The finishing touches are being completed at the new Grocery Outlet on 1300 Disc Drive to prepare for a Nov. 9 opening. Formerly a Scolari’s, the building has been vacant for the past three years and Sparks’ residents are getting excited about a new value-driven grocery store coming in.
Grocery Outlet owners/operators Dean and Sara Biggs live in Spanish Springs and currently manage a Grocery Outlet in Lemmon Valley. The couple started their careers in supermarkets when they were 16 years old as baggers at an Albertsons in the Midwest and moved up the corporate ladder, but when the Albertsons stores began closing down Dean transitioned over to a Lowe’s Home Improvement center for several years.
However, owning a supermarket was never far from the couple’s mind and in searching the internet one day they found an opportunity to manage a Grocery Outlet in Northern Nevada. The Biggs put together a business plan and applied for the role, then soon found themselves down in Lakeport, California for the Grocery Outlet training program.
The Biggs enjoy living in Northern Nevada because of its seasonality and how the landscape is similar to where they came from in the Midwest. They enjoy operating Grocery Outlets because of the freedom they have in independently managing the stores- making decisions on a store-to-store level, the support they are able to provide to their employees and the opportunity to become more involved in the community.
“We love retail in general and taking care of customers,” Dean says. What truly sets Grocery Outlet apart from other supermarkets is its unique business model and incredible deals they provide to their consumers- most of their products are from overstock that they, in turn, sell for half the price (or an even greater saving) than what one would find at other stores.
“It creates a fun treasure hunt atmosphere because our product line is ever-changing,” Dean says. “People get super excited to come to Grocery Outlet…they love to shop here because of the savings. It’s the complete opposite of how people have traditionally viewed the necessary task of grocery shopping,” he adds.
Word is also starting to get out that Grocery Outlet is carrying healthier, organic items at a better cost over other major supermarkets. According to its Company Information fact sheet, it states that the average Grocery Outlet offers more than 500 NOSH (Natural, Organic, Specialty and Healthy) items.
“Carrying organic foods is a big focus for us and we’re going to be implementing more of those items in a big way at the Spanish Springs store,” Dean says. “We have the best values in the natural, organic food section.”
When asked what his favorite Grocery Outlet item is, Dean quickly says that it’s the wine.
“You can get wine at a tremendous value here. We’ll sell wines in the $5 range that may come from small-batch, boutique wineries sold in the $15-$20 range elsewhere,” he says.
Sara says she buys everything from Grocery Outlet, that it’s her one and only shop for all of her needs including makeup, shampoo, pots, pans, and other household items. “We have a family of six so the savings we can get at a grocery store is a big deal, we need that,” she says.
Dean and Sara are already actively involved in the community, partnering up with local food banks in Sparks, Spanish Springs, and surrounding areas. For their Sparks Grocery Outlet location, the couple will be supporting the School Gives Back Program in which it will donate three percent of its earnings back to local schools as well as implement a Heroes Program that allows firefighters, military, police officers, and other local heroes to receive discounts at their store.
“We’re excited to be a part of the community, to see our friends and our kids’ friends and be able to provide great products,” Sara says. Since Grocery Outlet products are ever changing, customers are advised to stock up when they see something they like.
For more information visit www.facebook.com/GroceryOutletSpanishSprings/.