, look a little closer at the tag: As in many grocery stores, you will find a price per ounce that will allow you to compare them side by side.

Before you dismiss something based on an expiration or best-by date that's long in the past, know that the USDA says a can is fine if it doesn't exhibit rust, dents, or swelling. As for jars, the lids must be tight with no swelling, cracks are an absolute no-no, and if, upon opening, it squirts liquid, get rid of it. I've never seen any of these at Grocery Outlet, which, in my experience, has great quality control despite its discount model.

Cans and jars are great for lining the bottom of the cart, so they're a good second stop (or first, if you're so inclined) before you hit up other goods. Whatever your shopping style, make sure you don't pile cans on top of the produce or other squishy, delicate goods.

Yes, Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is a great place to get name-brand goods. Household favorites such as General Mills, DeCecco, Franz, Tillamook, or Heinz, for example, all make frequent appearances, and I certainly buy them when I can. They're almost always more affordable than neighborhood grocery stores (although I've found that Costco prices are often commensurate, if you're willing to buy in bulk).

However, I've found off-brand sauces, breads, cheeses, and more to be very satisfactory. Even if they're not widely recognized, they're usually still made of the same general ingredients. If you're worried about it, compare the list on the back of the jar. Sometimes, the lesser-known brands use fewer or even better ingredients, all for prices that will substantially shrink your food budget. Yes, you'll have to experiment a bit, but it can be worth it for the price difference, which is typically reflective of the difference in a regular store, but accordingly cheaper. Even if you strike out once in a while, it's worth it.

While I don't drink personally, I know for a fact that Grocery Outlet has an excellent selection of alcoholic drinks. We used to buy my grandpa's Christmas ales there every year, and they've still got a whole bank of wines, beers, mixers, and so on. If you need to lay in a modest supply for a holiday or event, you could do much worse than shopping here.

The section is usually pretty huge (at least compared to the midsize warehouse square footage that represents most Grocery Outlets). If you want to get your libations there, plan for some time when you first visit. As with any other product, don't seek out name brands only — though you may well get some steals that way — but rather stay open to other brands across which you might stumble. You never know, you might find some new favorites. Even if you don't, you're sure to spot some affordable, beautiful bottles that would make for a great host or hostess gift.

Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is considered one of the most unique stores in the country, and I agree. Not because the store is unique (by dint of being a chain, it's not) or because they have fabulous imports, but rather because you can get genuinely unique foods without paying top-shelf prices. That goes for frozen goods as well. Frozen whole foods such as meat, fish, veggies, and fruits all make a robust appearance. You'll also find pizza, lasagna, dumplings, and other ready-to-cook eats. It's also a great place to get nice brands of frozen treats, which is why we stopped there first when ranking coffee ice cream.

Another hot tip: Make sure to check the frozen section second-to-last. In a perfect world, I would advise visiting the frozen section right after produce, because it contains the second-healthiest roundup in the store, what with all the produce and protein. However, you don't want your food to defrost before you get it home, so you should hit it right before you check out the snacks (for reasons discussed in a moment). If you want to know what you're working with, you can spin through and take a gander before you wander the rest of the store.

Finally, I would plan to spend several days ahead of your shopping trip eating goods out of your freezer to make space. Most Grocery Outlets have several aisles devoted to banks of frozen food. You'll want to make room in your freezer to bring home two to three months' worth of goods.

While it's not the best supermarket for imported snacks, you can find some good stuff at Grocery Outlet Bargain Market if you search the inventory patiently. They do have goodies from Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia, as well as more chichi American brands. As with the wine and beer section, though, you're going to need to plan in some time, because the store has a dizzying snacks section: dried fruits, chips, pretzels, candy, crackers, chocolate-covered everything, you name it. They've got a wider variety than other stores of their size by dint of the nature of their inventory, so it's always a treasure hunt.

Just make sure to hit the snacks last. When my cart is empty, every bag of chips, box of bars, and bag of cookies looks good. Once I fill it up with healthier foods, I'm less motivated to throw all the goodies into the cart. Instead, I'll choose five to six treats to round out the trip. If my kids are with me, I give them the choice of one or two themselves.

On a related note, do not go hungry to Grocery Outlet. Seriously. Its snack game is strong — and you will succumb. Unless you plan to have snacks for lunch (and I am not judging you if so), have a filling meal beforehand. This is standard shopping advice that helps you avoid filling your cart with Little Debbie products and ten kinds of cereal.

I don't care what you read online, Grocery Outlet is not always a bargain, especially if you shop in high-income neighborhoods. There, the pricing is definitely more competitive than surrounding stores, because it's still cheaper than, say, the nearby Whole Foods. And because Grocery Outlet Bargain Market stores are franchised, owners are allowed to set their own prices to meet supply and demand. If the local market will bear prices that are 25% higher than those in two towns over, well, that's just fine with them.

If you can, stay in your own, more affordable neck of the woods (which we do) or travel to a less affluent neighborhood to find better prices. It might take you a few shopping trips to figure out which stores have the best prices, but in general, you can assume wealthier neighborhoods will serve up poorer bargains.

In shopping at Grocery Outlet my whole life, I've never found going more than once a month to be necessary. The produce isn't great, so we always supplement at our neighborhood grocery store on a weekly basis. Grocery Outlet's power is in stocking your pasta, dried goods, freezer, sauces, and snacks. Waiting a month before heading there again gives them time to refresh their inventory, so you get a new experience. Over time, if you frequently buy a desired product when you find it (e.g., a boxed food or frozen pizza), you can keep that product on hand for three to four months, ensuring each trip stocks your home with something new.

Admittedly, this doesn't allow you to take advantage of weekly or daily deals, but it does give inventory time to turn over, so I find it worth waiting. Because you can freeze meat, cheese, and bread — and because they have nice frozen produce — it doesn't benefit our family either financially or logistically to make the trip, which is a bit out of the way. On a final note, though, I should also say that the fresh goods at Grocery Outlet Bargain Market are improving all the time, so I'm getting closer to being willing to integrate it into my shopping mix more often. Once you pay it a visit, you'll have a better idea of what works for you.