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New Bathwater, Same Baby

Technology at the new Giant Super Food Store prototype in Camp Hill, PA, which we had a chance to visit this month, is remarkable in two ways.

First off, it's impressive because of the services it provides to shoppers. Grab an EasyShop hand-held device at the entrance and you can scan products as you shop, then zip through self-checkout in seconds. Or, use the kiosks stationed throughout the aisles to find products, print coupons, scan prices or order items from the deli, bakery or even the pharmacy.

But just as impressive as what the technology can do is what it doesn't do, and that's get in the way of shoppers who don't want to use it. Those interested in a traditional supermarket experience can have that as well. Simply stand in line at the deli -- at least until your curiosity about the nearby kiosk wins out. A perfect illustration of the store's ability to mix old and new concepts is found in the back aisle, where a digital product directory is designed to look like an old-fashioned, static sign.

But the most impressive thing about the Camp Hill concept, and the one that most sets it apart from other recent supermarket redesigns, is the way it still treats the center store as the center of the store. While Giant has made innovative enhancements to perimeter departments and added a variety of traffic-driving services (cooking school, daycare center, community meeting area, WiFi-enabled lounge), it is paying just as much attention to the packaged-goods departments -- which other supermarket chains seemingly are conceding to the discount channels.

Departments such as health foods, baby care, pets, books and magazines, cooking aids, greeting cards -- heck, even the laundry aisle -- are designed as destinations that enhance the shopping experience and assist purchase decisions. And while there is a decided slant toward the chain's own products (two departments have been branded with private-label names), there are still opportunities for national brands to gain exposure. The temporary shipper has not been banished.

"We are a company that remembers what made us successful: EDLP and strong center store offerings," Giant chief executive Tony Schiano recently told Progressive Grocer. That's a message he'll probably convey tomorrow, when he kicks off the Institute's annual In-Store Marketing Summit in Oak Brook, IL. (We'll spotlight his talk next month.)

Giant Food, you see, isn't throwing the baby out with the bathwater. But it has given that baby a nice new bathtub in which to sit.

Peter Breen
Managing Director, Content
In-Store Marketing Institute



Published: April 2006

Source: In-Store Marketing Institute

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