Ahold’s Giant Foods of Carlisle has converted an eight-year-old Tops Market in the Rochester area to be a Martin’s Super Food Market, hoping that a stronger EDLP program, better perishables, a wider selection of organic and natural foods, a recipe center and expanded self-checkout offerings will entice customers away from a nearby Wegmans Food Market.
The Democrat and Chronicle reports that Giant officials say the conversion is a test of a new format, and could be expanded if the converted unit performs well.
The Democrat and Chronicle reports that Giant officials say the conversion is a test of a new format, and could be expanded if the converted unit performs well.
- KC's View:
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What struck us about this story was the fact that the converted store will be carrying Giant private label, not Tops. Which almost certainly will make some people – though not necessarily us – believe that this is just the first step in converting all Giant stores to either the Martins or Giant name.
Not having been to the store, it is hard to know whether this conversion will help it compete with Wegmans. However, we do know that Wegmans is the gold standard in food retailing…so it seems likely that Ahold/Giant/Martins/Tops will have to carve out a different and specific niche in order to capture a different customers.
