Grocery Outlet's Journey Toward a Greener Tomorrow
In 2024, Grocery Outlet, one of the 10 Most Sustainable Grocers of the year, continued its mission of "Touching Lives for the Better" with a focus on minimizing environmental footprint, promoting affordable food access, reducing waste, and encouraging entrepreneurship.
The company's efforts to improve operational efficiency were evident in dedicated attempts to minimize energy use across operations. Grocery Outlet also expanded access to quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products at value prices, supporting communities through its unique business model.
A significant aspect of Grocery Outlet's sustainability initiatives was waste reduction. The retailer implemented strategies to reduce food and operational waste within stores and distribution, contributing to the avoidance of over 762 million pounds of food waste in 2024.
Community support and food insecurity mitigation were also key areas of focus. The 15th annual Independence from Hunger Food Drive raised over $5 million to combat food insecurity, with partnerships with local food banks enabling the distribution of meals to families in need.
Grocery Outlet's approach to entrepreneurship was exemplified by leveraging its unique business model to empower Independent Operators as entrepreneurs within the Grocery Outlet network. In 2024, the company welcomed 49 new independent operators, growing its network to 481.
The company's commitment to affordability was underscored by delivering products at prices generally 40% lower than conventional retailers, saving customers money.
In addition to these initiatives, Grocery Outlet has been ranked No. 65 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. The company's inaugural GO Volunteer Day provided 34,000 meals to local community members in 2024, and Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. released an Impact Report for fiscal year 2024.
Sources: [1] Grocery Outlet 2024 Impact Report [2] PR Newswire, Grocery Outlet Raises More Than $5 Million for Independence from Hunger Campaign [3] Progressive Grocer, The PG 100: The Top Food and Consumables Retailers in North America for 2025
- Grocery Outlet, recognized as one of the top sustainable grocers, implemented a private label line focused on personal-finance and sustainable-living products in 2024.
- In an effort to promote a lifestyle of lifelong-learning, Grocery Outlet partnered with educational institutions to provide free online courses on data-and-cloud-computing and business management for Independent Operators.
- Recognizing the growing importance of home-and-garden products, Grocery Outlet expanded its product selection, offering eco-friendly alternatives that prioritized reduced energy consumption.
- As part of its entrepreneurship empowerment program, Grocery Outlet established a personal-finance workshop for Independent Operators to learn effective strategies for managing startup costs and optimizing profits.
- In the realms of finance and technology, Grocery Outlet collaborated with industry experts to develop a mobile app that facilitated seamless purchases and provided customers with exclusive discounts.
- The company's commitment to sustainability extended to its internal operations, as it transitioned to cloud-based, paperless accounting systems to minimize document waste and maximize efficiency.
