By skyforbes 
1.) Government Shutdown: Reduced SNAP benefits → shoppers seek bargains → Grocery Outlet sales benefit → stock could go up.
2.) Recent Q3 Earnings: Sales and EPS are growing modestly, margins improving, but comparable-store growth is slow—mixed results that leave room for volatility, which can attract traders looking for short-squeeze opportunities.
3.) Seasonality: Seasonal spikes → surprise revenue → short covering → stock price surge. For Grocery Outlet, Halloween and Thanksgiving are natural catalysts for this effect.
4.) High Short Interest: Low Float 22% is shorted. Also low share price for Grocery Store.
5.) Growth Stage: New Stores +13 in Q3 earnings. In a turnaround expansion phase that many will flock to as discount grocery retailer is a very defensive stock. Chipolte, CAVA and Doordash earnings were abysmal meaning consumers are tightening finances as price point in the name of the game.
6.) Market/News Events: Affordability is the name of the game in the news cycle with inflation and grocery prices up. Also Tariff resistant due to closeout buying model.
All this stock needs is some retail trader hype which it is getting through influencers buying thousands of dollars worth of groceries from Grocery Outlet and donating them to food banks.