Rising grocery bills and increased tuition rates in an uncertain economy drives students to shop for the best deals when it comes to nourishing their minds and bodies. CSU Stanislaus students now have the opportunity to shop for some of the greatest values with the Grand Opening of the North Turlock Grocery Outlet Bargain Market across the street from campus located at 3101 Geer Road. The store is locally owned and operated, offering name brands at 40 to 70% off the conventional grocery store prices.
“We are excited to be so close to Stan State, where we can offer extreme value to students and staff,” shared Mike and Denise Buchta, North Turlock Grocery Outlet Owners.
Grocery Outlet is one of the largest opportunistic buyers of grocery items in the country. Their expert buyers travel the world each year looking for the most exciting deals. When a brand has excess inventory from packaging changes to manufacturing overruns, they call. Grocery Outlet then buys these excess products for pennies on the dollar, passing the savings on to you.
“Grocery Outlet is known for their unique and opportunistic items that are like a treasure hunt every time you shop there,” explained the Buchtas.
The Buchtas are excited to offer student-friendly grocery options with name brands in Naturally, Organic, Specialty and Healthy (NOSH) items at an extreme value. This includes organic, gluten-free, or specialty items for dietary needs at 40 to 70% off conventional stores.
Joeann Ramirez, a Grocery Outlet cashier, worked at the previous location for two years on Main Street and is excited about being at the new store. She mentioned she has learned a lot in her role and the new store location is filled with excitement.
Grocery Outlet has been in the community for five years at the West Main St. location, where they’ve partnered with the Turlock Police, TUSD, and several community organizations to help provide food to those in need. They are looking forward to combined collaborations now that there are two locations in town.
Brittany Romero, a Grocery Outlet employee on her second week of the job said, “I love it, I love the customers, I love the whole environment of it. It’s fast paced right now so I’m pretty busy.”
According to Romero, the most exciting part about being at the new store is “having a whole variety of groceries, different things for everybody, everyday.”
The new location provides ample parking that makes it convenient for students and faculty who wish to shop during breaks, lunch and before or after school.
“I have seen a ton of students come in. We don’t have many options from CVS to Rite Aid, and they’re so expensive, so Grocery Outlet is a huge bargain deal,” Romero said.
Naomi Davis (Senior, Studio Art) shared, “There are usually good deals, sometimes they send coupons in the mail for Grocery Outlet… I’ll probably stop there for a snack when I cross the campus. It is convenient for a student, cheaper than Walmart and Target and the SaveMart that are like right here, and the Safeway. Definitely, better.”
As a student with little to no time to cook, Davis said that she looks for convenient meals that she can easily pop in the microwave. She advises making a list to plan out your meals before you buy your food to avoid overspending.
“We look forward to getting to know the students and staff to see what their needs are in the future,” the Butchas said, “We are working out the details to begin Warriors Wednesday, where we will be able to offer 10% to students and faculty. Stay tuned!”
Customers can also download the Grocery Outlet App and select the North Turlock store to receive a $5 off a purchase of $15 or more offer. Plus, every time you shop, you can add your phone number on the pin pad to enter to win Free Groceries for Life. This contest runs until 3/31/25.
North Turlock Grocery Outlet store hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Looking ahead, they will look at adjusting to staying open until 10 p.m. in the summer if it’s necessary for student convenience.
With all the excitement and buzz around the new North Turlock Grocery Outlet, the Buchtas long-term goal is to make this their forever location.
