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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Grocery Outlet changes hands

Longtime owners retiring; it’s been in family for two generations

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Outgoing Vancouver Grocery Outlet operator Barry Sullivan, left, is passing the reins to incoming owner Carlos Rodriguez-Vega.
Outgoing Vancouver Grocery Outlet operator Barry Sullivan, left, is passing the reins to incoming owner Carlos Rodriguez-Vega. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

It seemed fitting when Bill Withers’ trademark song “Lean on Me” filled the air at Grocery Outlet on Saturday.  For 33 years, many thousands of customers have leaned on the store to take care of their shopping list.

Today, Barry and Nancy Sullivan mark their final day as store operators after 20 years as they move into retirement.  It’s been in the family for two generations.  Barry’s father and mother, Lair and Wilma Sullivan, opened the store in 1982.   

Grocery Outlet was a relatively new concept. They looked like mom-and-pop grocery stores, but their inventory all came from one central source, huge warehouses owned by the parent company.  The Grocery Outlet warehouses were filled with overruns, products whose packaging was being changed, products that were mostly bought around the holidays, products that were being retired for lack of sales, and others that seemed to be upcoming trendsetters. Canned goods represented a sizable portion of the store’s offerings.

The Vancouver store, now at 5800 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., was the 48th Grocery Outlet store. There are now 237 in six states.  Fourteen new stores are projected to open in the next two years, predominantly in southern California. Los Angeles will have its first store in approximately two weeks. The chain is not a franchise; rather, its stores are run by independent operators.      

“They’re definitely committed to growth,” said Barry Sullivan, who said he plans to move into real estate sales.  The stores themselves can vary in sales each year, he added.  Nancy Sullivan pointed out, “There are three Wal-Marts within 5 miles of our store. Winco is a tough competitor, as well. Whenever another big one comes in, we take a hit. But we’ve always bounced back.”

Both Barry and Nancy credit customer loyalty for Grocery Outlet’s long run.  “The team of workers at Grocery Outlet is critical to building customer loyalty. They’re hard workers, and they’re friendly. An average of 600 to 800 customers visit the store each day. Every one of them can count on being treated well,” said Nancy Sullivan.

The stability of family operators  is a big plus for Carlos Rodriguez-Vega, who takes the reins Wednesday morning.  Rodriguez-Vega has a long history with Grocery Outlet, having managed stores in Oregon City and the Hollywood area in Portland for a total of 12 years.

He characterizes Grocery Outlet’s senior management as “kind of like a big family. Once I went through the courses and training required, there was a celebration including owners of all different store sizes and a mix of corporate management people,” he said.

What can longtime customers and staff expect to see for changes at Grocery Outlet?

“I need to be there for a while to get a sense of what the customers would like,” Rodriguez-Vega said.

One aspect that won’t change much is the staff. Of the 23 employees, 18 are staying with the store. Several retired, and a few found new jobs. 

“We’re going to expand diversity with more ethnic foods.  And  I definitely think that the NOSH (Natural Organic Specialty Healthy) part of our business will grow because the public takes ingredients and preparation more seriously every year,” said Rodriguez-Vega.

Rodriguez-Vega also has worked with a designer on new uniforms. They are quite a departure from the earth tones of the current uniforms. The new owner explained: “They’re green. Bright green. You’ll definitely know who to get information from. Whatever you’re looking for, they’ll take you there.”

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