In May, Giant Food Stores opened its second stand-alone convenience store, Giant To Go, a 4,000-square-foot store in Manheim Township, Pa., offering customers quality and fresh “on-the-go” options.
With Giant having been in the supermarket business for nearly nine decades and operating fuel stations since 1998, entering the convenience-store business was a natural extension of our business model. There are several reasons to connect the two channels. First, there is a shared connection between c-store and supermarket with our fuel rewards program, which consistently provides value to consumers. On a deeper, more progressive level is the connection between the two channels with foodservice. This is where the real credibility is formed with the consumer. We already have a supermarket platform to expand from, and c-store works side by side in our growth with foodservice. We feel we learned key lessons and consumer insights from our first c-store location, which opened in Lancaster, Pa., in 2009. With this second Giant To Go, our goal was to introduce a new kind of convenience-store experience to our customers. The intent was to offer the best combination of traditional c-store items with fresh foodservice programs that traditional Giant supermarkets are known for. This is where the new store deviates from the original concept. These fresh-food offerings are designed to meet the needs of busy families, all with the savings that our customers have come to expect from our supermarkets, but now in a convenience-store setting.
We also made sure to include those programs and offerings already popular with our customers, such as our Gas Extra Rewards promotion. For every $100 spent using our loyalty Giant Bonus Card on qualifying in-store purchases at any of our supermarkets or a Giant To Go, customers receive 10 cents off per gallon of gas the next time they fill up at any of the 12 pumps located outside of our new Giant To Go.
Three for the Road
Along with the new foodservice programs, the store has a new layout as well. Inside, customers can find three distinct shopping areas: Meals to Go, Groceries to Go and Snacks to Go.
Our Meals to Go section brings the strengths of our freshfood offerings to the on-the-go customer with fresh and healthy meal alternatives that are more traditionally found in larger supermarkets. A wide assortment of choices is delivered to breakfast, lunch and dinner customers. Four significant offerings were added to this concept over the original store. Our rotisserie and fried-chicken offerings, along with a full salad bar, which are staples in our traditional supermarkets, were added to the fresh-food assortment. Our submarine sandwiches—complete with a toppings bar, which allows customers to customize his or her own sandwich—was also a change. The coffee station features a self-service espresso and real cappuccino machine, plus flavor shots for fresh brewed coffee. Other unique offerings include fresh sushi made daily, breakfast sandwiches, hot oatmeal and hot soup.
A smart, convenient alternative to midweek trips to the grocery store, the Groceries To Go section allows customers to fill up on staple items such as milk and bread at the same time they are filling up on gas. In addition, we offer more than 3,000 popular Giant and national-brand grocery items to help customers prepare meals at home.
Our Snacks To Go section offers a variety of snacks and traditional beverages for our customers to enjoy when they stop to purchase gas. These items are the typical snack items found in traditional c-stores.
We are currently working on future concepts of Giant To Go. As we continue to evolve Giant To Go, one thing remains a constant: Customers can expect to find on-the-go solutions with the selection of fresh offerings and savings they have come to expect from our Giant supermarkets.
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