Merced outlet market is a hidden gem for ‘rare’ snacks, discounted drinks

Twins Food Outlet on Main Street in Merced is impossible to miss.

With bright orange exterior flags hanging from its awnings and ads for special discounts in the window, the store draws the eye. What you can’t tell from the outside is that the store has some of the best deals on snack foods, beverages, and household items in Merced.

Antonio Balderas, the store’s owner, opened the Merced location in July 2025, but has been operating the Twins Food Outlet in Modesto for nearly a decade. Before opening a brick and mortar store, Balderas sold goods at Merced’s Flea Market.

What is for sale at Twins Food Outlet?

Walking into Twins Food Outlet, the first thing you see are bins of individual snack bags with pretzels, candy and cookies marked “4 for $1”, “6 for $1”, and even “8 for $1.” The small-sized snack bags always remind me of packed lunches in elementary school, and the variety here would certainly be impressive in a school cafeteria.

Behind the snack bins, each aisle is packed with discounted goods of all forms. In the household goods section, I found frying pans and other cooking equipment, all for under $10. In the cleaning aisle, the store stocks name-brand cleaning products including Mr. Clean magic erasers, Clorox sprays, and Scrub Daddy sponges.

The aisles of food offer a bit of adventure: There are always things I haven’t seen before, and at the same time, there’s no guarantee the store will stock the same product twice.

Balderas, the store’s owner, advises customers load up on things they like, since the stock changes every day.

The store sells a variety of cereals, granola, and cereal bars as well as pantry items like cooking oils, boxed mac and cheese, and ramen noodles. It also carries a large supply of teas and coffees.

While the store primarily sells non-refrigerated goods, there is a small section for refrigerated and frozen foods in the back. In the freezers, you can find milk, eggs, yogurt, packaged meats like cold cuts and hot dogs, and a variety of frozen meals. I was particularly impressed with the prices for eggs and yogurt. Chobani yogurt cups were on sale for 50 cents each and cage-free eggs were on sale for $2.99 a dozen.

My favorite part of the store, though, is the amazing selection of non-alcoholic beverages and the range of snacks including “rare” and imported snacks that I can’t find anywhere else in town.

An entire aisle is dedicated to drinks, with recognizable favorites like Reed’s ginger beer, Yerba Madre teas, and a variety of soda and seltzer cans. What I love about Twins Food Outlet is that many of the cans are sold individually so that you can mix and match flavors while still getting a great deal. LaCroix cans are sold at a price of 5 cans for $1, so I always stock up while I’m there. Compared to other grocery stores, where a 12-pack sells from anywhere between $6-10, getting 10 cans for $2 is a steal.

I have often been able to find imported snacks from Mexico, including flavors of Takis and Cheetos that aren’t normally available in the U.S., as well as my favorite Taiwanese junk food: Baby Star Crunchy Ramen Snack.

How I spent my $25 budget at Twins Food Outlet

I wanted to get a variety of products to illustrate the range of things one can find at the Twins Food Outlet.

In the cleaning aisle, I picked up a pack of three Scrub Daddy scouring pads for $2.99.

I also picked some healthier pantry items, aiming for the ones that are most expensive at other stores. I got two boxes of tea, which together cost $6, and a bag of organic granola for another $3. I also grabbed a pre-made Tastybite meal of couscous and beans for $2.50.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the store are its snacks and beverages, which is where I spent the remainder of my budget. I got two small bags of Dill Pickle flavor Hot Cheetos, which the company just began selling again this year, a large bag of tortilla chips, a bag of Baby Star Crunchy Ramen Snack, and a jar of salsa macha for a picnic this weekend.

I also picked 10 cans of LaCroix — and mixed and matched flavors to get my favorites — and two bottles of my partner’s favorite ginger beer.

The total cost for all of my items was $25.23 after tax.

Is Twins Food Outlet affordable?

Twins Food Outlet always impresses me with their deals. Whether you’re shopping for snacks to put in school lunches or just picking up some last-minute groceries, I would say the outlet store is definitely affordable.

The only drawback of the store is that it does not carry fresh fruits and vegetables or the variety of meat and deli products that a larger grocery store does, so customers still have to go to another store to complete a full grocery shop.

Balderas said the best way to keep up with what’s in the store is to follow its Facebook page or TikTok account where he shares announcements.

This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 6:30 AM.

Aysha Pettigrew

Merced Sun-Star

Aysha Pettigrew is the economic mobility reporter for the Merced Sun-Star and a California Local News fellow. Prior to this role, Pettigrew worked as an administrator for the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program.