Giant Opens 2nd Heirloom Market Location in Philly
Giant Food Stores has opened the second location of its urban-store concept, Heirloom Market, in Philadelphia. The 9,950-square-foot University City neighborhood location — located near Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and the area's hospitals —held a grand-opening event on Aug. 2.
In addition to remarks by Nicholas Bertram, Giant Food Stores president, and representatives from the city of Philadelphia, the grocer made two $2,500 donations to local community food partners, one to the University of Pennsylvania's Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative and the other to Sharing Excess Inc., a Drexel University-based nonprofit.
“Seeing the impressive crowd of students, professionals and neighborhood residents that came through our doors on our opening day, our entire team is energized by the enthusiastic response we’ve already received,” said Angel Cordero, store manager of Giant Heirloom Market. “We’re so excited to be part of the inspiring University City community.”
The grocer's first Heirloom Market store opened Jan. 25 in Philadelphia's Graduate Hospital neighborhood, with plans for two more stores already in the works. Some of the features of the latest University City locations, according to Giant Food Stores, include:
- Fresh local produce, grab-and-go meals, plant‐based foods, a large gluten-free section, Philadelphia‐area food products, a large sushi selection, a gourmet cheese section, kombucha on tap, a do‐it‐yourself olive oil and vinegar blending station, a sampling station, wine, beer, and a rapid bottle chiller
- Local partnerships with Philadelphia‐area food purveyors, including High Street on Market, Claudio Specialty Foods and Isgro Pastries, as well as a grind-your-own-beans option featuring locally based One Village Coffee
- The acceptance of payment by DragonCard (Drexel University’s convenient student payment cards).
- Giant Direct, Powered by Peapod, a service enabling shoppers to easily order items online for next-day pickup or delivery
- The innovative Scan It! mobile app, which lets customers build a shopping list and check items off as they shop, allowing for a faster checkout
- A gathering space with electronic device-charging stations
Giant Food Stores operates 181 grocery stores, 132 pharmacies, 102 fuel stations, and online grocery ordering and delivery services in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA is No. 4 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
