GIANT Food Stores to invest $22 million in Lancaster County, Pa.
Staff Writer |
GIANT Food Stores announced a $22 million investment in Lancaster County, Pa. which includes launching a new e-commerce hub at its former North Reservoir St. location, remodel completions at four stores, lower prices across its stores, and the opening of a new Lititz fuel station.
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GIANT's new e-commerce hub concept will drive the development of the 235 North Reservoir St., Lancaster property and will bring approximately 150 new jobs to the community.
"We look at this e-commerce hub as an investment not just in property, but in the people of Lancaster who have waited too long to hear news from us about our future plans," said Nicholas Bertram, GIANT president.
"We have been listening closely to the community, and we would like to sincerely thank Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace for her counsel during the past several months as we developed these plans for more economic opportunity and growth within the city."
"This is a huge step forward for the Northeast neighborhood and the City as a whole," said Mayor Danene Sorace, Lancaster City.
"I'm excited about the investment GIANT is making in Lancaster, and extremely happy that it will be bringing 150 jobs back to city residents. Throughout this process, the new GIANT team's sincerity and integrity has gone so far in rebuilding good will and trust."
The new e-commerce hub will serve as a grocery delivery center and will be designed with a unique format that offers curbside pickup orders, where online orders are delivered right to customers' cars parked outside of the hub.
The format will also feature a walkable pickup point to meet the growing local demand for online grocery. The innovative e-commerce hub will encompass 38,000 square feet, enabling GIANT and its online grocery partner Peapod to serve up to 40 percent more shoppers.
"We're seeing double digit growth in online ordering and grocery delivery," continued Bertram.
"We are rededicating ourselves to the Lancaster market, and we want this cutting-edge facility to be unique – something the Northeast neighborhood will be proud of while we meet this demand. We're excited because the e-commerce hub will allow us to increase capacity quickly."
This will be the fifth such facility GIANT has opened in Pennsylvania with Peapod.
"Grocery shopping is changing and the pace is accelerating; as a customer-centric company, innovation is the cornerstone of our go-to business strategy," added Bertram.
"Our e-commerce hub will drive growth while helping our customers to shop how they want, when they want, and most importantly, where they want."
The first phase of GIANT'S investment is now complete and included extensive remodels at the following four locations:
1605 Lititz Pike, Lancaster, PA
1360 Columbia Ave., Lancaster, PA
550 Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA
1008 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA. ■
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