Giant opens 38,000 SF e-commerce hub in Lancaster, PA

Giant held a grand opening earlier this week for its 38,000 square foot Giant Direct hub, built on the site of a closed Giant supermarket in Lancaster, PA. The facility serves as a curbside pickup site and grocery delivery center. It's the fifth site of its kind for Giant.

According to the company, customers can drive up and have their orders - which are made through the Peapod online service and app, or the Giant website - brought to their cars. There is also a walk-up vestibule with lockers for placing and picking up online grocery orders. Items are taken from rows of bar coded shelves, and refrigerated and frozen cases in the warehouse.

Giant to close to Lancaster County stores

Giant Food Stores announced it would close two stores in Lancaster County, PA on May 18. The stores are located on Reservoir Street in Lancaster and Fruitville Pike in Manheim.

According to a story in Pennlive.com, the Lancaster store is 37 years old, and the Manheim location was acquired 10 years ago.

Wegmans coming to Lancaster, PA

Wegmans announced yesterday that it plans to open a new store in Lancaster, PA in 2018. The 120,000 square foot store is slated to anchor The Crossings at Conestoga Creek, a proposed mixed-use development on Harrisburg Pike, just east of the Route 30 interchange in Manheim Township. High Real Estate Group is the developer.

Lancaster residents have been asking for a Wegmans for quite some time, according to a company official, as they have to travel 35 miles for the nearest store.

High Real Estate Group's Steve Evans said his company first began talking with Wegmans in 2006, and since then has had 42 iterations of The Crossing's site plan. The current plan calls for a pedestrian-friendly, open-air development in a Main Street setting.

Is Giant planning to compete with Wawa?

Giant Food Stores plans to open its second Giant To Go convenience store in the Lancaster area. The store will be 4,000 square feet and will have three main areas: Meals to Go, Groceries to Go, and Snacks to Go. According to Supermarket News, the store will offer rotisserie and fried chicken, a salad bar, submarine sandwiches (customizable via a toppings bar), coffee, espresso and cappuccino, as well as sushi, breakfast items and soup.

Since Giant sells gasoline at many supermarket locations, I wonder if that's the logical next step for Giant To Go locations.