Giant-Landover to Bow Pop-up Store at Speedway
When NASCAR fans converge on the Dover International Speedway in Delaware for upcoming tailgate parties, they won’t have far to go to get all of the needed fixings, thanks to Landover, Md.-based Giant Food LLC, which will open a 5,000-square-foot on-site track store featuring 2,500 products in time for the race weekend taking place Sept. 24 through Sept. 26, 2010.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 10:00 a.m. at the store, which will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday, Sept. 26. Giant Food regional VP Rob Harman and Mark Rossi, VP of sales & marketing at Dover Motorsports Inc., a leading U.S. promoter of motorsports events, on hand to cut the ribbon. Each day at the store, shoppers will be able to enter raffles to win autographed NASCAR merchandise such as driver standups and caps, a shot at experiening 50 laps in the Monster Bridge, tickets to the Monster Mile Club, and trackside tour passes.
“In little more than a week, we’ve been able to build an impressive but temporary Giant store,” noted Harman. “I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork of all departments who have worked hard to ensure that our store is ready for speedway shoppers.”
Added Rossi: “It's truly amazing to see a supermarket of this magnitude on our grounds, and I know it will be a great addition for fans spending time at the Monster Mile. Whether they’re staying in an RV for the entire race week, or just tailgating for the day, the Giant will be the primary destination for all of their grocery needs.”
Located in RV Lot 10, the store will carry perishables including meat, deli, produce, seafood and bakery items, allowing customers to purchase ingredients to cook on-site, prepare their own sandwiches, and snack on fresh fruits and vegetables. As well as hundreds of shelf-stable items such as chips, cookies and crackers, shoppers can also select from a variety of prepared foods, HBC products and beverages.
The pop-up store at the speedway is a first for the chain. When asked by Progressive Grocer about future plans for similar locations, spokesman Jamie Miller replied, "We will evaluate the success of the store, and determine how we want to proceed in the future."
The events occurring over the race weekend will be Friday’s “Sunoco 150” NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Saturday’s 200-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series and Sunday’s “AAA 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
A banner of Quincy, Mass.-based Ahold USA, Giant Food operates 179 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, and employs about 22,000 associates. Included within the 179 stores are 163 full-service pharmacies.