Locally we have a store that sells expired canned and boxed foods as well as discontinued items and over flow from other stores. I really like to stop in and check this store out to see if they have any great deals. The problem I find is that if people don't know the proper price point of an item they can actually end up spending more on an item at this store than they would at a regular store. Also I've noticed that sometimes their "barely" expired items they have for sale sometimes are a year or more past their expiration date. I consider myself a savvy and smart shopper and I know what to buy and what not to buy at stores like this. I worry that some people are not as quick to realize that what they are buying isn't such a "great" deal. A recent score I got was unmarked paper towels in bulk packaging. I think I spent $4 for 8 heavy duty thick rolls. A total score in my book and they lasted forever. I also love to purchase my canned items here as long as the dents are not horrible and causing a concern for contamination. Do you have any local "Grocery Outlet" stores? What are your favorite things to buy at stores like these. I love to compare notes!
We have a Grocery Outlet near my house, but I find that many of the items are more expensive than if I were to purchase from my regular grocery stores when the items are on sale. I just stock up on items at the regular grocery store and save myself a trip to the outlet store. There is a really neat pantry store in my town as well that sells a bunch of bulk pantry type items and I get an amazing deal there. They bag their own flours and oat type items and sell them at bulk prices. I just got a huge bag of panko bread crumbs for under $3 today. None of the food is expired, it is just bulk purchase items. You can find some amazing off the wall ingredients there as well, like almond or coconut flour.
We don't really have any stores dedicated to selling merchandise like this, but I would be willing to shop there if we did - especially if it was going to save me a considerable amount of money. Usually most of our local grocery stores will have an expired/scratch/dent/discontinued cart or shelf full of items. Once in a while I will find something good on them - but when I do, it's usually a one time deal, I can't count on there being more of that item in the future at that price. Also with canned goods, you have to be careful that the top and/or bottom isn't too bent to the point where you won't safely be able to open them. The last thing I want to be doing is trying to pry open a sharp lid to get the contents out, then cut myself. Target is also known for their great deals on their end caps, and honestly, I've found much better deals there than I usually find at my local grocery stores.
Huh, I'm not sure how I feel about this. Expired food sounds kinda gross. I've never heard about this kind of thing, but apparently others have! I'm sure it's all safe and stuff, but I'm hesitant. I guess some will go farther to save more.
One of the local stores will put marked down and damaged goods on a shelf, if you see something you like you can get some good prices. Some of the damaged food may just has a torn wrapping.
There is a similar store near me and I use it frequently. The goods are always in date, but only just. You never get longer than a month. I tend to buy the chips and candy, as well as a discounted brand of toilet paper they sell which is far superior to the likes of Andrex. They sell a lot of flour and sugar, as well as edible decorations so I imagine a keen baker could save a small fortune here.
I think it's pretty okay so long as you check that the cans/tins/jars have no holes or leakages which would lead to spoilage and contamination. Honestly a few dents shouldn't affect the quality of these foods in any way, and considering how they are quite non-perishable I wouldn't be too concerned about the expiry date if it is within a few months.
I can't find anything like this in my current area. I've looked, but they just don't seem to be around here. I've shopped at a few of them in the past in different areas, though, and love them. Being past an expiration date doesn't necessarily mean the food is bad, so I certainly won't complain about the discount!
That is my favorite way to shop! I love to stock up at my local Smiths on stuff like this. They have an end cap where they put marked down items. A lot of times they have to mark down things that their night stockers accidentally slashed with their box cutter. I'll for sure pay half price for a cut wrapper! A lot of times I get dog or cat food like this. They accidentally slash the packaging and they cannot sell it for full price. My store always tapes it up and sells it for 50-75% off retail.
I do agree that some items should not be sold past their expiration, but some items are still just fine. I was appalled at some of the items being almost a year past expiration though. I would rather pay a little bit more and know that what I am buying is still edible rather than take a chance. Its hit or miss at stores like this, but sometimes you can score. Sometimes they have non food items like body soap or lotion that actually have an expiration because of some of the ingredients in them but they are still totally fine to use.
Always check and see if your regular grocery stores have a "clearance" section for items that may have been damaged or discontinued. That is how I stock up on items that aren't expired at the regular grocery store! Best of luck!
The end caps at Target are the greatest. People do have to be careful thought because sometimes an item can actually be less somewhere else even though it is technically on "clearance" or "closeout" at target. Don't get over excited about a red mark down sticker, do your research!
