Giant Co. Introduces New Brand Platform
The Giant Co. has rolled out a new brand platform, For Today’s Table. Building on the new company name, logo and purpose introduced earlier this year, For Today’s Table maps out a course for the company’s ongoing growth, innovation, and investment.
“For Today’s Table is grounded in our strong belief that gathering around the table for a meal with your family to make meaningful connections is now more important than ever,” explained Nicholas Bertram, Giant Co. president. “For almost 100 years, we have been entrusted to help families connect over food, at their table, no matter where or what the ‘table’ may be. It sets the stage for our go-forward strategy, crystalizing our commitment to customers, team members and the community, inspiring us to double down on future growth and investment.”
Added Chief Marketing Officer Matt Simon: “For Today’s Table, the pinnacle in our evolution of The Giant Co.’s refreshed brand, is an external expression of what our brand is doing and what families can expect from us in the future. While the wheels were in motion for our new brand platform pre-pandemic, the last several months have only reinforced the value of family connections, and we believe food has a role to play in forging those connections and in making our communities stronger. The table, no matter where it may be, is the most obvious and best way for families to connect.”
Over the next few months, core elements of For Today’s Table will launch through various channels, among them mass media, digital and social channels, updated store décor, redesigned associate uniforms, and delivery and transport vehicles now boasting family-focused graphics.
A TV spot set to air Sept. 3 will address families’ need to connect and the real way they do it. Over the past several weeks, Giant has been filming five real families for the spot to capture honest, heartfelt moments that illustrate what gathering at the table really means.
“This latest campaign brings For Today’s Table to life in an authentic way, showing what families go through and the real solutions The Giant Co. can offer,” observed Simon.
To that end, the grocer is working to simplify the shopping experience through the introduction of convenient meal solutions, products, technologies and services in the next few months.
Giant will expand product assortment in key categories to better meet customers’ needs and wants, along with testing such new in-store offering as smoothie bars and kombucha taps. Further, this fall, the company plans to debut at its flagship store in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, made-to-order salads, wraps, soups and grain bowls through a new partnership with Conshohocken, Pennsylvania-based fast-casual restaurant chain Saladworks.
Other experiential changes include:
- “All Set,” an easy way for customers to identify meal solutions from prepared, heat-and-eat and other offerings
- Expanded Meal Deals and meal kit programs, offering more protein choices, new flavor profiles and meal ideas
- Increased shelf space for key categories like plant-based, global flavors, specialty foods like artisanal cheeses and meats, and health and beauty
- Investment in private brands through the launch of hundreds of new items over the next year, in response to rising demand for high-quality, affordable items, such as the grocer’s recently introduced cook-in-bag line and Nature’s Promise Kids Crustless Sandwiches, the latter item available in grape and strawberry jelly, and free of dairy, peanuts and tree nuts
Giant anticipated the recent ramp-up in online adoption, having already invested in a consumer-friendly user experience. These investments included the recent redesign of its mobile app and website to easily serve customers 24/7 throughout the public health crisis. The revamped site offers personalized recommendations, savings and the ability to view the weekly circular. Customers can also use the new app to fill their cart, access personalized savings and manage their Choice Rewards.
In the near future, the grocer plans to pilot geolocation technology that will send notifications to associates when customers have arrived at the store to pick up grocery orders, eliminating the need for shoppers to call the store.
Giant is also working on previously revealed growth projects and store makeovers geared toward busy families.
In its home market of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the company said that it would open the new Swatara Township Giant store on Friday, Oct. 23. The grocer remains on schedule to complete the 35 store remodels that are either now in process or slated to start in the coming months. Varying by store, these remodels will feature the addition of Beer & Wine Eateries, new convenient amenities, refurbished departments, and modernized exterior and interior décor.
Additionally, the company will unveil plans for more stores across the Keystone State later in 2020, expanding its presence in major markets while also beefing up its e-commerce business. Giant will grow its online grocery delivery and pickup services by bringing Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct to 10 more stores in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, bringing the services to a total of 158 stores across the company by the end of the year.
In regard to its 35,000 associates, Giant is committed to offering best-in-class benefits and policies that promote health and well-being, support flexibility, and further career advancement.
This fall, the company will roll out a state-of-the-art learning lab to support professional growth opportunities. At Giant University, participants will take part in enhanced skills training focused on the future of retail while developing leadership behaviors. The new program complements Giant’s existing tuition reimbursement and degree programs with Capella University and Strayer University.
The grocer has also introduced Stress Free Now, Cleveland Clinic's six-week online course to help manage stress and increase positive emotions and energy, which is available at no charge to associates.
“The most important connections we have are those with our team members,” said Bertram. “They are the core of The Giant Co. and at the heart of the customer experience. Our focus is on helping them discover their own unique path to success by growing through new opportunities and making a difference.”
The brand relaunch also includes new associate work wear and name badges. The new uniforms for Giant and Martin’s employees will consist of red T-shirts highlighting the brands’ passion for bringing fresh food to the table, while the new name badges will also recognize associates who speak other languages or are military veterans. All stores are also in the process of overhauling their breakrooms to raise store teams’ morale.
In the area of philanthropy, the grocer is focusing on three areas -- Changing Children’s Lives, Eliminating Hunger and Healing Our Planet -- continuing to donate millions annually in support of nonprofits dedicated to these causes.
To further these efforts, the company recently began a paid volunteerism program, encouraging associates to help their communities. In addition, Giant is looking to rack up more than 30,000 volunteer hours this year.
Plus, in honor of Hunger Action Month, which kicks off on Sept. 1, the company will debut a multifaceted campaign to help families fighting hunger. The month-long campaign will feature in-store elements, social activations and team member volunteerism, along with financial and product donations, and opportunities for customers to take part. Through these efforts, the Giant aims to donate 12 million meals to Feeding America.
Other corporate responsibility goals for the grocer include:
- Planting 1 million pollinator plants in 2020 and 100,000 trees by 2021
- Reducing plastics in its private-brand packaging by 25%, attaining 25% post-consumer recycled materials in plastics in packaging, and 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025
- Achieving zero waste at all stores by 2025 via waste reduction and food donation efforts
“If families are strong, our communities are strong, and if our communities are strong, our world is strong,” noted Bertram. “We believe that it all starts with those meaningful connections around today’s table, and that starts with us. Today, tomorrow and always, The Giant Co. continues to be inspired to grow inclusively, improving the lives of our neighbors and team members.”
Based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Giant Co. is an omnichannel retailer serving millions of customers across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. It has more than 33,000 associates supporting nearly 190 stores, 132 pharmacies, 105 fuel stations, and 125-plus online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service across hundreds of ZIP codes. The Giant Co. is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
