"This is a new landmark in the rich history of Giant Food Stores," said Sander van der Laan, president and CEO of Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant Food Stores LLC, which operates nearly 150 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. [image-nocss] The 4,422-square-foot "pilot store" has approximately 3,100 SKUs, compared to the 50,000 or so found in the average Giant supermarket, and it is "packed full of convenience and value," said van der Laan, who earlier this week gave members of the media, including CSP Daily News, a tour of the new store prior to its official opening on a cold, soggy April 15.
Giant To Go anchors an upscale retail complex known as Richmond Square, and is surrounded by rooftops and luxury apartments in a burgeoning residential area within Manheim Township. Inside, the small-format store offers "food for now" and "food for later" options, many of which can be found in most c-stores; these include the standard selection of candy, snacks, baked goods and roller-grill items; however, the store also features premium and healthier items, such as Naked and POM Wonderful juices, just-baked bread and packaged meals, as well as food items specific to Giant To Go under Giant's many private labels.
Company executives designed the warmly lit store, which keeps hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week, to provide suitable food options for all three dayparts, with an emphasis on dinner. For example, an endcap near the store's entrance advertises a "Dinner for Four" combo comprised of a 1-lb. box of pasta, a bottle of pasta sauce, a bag of Caesar salad, fresh-baked bread and a package of ground beef for $9.99. Also, a small sign above a wicker basket next to the point of sale promises to have loaves of freshly baked bread ready for pickup every day at 5:00 p.m., ideal for the early-evening commuting crowd.
"We started hearing from customers that they were seeing bigger and bigger stores, but there was nothing smaller for quick trips and dinner occasions," Jodie Daubert, Giant's senior vice president, perishables, told CSP Daily News. "This was a natural extension."
Although the store has myriad food options, most of the food preparation will be performed off site. Fresh-made sandwiches and premade dinners will be assembled at a Giant supermarket in the borough of Lititz, just three miles away, and then delivered daily to the Giant To Go store by van, according to Daubert, who worked on Giant To Go for "well over a year" as part of a 50-person cross-functional team. The company considered making sandwiches and other food items on site, as seen in Wawa or Sheetz stores, but ultimately decided against it for this location.
Other notable aspects of the first Giant To Go store:
Fueling center: The fuel island features four Wayne dispensers and advertises the Gas Extra Rewards program. Gas Extra Rewards ties into Giant's BonusCard loyalty program and enables customers to save 10 cents per gallon for every $100 spent on in-store purchases at participating Giant locations. Although Giant To Go represents Giant's first c-store, fuel is not new to the company; 65 of its stores have fueling centers. Multiple merchandisers: The store's central focal point is a kidney-shaped open-air merchandiser stocked with just-made sandwiches, frozen pizzas, cups of yogurts, chilled soups, rotisserie chicken and other items. A second open-air merchandiser is built into the back wall, offering produce, single-serve beverages, packaged fruit, salad mixes, fresh meats, etc. Also, multiple points of interruption throughout the store merchandise healthy items, or "visual cues," such as bananas, cantaloupes and fresh-cut flowers. Dispensed beverages: A gourmet coffee offering featuring various blends and using Bunn equipment consists of multiple coffeepots, a cappuccino machine and select airpots, as well as an extensive preparation area opposing the point of sale. The store offers three cup sizes: 12 oz. ($1.09 retail), 20 oz. ($1.39) and 24 oz. ($1.59). Fountain drinks also have a prominent position along the back wall, abutting a Corner Bakery Shoppe stocked with Danish pastries, scones, doughnuts and just-baked cookies. "Green" aspects: Executives designed the store to save energy. An all-glass barrel archway and several skylights allow natural light to filter into the store, thereby saving on lighting costs. The store's cold vault, including 12 cooler doors for packaged beverages, dairy and ice cream, uses strips of LEDs to effectively merchandise products. Finally, the restrooms feature waterless urinals. Added conveniences: In researching the concept, Giant executives listened to consumer requests for a no-fee ATM, money orders, lottery tickets, postage stamps and a Redbox kiosk for DVD rentals, among other services. "We've been working on this store for quite a while," Daubert said of the first Giant To Go. "I'd expect the next one will not look exactly like this, but we anticipate a similar footprint." For example, she said Giant would like to have more fueling positions at future locations. The company has at least one other Giant To Go store in development and is currently scouting other sites throughout Lancaster.
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