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Giant Eagle spreads its wings: Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle''s expanded meat offerings are critical to the chain''s added-value market position.

Article Excerpt
Time-starved customers and the advancement of price-oriented mass merchandisers combine to create a climate fraught with perils for the traditional supermarket chain. With an eye on growth, Giant Eagle is feathering its nest with innovative ways to serve consumers. As part of its added-value market position, the chain is expanding its meat and meat-related service offerings in departments including meat, frozen foods, dell, and prepared foods.

With $4.4 billion in 2002 sales, the Pittsburgh-based chain of 213 multi-format stores--124 corporate-owned and 89 independently-owned--is steadily spreading its wings into new markets. Giant Eagle's core markets include western Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio, with recent moves into Ohio's Columbus and Toledo markets. The chain also has a presence in western Maryland and northern West Virginia.

"The meat department plays a significant role in the overall Giant Eagle strategy to create a shopping experience different than at a traditional store by offering products that are really high quality, in a variety you wouldn't typically find at other stores, with excellent service. We're staffed with knowledgeable team members who are there to help customers make the right purchase decision and to help with preparation directions, which is a little different than what you find at your typical meat retailer," explains Ed Steinmetz, Giant Eagle's vice president of meat and seafood merchandising. "The emphasis we have on meat helps us to really step ahead of the crowd by focusing on quality, variety, and service, which is more difficult to achieve in the center of the store."

"The meat department is a core component of Giant Eagle's custom, one-stop shopping model, which evolved more than a decade ago to include video departments, pharmacies, banking, and other services to address fast-paced consumer lifestyles, notes Robert Borella, Giant Eagle's director of corporate communications. "The meat department offers Giant Eagle an opportunity to interact with the customer on a one to-one basis, a point of difference from some of the...

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