Giant Eagle Express, Giant Eagle Inc.'s newest store concept designed to fill a retail gap while blocking the rush of pharmacy and convenience store competitors, opens today.
The first Express is located at 2661 Freeport Road, Harmar, near the intersection with Route 910 and adjacent to the site of a demolished Giant Eagle.
Called a "neighborhood grocery store" by the O'Hara-based company, Express will offer convenience store GetGo's gasoline pumps and products, coupled with the traditional Eagle's photo development, DVD rental kiosk, fresh meats and vegetables, deli, bakery and prepared foods, plus a drive-through pharmacy. All is contained in 14,000 square feet of space.
Today's typical Giant Eagle is between 80,000 square feet and 90,000 square feet, while GetGo stores range between 1,700 square feet and 4,500 square feet.
"Giant Eagle Express is the contemporary neighborhood grocery store that provides fresh, convenient and affordable groceries and meal solutions to customers with on-the-go lifestyles," said Brett Merrell, Giant Eagle's marketing vice president, in a statement.
While located between the typical Giant Eagle and Get-Go in size, Express will offer the low prices its bigger brother is known for, company spokesman Dick Roberts said. Express will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Grocery industry consultants said Express made sense, that its heavy focus on fresh items is reminiscent of the plans announced by Britain's largest grocer, Tesco, that begins its assault on America this year, beginning in California.
"It's a brilliant, strategic initiative by Giant Eagle," said Burt Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group in New York. "It's a great roadblock, to the deep discounters like Wal-Mart and Target, to pharmacies like Rite-Aid, Walgreen and CVS, and to other supermarkets. It also pre-empts Sheetz from doing this."
"People are aware there is a place between the evolving supermarket and the evolving conveniences store," said Willard Bishop, a Barrington, Ill.-based industry consultant. "Our lifestyle is driving us toward more fresh food and more prepared foods."
