Individuals looking for name-brand groceries at bargain prices will soon have a new store to frequent in Allentown.

Grocery Outlet, an “extreme value retailer” of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold through a network of independently owned and operated stores, is expected to open in early September at 1401 Allen St., in the Allen Street Shopping Center, owner Fayez Abboud said.

Fayez Abboud stands outside his forthcoming Grocery Outlet store, which is expected to open in early September at 1401 Allen St., in Allentown's Allen Street Shopping Center. The “bargain market” chain’s newest Lehigh Valley location will fill a renovated space previously occupied by Ahart’s Market, which closed in late 2021. (Allen St Grocery Outlet/Contributed photo)

The “bargain market” chain’s newest Lehigh Valley location will fill a renovated space previously occupied by Ahart’s Market, which closed in late 2021.

It will be Abboud’s second Grocery Outlet, supplementing his Shillington, Berks County store that he’s operated for the past five years.

Abboud, who grew up on Allentown’s East Side before moving to Whitehall Township in high school, is eager to serve the city that he once again calls home.

Coincidentally, prior to taking over the Shillington Grocery Outlet, he also managed a Family Dollar store for several years in the same Allentown shopping center.

“I’m very excited,” Abboud said. “I’ve been looking in the Lehigh Valley area since I took over Shillington. This is where I belong.”

Based in Emeryville, California, Grocery Outlet has more than 410 stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Nevada and New Jersey.

Grocery Outlet, an “extreme value retailer” of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold through a network of independently owned and operated stores, is expected to open in early September at 1401 Allen St., in Allentown's Allen Street Shopping Center, owner Fayez Abboud said. The “bargain market” chain’s newest location will fill a renovated space previously occupied by Ahart’s Market, which closed in late 2021. (Allen St Grocery Outlet/Contributed photo)

The Allentown store, totaling more than 30,000 square feet, will supplement more than 20 locations in Pennsylvania, including other Lehigh Valley area outposts in South Whitehall Township, Palmer Township and Quakertown.

It will feature “new everything,” Abboud said, including new flooring, ceilings, lighting and refrigerators.

“We knocked down everything, including the floors,” Abboud said of the decades-old strip mall space, which also once housed a Laneco supermarket. “All of the concrete was taken out, and everything will be brand new.”

Grocery Outlet stores offer a “fun, treasure hunt shopping experience in an easy-to-navigate, small-box format,” according to the chain’s website.

The stores feature an ever-changing assortment of “WOW!” deals along with everyday staple products that generate customer excitement and encourage frequent visits from bargain-minded shoppers.

The chain’s flexible buying model allows it to offer quality, name-brand products at prices significantly below those of conventional retailers.

This model includes buyers who shop the world, “traveling thousands of miles each year to find the most thrilling deals on brand name groceries,” a message on the company’s website reads.

Grocery Outlet, an “extreme value retailer” of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold through a network of independently owned and operated stores, is expected to open in early September at 1401 Allen St., in Allentown's Allen Street Shopping Center, owner Fayez Abboud said. The “bargain market” chain’s newest location will fill a renovated space previously occupied by Ahart’s Market, which closed in late 2021. It will feature "new everything," Abboud said, including new flooring, ceilings, lighting and refrigerators. (Allen St Grocery Outlet/Contributed photo)

“Whether it’s through packaging changes, surplus inventory or product overruns, our buyers source it all — everything from fresh meat and produce to our natural and organic NOSH items to the WOW deals we can hardly believe ourselves,” the message continues.

Grocery Outlet, founded by Jim Read in 1946, also differentiates itself from other grocery chains in that every store is run by local residents living in their stores’ communities, Abboud said.

“Every store is locally owned and operated,” he said. “We also save our customers 40-70% on name brands, we guarantee great customer service, and we’re not looking to open self-checkouts. That’s one thing we’re really proud of — our one-on-one customer interaction.”

Additionally, Grocery Outlet stores give back to their communities, Abboud said.

At Abboud’s Shillington store, for example, $10,000-$15,000 worth of groceries has been donated each year for the past five years to local food banks through an Independence From Hunger campaign, held annually in July.

“Throughout the year, we also work with different food banks where we donate our close-dated products,” Abboud said.

Hours are still being finalized for the Allentown location, but Abboud anticipates that the store will probably be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days.

To stay up-to-date on the Allentown Grocery Outlet, follow the business’ Facebook page, facebook.com/AllenStreetGroceryOutlet.