Giant Eagle Inc. has introduced its “Because It Matters” business strategy to guide the company’s plan for growth in the coming years.
The strategy marks the latest in a series of organizational milestones over the past 12 months, highlighted by the sale of Giant Eagle’s GetGo business and the growth of the retailer’s pharmacy services.
The “Because It Matters” strategy reaffirms Giant Eagle’s commitment to better everyday value, quality, service and overall shopping experience. It is bolstered by an investment of more than $100 million the company is putting toward new, brighter stores and more value and quality for customers.
“We are committed to being the hometown grocer across every community we serve, and we believe our ‘Because It Matters’ strategy and the associated investments we are making will be a catalyst to achieving that goal,” said Bill Artman, president and CEO at Giant Eagle.
The “Because It Matters” multi-year strategic plan is focused in three distinct areas – better everyday value, quality, service and shopping experience.
Better Everyday Value
In the last year, industry grocery prices have been influenced by compounding factors, including recent and previous tariffs, fluctuations in transportation costs and product availability challenges.
A cornerstone of Giant Eagle’s upcoming investments is the launch of a seasonal pricing initiative aimed at providing customers with immediate relief from inflation. The company will invest millions of dollars to reduce prices on dozens of the most frequently purchased items across its supermarkets, including family meal essentials like proteins, produce and pantry staples.
Customers can expect a series of themed promotions to add to the seasonal pricing investment. This promotional activity kicks off with “$1 Deals,” a one-week sale starting Sept. 25 that lowers 1,000 items to $1.
The million-dollar investment discounts popular items ranging from name-brand drinks and pasta products to yogurts and baby food. “$1 Deals” and other promotional efforts are in addition to the weekly sales, discounts through the Giant Eagle mobile app and savings through the myPerks loyalty program.
Better Quality and Service
Quality and service have differentiated the Giant Eagle shopping experience for decades. As the company looks toward the future, it believes these two areas must continue to resonate with customers.
Prioritization will continue to be given to commitments including:
- Hiring and training food professionals like certified butchers, bakers, cake decorators and cheesemongers;
- Offering a variety of fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and prepared meals; and
- And making deliveries to its stores seven days a week to ensure peak quality and flavor.
As the company moves forward, Giant Eagle is investing in programming to continue to provide differentiated quality and service offerings. Two examples of this program include:
- A heightened approach to ensure ripe, great-tasting produce is offered. To elevate this focus area, the company is reviewing all processes to ensure its produce meets and exceeds customer expectations. The retailer’s immediate focus is on four important produce categories – berries, grapes, tomatoes and salads.
- Expanded employee trainings so employees can answer questions and meet customer needs. Giant Eagle wants to ensure its employees have the right knowledge and skills to provide the best customer service.
Better Shopping Experience
Like many retailers, Giant Eagle faces the reality that while more consumers become familiar with shopping for their groceries digitally, the majority of transactions still take place in-store.
As the company strives to offer new and improved shopping experiences, it aims to invest in its physical footprint and digital infrastructure across its owned e-commerce platforms and expanded partnerships with third parties.
Recent and upcoming investments into enhanced shopping experiences include:
- An investment of millions of dollars to remodel a dozen supermarkets across Pennsylvania and Ohio;
- The renovation and expansion of more than 60 in-store Giant Eagle Pharmacy departments, while continuing to refine and grow the company’s standalone pharmacy presence;
- The rollout of new shopping carts;
- The introduction of grocery delivery options from 33 additional Giant Eagle supermarkets; and
- Continued Giant Eagle mobile app enhancements, building on recent features including item locators, meal bundles and artificial intelligence-driven enhancements.
The “Because It Matters” strategy will be amplified by the launch of a new brand campaign that celebrates the reason customers choose to shop at Giant Eagle.
The “Because It Matters” brand campaign will be featured in various communications channels over the coming months, including broadcast, print, digital, out of home and sports marketing.
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