Giant opens six stores in four states

Giant Food Stores announced last month that it opened six new stores in four states. Five of the stores were Shop n' Save stores that Giant converted to Martin's Food Markets, and one was a newly constructed Giant to replace a closed store nearby.

Giant acquired the Shop n' Save locations from Supervalu last November and received approval to close the deal from the FTC in February. The stores are in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (2). The Giant location is in Warrington, PA.

Giant, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize USA, now operates 178 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

The company recently opened its first Giant Heirloom Market in Philadelphia, and has plans to open three more of the urban-format grocery stores in Philadelphia this year.

Instacart raises money to fuel expansion, add employees

Instacart announced last month that it received $350 million in financing from Coatue Management, a technology-focused hedge fund, and noted that it has raised more than $1 billion since 2012, with most of it still in the bank.

According to the company, the additional funding will be used to double its employee count, fuel expansion, and invest in new products and services.

Instacart is now used by North America's eight largest grocery retailers - Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, H-E-B, Loblaw and Sam's Clubs, not to mention regional grocers like Wegmans.

Giant expands Peapod service in PA

Giant announced last week that Peapod's shopping and delivery services have become available to customers in a dozen new Pennsylvania zip codes, including stores in Reading, Birdsboro and Temple. The company says that 109 of the 170 stores under the Giant and Martin's banners are now within the geography of Peapod's delivery range.

Through the Peapod website or mobile app, customers can have groceries delivered as soon as the next day after the order has been placed. First-time customers get $20 off their first order and 60 days free delivery.

Giant, Martin's and Peapod are subsidiaries of Ahold Delhaize USA.

Giant adding stores and fuel stations in PA

Ahold Delhaize USA announced last month that Giant will undertake a $70 million capital spending plan that includes six new supermarkets, major remodels to two stores, and five new fuel stations in the next two years. 

New stores are planned for East Stroudsburg and Walnutport, and new stores will replace older locations in Feasterville-Trevose, State College, Warrington and Broomall.

The stores being remodeled are in West Chester and Shrewsbury.

The company also said it would continue to invest in its Beer & Wine Eateries, of which Giant currently has 59. Overall, the grocery retailer has 171 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Ahold suspends Bfresh small format concept

Published reports last month stated that Ahold Delhaize, the parent company for Giant, Food Lion and Stop & Shop, is suspending its small-format Bfresh brand and will not open Bfresh stores in Philadelphia, as previously announced. The company still plans to make use of the spaces it has leased, though.

In addition, Ahold's 3,700 SF Everything Fresh grocery store on Walnut Street in Center City has closed.

Last year the company announced that it would open Bfresh stores at Second and South Streets, Bainbridge Street and University City.

Kroger - Ahold merger rumors have started

Last week the Cincinnati Business Courier reported that an analyst report out of Europe speculated that Kroger was pursuing a merger with Ahold Delhaize (Giant, Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Peapod, among others). On Wednesday of last week, Supermarket News reported that it was not able to verify the substance of the claim.

Analysts have talked about such a merger before, suggesting that the two powerful food retailers could gain additional scale and more effectively fight competitors like Walmart, Aldi and Amazon-Whole Foods. A merger would also provide Kroger with access to Peapod and its e-commerce platform.

As reported in Supermarket News, Ahold and Kroger have similar operating strategies in the U.S., both have invested in lower prices and have developed distinct private brands. Although the two companies compete in the Southeast, Ahold's Northeast store base would compliment Kroger's existing footprint.