Last checked Sep 20, 2026
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (operating as Grocery Outlet)groceryoutlet.comGrocery Outlet Holding Corp. (operating as Grocery Outlet) is not currently listed as private-equity-owned.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Grocery Outlet is not currently controlled by a private equity firm; it is a publicly traded company and its former PE sponsor (Hellman & Friedman) exited by distributing its remaining holdings in 2020.
Notes
- Grocery Outlet’s shares trade on Nasdaq under ticker GO, indicating it is a public company rather than a PE-controlled private company.
- Grocery Outlet’s filings describe Hellman & Friedman as its former private equity sponsor and state that the remaining H&F holdings were distributed in May 2020 (i.e., H&F exited).
- Transaction history indicates the business previously had PE owners (Berkshire Partners in 2009; Hellman & Friedman acquired it in 2014), but those sponsors are not the current controlling owner.
- Founding is consistently described as 1946 in San Francisco by Jim/James Read (originally Cannery Sales).
- Logo sourced from a Wikimedia-hosted SVG file for a stable, direct image URL.
Sources
- Investor FAQ | Grocery Outlet, Inc. (Nasdaq symbol GO; IPO information)
Grocery Outlet Investor Relations - Public-company status (Nasdaq: GO), relevant to concluding it is not currently PE-controlled.
- Form 10-K (FY ended 2022-12-31) — statement regarding Hellman & Friedman distribution of remaining holdings (former PE sponsor)
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - Confirms Hellman & Friedman was a former private equity sponsor and exited by distributing remaining holdings in May 2020.
- Orange County Business Journal PDF (2018) — H&F bought Grocery Outlet in 2014; Berkshire Partners owned since 2009
Orange County Business Journal - Supports prior private-equity ownership history (2009 Berkshire Partners; 2014 Hellman & Friedman acquisition).
- Grocery Outlet (company overview; founding date/location/founder)
Wikipedia - Supports founding year (1946), founder (James Read), and founding location (San Francisco).
- File:Grocery Outlet logo.svg
Wikimedia Commons - Supports a current logo asset and enables a direct SVG logo URL.
- https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1771515/000177151526000015/go-20260103.htm
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1771515/000110465925036008/tm252458-6_def14a.htm
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://investors.groceryoutlet.com/static-files/0c35c8c6-49ed-46d1-a550-51bdc2d5d9fe
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Emeryville-s-Grocery-Outlet-heads-to-Wall-Street-14016363.php
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.hsc.edu/documents/alumni/record/2022SummerRecord981.pdf
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://investors.groceryoutlet.com/static-files/3bad3c33-4b06-4f35-9d6e-6aedc100beef
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://abc7news.com/grocery-outlet-ipo-goes-public-eric-lindberg/5355263/
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
Ownership FAQ
Is Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (operating as Grocery Outlet) owned by private equity?
No. Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (operating as Grocery Outlet) does not currently appear to be private-equity-owned.
Who owns Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (operating as Grocery Outlet)?
Public company (Nasdaq: GO); no disclosed controlling private equity sponsor
When was Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (operating as Grocery Outlet) last checked?
This page was last checked on Sep 20, 2026.