Family-Owned Grocery Store offers Old Fashioned Shopping Experience
Rancho Cordova, CA – It’s like stepping back in time – to an era where Ma and Pa ran the local grocery store, and they knew you by name. When you enter Eddie and Monica Ortiz’s store, the Rancho Cordova Grocery Outlet, you immediately feel welcomed. Not only do they offer prices that might make you reminisce about bygone days, you’ll also be surprised with unexpected touches, like “Customer Appreciation Day” where they head out to the parking lot and cook hamburgers and hot dogs for their customers. “We love our customers,” said Monica Ortiz. “We are always on the sales floor helping customers do their shopping and greeting them. We talk to them; we get to actually know them, their family, their troubles, their joys and their pleasures.”
You’ll not only find them stocking shelves and tidying the aisles, where you will find bargain prices on brand-name groceries, primarily due to manufacturer overstocks. The Ortiz family might be spinning Grocery Outlet’s “Wheel of Bargains,” where customers have an opportunity to win a prize. “The wheel is very exciting for everyone,” Ortiz said. “It doesn’t really matter what they win, it’s just exciting to win and have fun with them.”
They have a special place in their hearts for the senior citizens in Rancho Cordova, Ortiz said, so they honor them with “Senior Morning” every 2nd and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Seniors over 55 years old will get a 10% discount that morning. Meanwhile, seniors can meet and greet, while enjoying free refreshments and be thrilled with a spin of the “Wheel of Bargains.” “We feel seniors are important and special,” Ortiz said. “We have created this to have fun with them. Cha Cha the clown spins the wheel with them on Senior Morning. The customers love her and can’t wait to spin the wheel with her.” Seniors are also very affected by rising prices, so Ortiz said the lower prices they offer can really make a difference in their lives.
“Faced with energy costs, transportation and health care rising, every dollar saved here goes a long way with seniors in helping them meet their budget,” Ortiz said.
Grocery Outlet specializes in selling manufacturer overstocks, so they have a rapidly changing assortment of products that is substantially cheaper than other grocery stores. Ortiz characterized her store as a “treasure hunt.” “We’ve been in business for over 15 years, and we are still amazed with the things that we get,” Ortiz said. “It’s like a brand new store every week!”
While they’re helping customers save money, they’re also involved in Rancho Cordova. The Ortiz family is approached regularly for donations from schools, non-profit charities, churches and food banks. “We like to make a difference in the community that we live in,” Ortiz said. “We are very involved with anything that is about family and kids because we have a family too.”
The Ortiz family felt such passion about helping Rancho Cordova that they decided to take it all a step further. They initiated a program called “Our Family Helping Your Family” in January. They contacted local churches, food banks and charities, asking them to nominate families who might need assistance. They asked for a letter, explaining in 50 words or less, the family’s situation. Each month they also collect donations from their customers to offer additional gift cards. So far, they have offered six families $100 cards. “Is there an elderly couple you know that has to choose between their medication and food?” Ortiz asked. “Do you know moms or dads who may not be able to pay their rent if they feed their children properly? We would like to help, so please nominate a family in need.”
Nominations to the “Our Family Helping Your Family” can be mailed to Rancho Cordova Grocery Outlet, 2801 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA, 95670. Letters should be 50 words or less, contain contact information for the nominated family, and explain why the family is being nominated. Information will be kept confidential.
