The Grocery Outlet is what has officially replaced the Fresh N'Easy.
So far, not so bad, though I'm getting a lot more critical and noticing things with each visit.
In the few weeks its been open, I've already been there five separate times.
Far as I can tell, it seems like their strategy was to rope people in with noticeable, big, "organic" brands, and then eventually as people come in, push the cheaper, unknown brands. For example, when we first went there, about 2 or 3 weeks ago, during Easter break, I noticed the coffee creamer they had: Dunkin' Donuts!!!! We jumped on it. A week later when I returned, it was replaced by a brand called "International."
I'd a given it a 5 after the 1st trip.
After 5 trips, if I were to give it a rating on a scale of 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest recommended number, I would give it a 3.5. Definitely worth trying but keep a critical eye on it.
Good:
- A Family parking space, which will probably get controversial
- A really ergonomic cart, complete with a coffee holder
- Four packets of strawberries for $5
- Some recognizable organic brands; Kashi, Toms, Clif bars
- Kind of low on the Gardein meatless products --- all they have are the fishless filets which are not bad but my wife isn't a fan of it
- Little physical space, meaning little choice, which seems to get worse every time. Yesterday I went to get Silk soy milk. All they had was cashew milk from Silk, which isn't really one of the "mainstream" milks from silk.
- Volatile selection of items. As mentioned, the soy milk. I also noticed the rapid decline in their non-dairy ice cream products. There was So Delicious at first, but it descended onto more of the mainstream, regular ass dairy products.
