Grocery Outlet to close dozens of 'underperforming' stores

[hunter]

9. With too many outlets it ceases to be an outlet...

... and they have to buy stock from the same sources as everyone else.

It used to be you could find a lot more unusual items there -- regional brands from unfamiliar grocery chains a thousand miles away, new product lines from major manufacturers that flopped, beers and wines that didn't have production runs large enough to interest the major grocery chains, etc. That's what makes it fun to shop there.

The more stores they have the more they start to look like any other grocery store because they can't source enough unusual stuff and sell it at bargain prices.

Trader Joe's started on a similar premise but ended up contracting out production of it's own "exotic" and "unique" products.