Giant-Carlisle Opens 1st Philly Store
Giant Food Stores’ inaugural store in the City of Brotherly Love opens July 20 at 8 a.m. Located at 2550 Grant Avenue in northeast Philadelphia, the ground-up 74,000-square-foot supermarket will employ 275 full and part-time associates, and will be open 24 hours daily, seven days a week. For more than quarter-century, the Ahold USA division has operated stores in the greater Philadelphia area, but this is its first location within the city limits.
To mark the occasion, the banner is offering customers special savings savings, in-store entertainment, and giveaways over the next four weeks. On July 20, the Philly Phanatic mascot for the Phillies baseball team and the Mummers String Band will be on hand to celebrate the grand opening, on July 23, Rockin’ Roxanne’s Party Magic Clown will entertain children, and during July and August weekends, there will be special trinket giveaways for kids.
“Customers can find a combination of quality, selection and everyday savings both inside our store and outside at our fuel pumps to make their shopping experience both a convenient and an affordable one,” noted Giant Food Stores president Rick Herring. “In addition, we are a proud supporter of the local communities that we serve.”
In a vivid illustration of that support, Giant contributed $10,000 in donations to local organizations in a special presentation held July 19 at the store. Further, as part of the chain’s “Bags to Benches” program, 50 park benches were donated to Keep Philadelphia Beautiful for placement throughout the city. Giant collects customers’ old plastic shopping bags to be recycled into park benches.
In addition to a full-service pharmacy, the new store, which boasts Giant’s latest décor package featuring a distinct look and feel for each department, includes an assortment of natural, organic and specialty products can in the dedicated Nature’s Promise Marketplace section, the exclusive “Healthy Ideas” product labeling system to help customers identify nutritious food options; a customer service area offering such services and conveniences as Western Union, RedBox DVD rentals, money orders, ATM, lottery tickets and postage stamps; a wi-fi café with an adjacent coffee bar and tables for dining; an extensive kosher selection; fuel pumps located right outside; and a host of energy-efficient building technologies, among them skylights, LED lighting, and low-emissivity glass on the windows.
Based in Carlisle, Pa., Giant/Martin’s operates more than 180 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia under the Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets, and employs more than 31,000 associates.