Valu King Launches in Pennsylvania

Valu King Food Market celebrated the grand opening last week of its new location in Johnstown, Pa., the first store of this format for Pittsburgh-based parent Giant Eagle.

“Customers will see the difference between Valu King and other retailers immediately,” said John Tedesco, Valu King senior VP. “You simply won’t find lower prices, especially for meat, produce and dairy. And unlike other value operators, we have a large selection of national and regional brands every day at unbeatable prices. I think families will be pleasantly surprised to see so many of their favorite brands at a value-focused store.”

The 43,000-square-foot store has 48 employees and offers more than 7,000 items, a mix of popular national and regional brands alongside Valu King’s own brands, which include Food Club and Valu Time. Additionally, Valu King features offerings not found at other value operators, such as a full-service deli and fresh meat cut in-store daily. The store also offers fresh poultry and a wide assortment of fresh produce, including regionally grown items.

“Valu King is the first stop for many customers seeking amazingly hot deals,” Tedesco said. “We work closely with our suppliers to stock our stores with large quantities of our customers’ favorite products, which we obtain at a very low price. We may not always have the particular name-brand detergent that you’re looking for, but we’ll always have a high-quality option.”

To keep prices low, Valu King focuses on minimizing operating costs, it does not utilize supermarket customer loyalty programs, and minimizes advertising and promotional activities. Valu King does not accept checks for payment, and encourages customers to bring their own traditional and reusable bags.

Valu King launched in November 2008 in Eastlake, Ohio store; three additional Ohio locations have since opened in Ravenna, Pataskala and Reynoldsburg.