

Their eldest daughter even has her own Grocery Outlet t-shirt! Why SDP?Īccording to Britney, the biggest challenge in running the store has definitely been staffing. By setting their own hours, Britney can drop the kids off at school at 8 am and pick them up at 5 pm. Perhaps the best part about owning a Grocery Outlet is that it allows the couple to stay close to home with their two daughters. It truly is kind of a family… When we do our twice a year get-together, there’s great-grandpa and grandpa and dad and son – that’s what everybody calls them because everybody’s connected. Additionally, all the Grocery Outlet operators interact through an online forum where they can ask questions and see how other stores handle different challenges. The couple proudly notes that two of their best friends are the couple they trained with.
GROCERY OUTLET STORE NEAR ME FULL
There were other operators who put in for it as well, but they chose us… And a lot of times they say the first store you apply for you don’t get, so we got very lucky.”Īlthough the first six months were tough, Josh and Britney soon realized the full scope of support they had from the Grocery Outlet family. Britney remembered, “It was a hot store – everybody wanted it – it was in a prime location and everyone thought it was going to do really well. When Dreams Become RealityĪbout two months after completing their training, the lease for the Orange property was signed. With Grocery Outlet, owner-operators can analyze the needs of their shoppers to make decisions that are right for their market. With Grocery Outlet, independent “owner-operators” make most of the inventory decisions for their store, whereas under conventional models, the corporate office makes most stocking decisions.

Britney explained, “I grew up in Orange, so we figured if we’re going to get a store down there it might as well be Orange because I know the area.”īecause Grocery Outlet employs a unique business model very different than traditional grocery retailers, this was good reasoning.

Together, he and Britney applied and were accepted by the Grocery Outlet screening committee to begin their in-store training to become owner-operators.Įven before the location was available, Josh and Britney made the decision that they would either stay in Oregon or move specifically to Orange, CA. After four years of experience working his way through the departments of his local Grocery Outlet store, Josh was inspired to open a store of his own. Josh and Britney met at Le Cordon Bleu in Oregon, where they both attended culinary school. Most of these stores are independently operated by locally-based families, and for this month’s Client Spotlight, we sat down with one such family: owner-operator couple Josh and Britney Harsh of Grocery Outlet #274 in Orange, CA. Today, the third generation of the Read family continues to run the business, with over 280 independently operated stores across the country. Founded in 1946 by Jim Read as a discount military surplus store, Grocery Outlet has now grown to be the nation’s largest extreme value grocery retailer, where shoppers can find brand-name groceries and farm fresh produce for up to 40-70% off conventional retail prices.
