Giant Eagle Modernizing In-Store Product Management

Grocer working with Plantensive to implement category management tech solution

1/31/2023

A category management solution will enable Giant Eagle to make informed decisions about product placement within their stores, knowing precisely what customers want, and where and how they want to get it.

Giant Eagle is working with Plantensive on improving customer experience through strategic category management technology at the grocer’s 216 supermarkets and 274 GetGo convenience stores.

“More than ever, retailers need to really understand the shopping behaviors and preferences of their local customers – and to adapt when they change,” said Rhonda Stinson, executive director and category management practice lead at Lancaster, Pa.-based Plantensive, a MorganFranklin Consulting company. “While many stores struggle to access a variety of siloed data, Giant Eagle, by bringing information into a single source of truth, is transforming its ability to give customers what they need.”

The solution will enable the retailer to make informed decisions about product placement within their stores, knowing precisely what customers want, and where and how they want to get it. Plantensive will help move Giant Eagle to the Blue Yonder Category Management suite. This system brings powerful new capabilities, among them spatially analyzing macro and micro space and tracking product allocation at the store and even shelf-space level. This will drive efficiency and ensure that products align optimally with the individual needs of each store’s customers. The system also facilitates more effective collaboration among store managers, supply chain managers and merchandising leaders to better meet customer needs.

“Plantensive joined Giant Eagle as an experienced Blue Yonder category management partner, which was critical for us in this implementation,” noted Giant Eagle VP of Merchandising Planning, Operations and Analytics Scott McNeely. “We are looking forward to our improved guest experience and increased collaboration with the updated solution as our teams continue partnering to accelerate our category management initiatives.”

According to Stinson, while exact performance figures may vary, retailers usually begin to see increased margins within the first year of implementation.

With almost $10 billion in annual sales, Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle operates more than 490 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. The company is No. 36 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.