Grocery Outlet Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Grocery Outlet Inc. Retirement Plan
Emeryville, CARetail Trade926 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,185Employer $ per active participant
$7,889Employee $ saved per active participant
0.17%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$130.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$116,374Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity49.9 / 50100th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.7 / 2559th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.6 / 1597th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score89 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 100th |
| Lower admin cost | 59th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Grocery Outlet put in about $7,185 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $6,649,372 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,301,554 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,068,205 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $214,211 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $93,978 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,511,438 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $114.9M / $130.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 868 / 983 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,121 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $85,377 reported compensation |
| Capfinancial Partners LLC | $62,377 reported compensation |
| Moss Adams LLP | $32,550 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260129101621NAL0005453683001, received 2026-01-29, EIN 94-1513561, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.