Bringing the fun back into grocery shopping

By Mary-Justine Lanyon

 

It was the model of independent operators that drew Claudia and Ryan Tucker to Grocery Outlet.

The two have had extensive experience in retail, including management. They both went to work for Grocery Outlet with their eyes on owning their own store one day.

The Tuckers went through the aspiring operator training and then put in their bid for the new Blue Jay store. In May 2024, they got the good news: The store was theirs. They started hiring their employees at the beginning of August and then started merchandising the store at the beginning of September.

On Sept. 26, 2024, they cut the ribbon and opened their doors.

The other thing that drew them to Grocer Outlet is the supermarket’s directive for their operators to take an active part in their communities.

Claudia and Ryan moved to Crestline in June. They are planning to sponsor a Little League team and have been donating food every other week to Operation Provider for distribution through its food bank.

“We are loving it up here,” Ryan said. “It’s so different, so beautiful. We love to walk to the lake and around it.”

Claudia added that “even driving home, it’s beautiful.”

The Tuckers created their own employee training program, based on their years of experience. They currently have about 30 employees – all local. As the store grows, they said, they will employ more as needed.

As for their vision for the store, the Tuckers said it was based around the community and “what we could do for them. We are saving customers 40 to 70 percent over a conventional grocery store,” Ryan said. And, in addition to those savings on grocery bills, Ryan said their customers are also saving time and energy as they don’t have to go down the hill to accomplish those savings on groceries.

Customers will always find the staples at Grocery Outlet – eggs, milk, bread, sugar, flour.

But it’s the treasure hunt that gets the Tuckers – and their customers – excited. You never know from one week to the next what great deal you might find.

Four out of the five top selling items in the store are at the front of the store in what Ryan calls the “spot boxes.” Recently there were blueberries and strawberries there, as well as portion-sized ribeye steaks and grass-fed ground beef.

There is a great team of experts at Grocery Outlet who source great buyouts from manufacturers. Recently, one shopper was stunned to find a jar of Old Bay seasoning for 99 cents. “That wasn’t on sale,” Ryan said. “That was the price.”

They have a lot of WOW deals – products customers will save 50 percent or more on.

“People love our seasonal items,” Claudia said. “Valentine’s Day, Easter, summer stuff – all at amazing prices.”

They also love the specialty cheese selection, which pair well with the wide variety of wines available at the store.

And, Claudia added, “they get excited about our plants.” Customers also love the freshness of the produce.

The community has been very welcoming, the Tuckers said, and the feedback from the customers has been great. “Nothing about moving up here surprised us – we’re here to stay,” they said.

The success of their store has exceeded their expectations. “We are doing great and look forward to continuing to grow,” Ryan said.

This weekend – March 7 through 9 – will be customer appreciation weekend. There will be scratchers for coupons and they will give away some prizes.

There is a “groceries for life” promotion currently being offered company wide. Customers should download the Grocery Outlet app; every time they shop, they get entered in the contest. The winner will receive at $500 gift card every month for 40 years. Another will win groceries for a year.

In addition, there are periodic drawings to win what you save – that amount is circled on every sales receipt.

“We celebrate savings,” Ryan said. The cashier rings a bell every time a shopper saves over $100. “We have a fun time.”

He noted they still see people every day who come in for the first time, who didn’t know they were there.

What else will shoppers find at Grocery Outlet? Ryan is surprised at how many pots and pans they sell. They also carry some kitchen gadgets, health and beauty items, sweater, throws and blankets, socks, pjs, sunscreen, hammocks, watering cans, hoses, sunglasses and even firewood.

Their first community outreach was at Mountains Community Hospital’s Le Grand Picnic, where they auctioned off a “sweep” through the store. The woman who won raced through Grocery Outlet, reminiscent of that old TV show Supermarket Sweep.

“We want to bring the fun back into grocery shopping,” the Tuckers said.

Grocery Outlet in Blue Jay is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. They are closed on two days: Thanksgiving and Christmas. “We want to spend time with our family and want the same for our employees. We value family time,” the Tuckers said.