The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that Giant Eagle is considering the creation of “a smaller store prototype that eventually could allow it to fill in the underserved nooks and crannies of the region's grocery market.” The format would be 13,000 square feet in size, and feature a selection of groceries as well as a drive-through pharmacy and gasoline pumps.
While Giant Eagle isn’t commenting on the possibility, “in recent years, Giant Eagle has been active in launching new store concepts that serve different segments of its customer base,” the Business Times writes. “After acquiring the former Crossroads convenience-store chain a few years ago, Giant Eagle converted it to a new chain called Get Go, which has grown to more than 100 locations with the help of the company's successful fuelperks gas incentive program. Last month, Giant Eagle went head-to-head with Whole Foods by re-branding two of its most successful grocery store locations as Market District.”
While Giant Eagle isn’t commenting on the possibility, “in recent years, Giant Eagle has been active in launching new store concepts that serve different segments of its customer base,” the Business Times writes. “After acquiring the former Crossroads convenience-store chain a few years ago, Giant Eagle converted it to a new chain called Get Go, which has grown to more than 100 locations with the help of the company's successful fuelperks gas incentive program. Last month, Giant Eagle went head-to-head with Whole Foods by re-branding two of its most successful grocery store locations as Market District.”
- KC's View:
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Two reactions to this story.
One is that it sounds suspiciously like Giant Eagle is taking a page or two from the Tesco playbook even before the UK-based retailer starts opening stores on the US west coast.
The other is that Giant Eagle’s plans sound a little like what we wrote yesterday about Delhaize and Food Lion – like it is looking not just to serve different kinds of customers, but also to serve different customer need states that occur at different times.
Smart marketing.
