Thanks, but I didn’t exactly mean what’s their business proposition, I meant from a consumer point of view it’s clearly not an average store. Other stores don’t seem to elicit the same kinds of discussions of constantly-changing availability, and in my few visits at unpredictable intervals, I’ve noticed it too. I liked the store, and I don’t understand the appearance of defensiveness about the topic.
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For me, the lure is that you can score a bargain here on some products you usually only find at fancier stores and that items vary a lot week by week and store by store. That’s why everyone posts not only the item, but which store it is at. When you find something, it is not guaranteed to be there the next time you shop. It’s a bit of a treasure hunt!
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This is what makes it interesting to me. The cheap prices are obviously a draw, but If I go to my local Safeway or Whole Foods I generally know what will be on the shelves. At G.O. there are staples you can always get - milk, eggs (great deals on pasture raised/free range eggs), chicken, etc. But the random things that appear and disappear make shopping a little more interesting/fun. Sometimes I’ll see something there for a year (e.g. Bob’s Red Mill steel cut oats) and think it will be there forever, then it disappears and a year or two goes by before it appears again.
Same for wine - they seem to have a few brands that are there constantly, but then they’ll get some boutique winery clearing out warehouse stock (Woodenhead) or that went into bankruptcy (Esterlina) that you can get at a fraction of retail price, never to be seen again.
This much is clear from the existence of this thread. I’m just asking - in layman’s terms, not in Forbes terms - why is it this way?
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They buy a lot of overstock and closeouts. So, you’ll see Häagen-Dazs ice cream there for $2 a pint, but it will be a funky flavor like stout chocolate pretzel.
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Thanks! That makes perfect sense.
Great flavor by they way!
I went looking for it when I saw others posting about it, but no luck! From these posts, I think Palo Alto has the best selection of bargain goodies.
Funky pretzels are a much better bet than the Ivory Soap I bought there once - with Russian packaging. In Russia, even though it’s the same brand it’s apparently quite a different soap, lots of perfume. 
It was $2.00 then it went down to $.99 at the Mission SF G.O. when they had a sea of it, and it then quickly sold out.
Yeah there have definitely been some funky things I’ve bought and not been able to eat, but usually I’m just taking A $1.50 chance on those.
Again, your post is fact-free, convoluted and passive-aggressive. I’ve seen this type of post lately on on boards but it’s the first time I’ve seen it here. The articles I posted specifically deal with how GO gets its products, Go to a store, tell us where it is, buy some products , give us the prices, and review the products. They have carried many of the same products for years. A suggestion - you might be happier sticking to Whole Foods or Safeway. Thanks.
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I just asked a simple question. The answer was a few simple words, and didn’t require a business analysis. I knew that what I was asking for was a short sentence, not something that required a link to an article; I didn’t bother clicking. I’m sorry if asking a simple question and hoping for a simple answer is somehow offensive.
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Personally, I find indolence and sloth offensive and disrespectful. The articles posted can be skimmed in 3 minutes and offered thorough, verified explanations on the source of their products and Forbes (it’s not the Harvard Business Review) and the SF Chronicle are for laypersons with a high school degree, and they don’t need to be predigested. Also, if you’re talking about pretzels and soap, you’re completely missing the forest for the trees. I’m sure your next post will be about your visit to a named GO, the products you bought (not candy or soap), what you paid and a thorough review of the products. It will take a few trips and following GO threads to learn what’s worthwhile, but eventually you should get the hang of it, but you sound like a person who has little patience and jumps to conclusions. so you may struggle. Thanks.
I wasn’t after thorough, verified explanations. I wasn’t after articles to skim. It would have taken you significantly less work to answer my simple question directly than to search for links to post. I waited for an ordinary, straightforward answer, and I received one. Thanks anyway.
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I admire your mendacity. Your original question was, " I mean, where were these items before they got to the GO shelves?" If you wanted a short answer, you should have asked, " Due to my very busy schedule, or an inability to do a quick internet search or some other disability, please respond with a single, short sentence requiring only low-level reading comprehension." When can we expect your report on your upcoming visit to your local Grocery Outlet? Thanks.
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Damn even at $100 off that Manuka Honey is expensive. Is it really the magic elixer they say it is? $30 for 7 ounces is steep, but if it will regrow my hair I’m in.
My daughter is hooked on those green apple Izzy’s - I’m careful to only buy a couple at a time.
How are the deli and dairy sections at Palo Alto? Lately I’ve been trying to dig through those sections at some East Bay stores looking for cheeses that are aged or organic or from pasture-raised cows or sheep/goats or meats that are uncured, organic or pasture-raised. Some stores like Alameda and Richmond on San Pablo may have super bargains (99 cents or $1.49) on items that are edging up to their expiry date.
Deli always have Aidell’s and lately they have some ‘artisan’ charcuteries from time to time. Dairy- let me take a look at it next week. Its a bit of a hit or miss. for a period of a month in the fall, it was pretty lean. I think recently I have seen better selection.
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