It took three continents and four moves but Victor Soares made his way to Turlock and he didn’t come alone. He brought Grocery Outlet.
Originally from South Africa, Soares has been in the grocery store business since he was a child working every department from the bakery to the deli. Upon meeting his wife Filomena while living in Portugal, the couple made their way to the East Coast where Victor worked for another grocery chain. Eventually Grocery Outlet sought Soares out to spearhead a new grocery store with one caveat — he could choose where the store would go as long as it was within one of their offered locations. Apparently Turlock was on that list.
“We were really drawn to Turlock because it is such a nice community and we really like the fact that there is a very large Portuguese demographic,” said Soares.
Soares along with his wife and children have since made their way to Turlock and Thursday marked the soft opening of the town’s first Grocery Outlet. While the soft opening allowed the Soares and the employees a chance to “iron out the kinks” for regular daily operations, the event also provided community members the chance to peruse the aisles of diverse items at low prices.
“It all comes down to savings. These are not proclaimed savings, these are the real deal,” said Soares.
Grocery Outlet is unique from other grocery stores in that it offers name brand products at discounted prices of 40 to 60 percent by purchasing overstock products or misprinted labels allowing consumers to save money without sacrificing quality.
“You never know what you’re going to find when you come to Grocery Outlet, which is exciting, but at the same time you will always be able to find the staples,” said Brooke Joller, Grocery Outlet representative.
While the Soares are as new to the community as the Grocery Outlet, contrary to their past history they have not made any plans to relocate to a new continent anytime soon.
“After three continents I’m done. We’re staying put for a while,” joked Soares.
Grocery Outlet will be hosting its Grand Opening celebrations from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 6. Activities include free games, face painting, food, and more. There will also be a wheel to spin for prizes that include free groceries for a year, propane gas grills, and bike cruisers from a local bike shop.
