As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2021.

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

5650 Hollis Street

Emeryville, California 94608

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. 2019 Incentive Plan

(Full title of the Plans)

Pamela B. Burke

Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.

5650 Hollis Street

Emeryville, California 94608

Telephone: (510) 845-1999

(Name and address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With copies to:

William B. Brentani

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

2475 Hanover Street

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 251-5000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information specified in Item 1 and Item 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be delivered to the participants in the Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. 2019 Incentive Plan covered by this Registration Statement as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Registration of Additional Securities

This Registration Statement is being filed for the purpose of registering an additional 1,178,236 shares of Common Stock issuable under the 2019 Incentive Plan, with respect to which a Registration Statement on Form S-8 was filed with the Commission on June 24, 2019 (File No. 333-232318) (the “2019 Registration Statement”) and is effective. The additional 1,178,236 shares of Common Stock are issuable pursuant to the automatic annual increase provision of the 2019 Incentive Plan.

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the contents of the 2019 Registration Statement are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement to the extent not modified or superseded hereby or by any subsequently filed document which is incorporated by reference herein or therein.

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed with the Commission by Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (the “Registrant”) pursuant to the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

All documents that the Registrant subsequently files pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement (except for any portions of the Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 thereof and any corresponding exhibits thereto not filed with the Commission) and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement indicating that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) allows a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation will not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached the duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. The Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for this limitation of liability.

Section 145 of the DGCL, provides, among other things, that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was, is or is threatened to be made, party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who were or are a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests, provided further that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the officer, director, employee or agent is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred.

Section 145 further authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise, against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would otherwise have the power to indemnify such person under Section 145.

The Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws provide that it must indemnify and advance expenses to its directors and officers to the full extent authorized by the DGCL.

Further, the Registrant has or will enter into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers that may be broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained in its amended and restated bylaws or the DGCL. Such agreements may require the Registrant, among other things, to advance expenses and otherwise indemnify its executive officers and directors against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as executive officers or directors, to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Registrant intends to enter into indemnification agreements with any new directors and executive officers in the future.

The indemnification rights set forth above shall not be exclusive of any other right which an indemnified person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, any provision of the Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Registrant shall not be obligated to indemnify a director or officer in respect of a proceeding (or part thereof) instituted by such director or officer, unless such proceeding (or part thereof) has been authorized by the board of directors pursuant to the applicable procedure outlined in the amended and restated bylaws.

Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a director, who willfully or negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption, may be held jointly and severally liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered in the books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time such action occurred or immediately after such absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.

The Registrant expects to maintain standard policies of insurance that provide coverage (1) to its directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and (2) to the Registrant with respect to indemnification payments that it may make to such directors and officers.

Not applicable.

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, we have duly caused this registration statement on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Emeryville, State of California, on March 2, 2021.

The undersigned directors and officers of Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. hereby constitute and appoint Eric J. Lindberg, Jr., Charles C. Bracher and Pamela B. Burke and each of them, any of whom may act without joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys in fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement and any or all amendments, including post effective amendments to the Registration Statement and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys in fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys in fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereto.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement and power of attorney have been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated.

Exhibit 5.1

March 2, 2021

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.

5650 Hollis Street

Emeryville, California 94608

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the issuance by the Company of an aggregate of up to 1,178,236 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company that may be issued by the Company pursuant to the Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. 2019 Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

We have examined the Registration Statement, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and the Plan, each of which has been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, documents and other instruments and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company and have made such other investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions hereinafter set forth.

In rendering the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that upon issuance and delivery in accordance with the Plan, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the Delaware General Corporation Law.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement.

Very truly yours,

/s/  Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT LLP

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated March 2, 2021 relating to the financial statements and financial statement schedule of Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. and the effectiveness of Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. for the year ended January 2, 2021.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

San Francisco, California

March 2, 2021