Location: 1055 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, PA
As mentioned in the Feasterville Acme post, this former Genuardi's is one of two locations that Giant acquired back in the 2010. The store was closed for several months as changes were made to the interior. Aside from the signage change, the exterior was left untouched. The grand re-opening was on March 16, 2011. Measuring 55,000 square feet, this location is much smaller than the typical stores Giant currently builds and operates. Surprisingly this location does not have a Pharmacy department.
What the store does have is Giant's latest decor package which may still be in it's testing phase. I believe just a few stores have this decor at this point and that the previous decor package is still being used for new stores. It is interesting to see Giant shed it's signature cartoony look for a much classier, streamlined decor. Here's a quick refresher of Giants standard decor from the Limerick store...
These department logos are also used on the website creating a consistent branding throughout the chain. One of the few grocery store chains to do so. Acme currently has seven different decor packages in wide use with 3 or 4 additional packages used in just a few stores each.
Back to the new look...
Definitely some similar aspects to the Premium Fresh and Healthy decor package over at the Acme.
Big change here... the Corner Bakery now located on the Produce side of the store. Nearly all Giants have the Bakery in the opposite, front corner of the store.
Aisle 1 where we can see the Produce lettering on the other side.
This is the only Giant I have ever been in... and I've been in tons of them... that doesn't have light boxes mounted along the aisles. Notice too that Genuardi's green ceiling and tile floor has not been changed.
Huge frozen food department. Seems like the could have fit a pharmacy in this corner if they had swapped out the coffin cases for upright cases. The front end just to the right was kinda dead space anyway if I remember correctly.
The signature Giant checkout signs not used here. See Limerick.
Just a stone's throw away from the Acme. It's smaller size and lack of a pharmacy will certainly pose less competition to the Acme than if Giant had built a store from the ground up.
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Ahold also rolled out this decor package to a Stop & Shop in Chelmsford, MA as an attempt for a new type of store.
ReplyDeleteThe Chelmsford location has things that seem to be inspired by the huge Giant-Carlisle stores including a child-care center, a nutritionist, and curbside pickup (which I don't think any of the Ahold stores have done).
that's a really pretty store, it would make a good acme not much would have to change in my opinion layout wise
ReplyDeleteLooks almost the same remodel as the Genuardi's they took over in Warrington (although the bakery is not on the produce-side). Many Genuardi's have/had large frozen departments like seen here. There is an empty former PNC Bank space up front of the Warrington store that Giant didn't do anything with either except for extra merchandise.
ReplyDeleteStrangely, the Warrington store did have a pharmacy as a Genuardi's, but Giant took it out. Giant doesn't really seem to make the pharmacy a priority...only including them in the largest of their stores. I have a feeling they will not include them either in the locations they are soon acquiring. (Jamison for example...a nice, but small store had one added under Safeway's ownership, but a Walgreens later opened in the parking lot and a CVS is on the way as well).
(One Giant in Warminster that dates back from the late 80's and one of the first in the area doesn't have one either, despite being remodeled and expanded several times). There used to be an Eckerd next to it, but it's been gone since the early 2000's, around when Feasterville closed. This space is now a Wine & Spirits (here you go Ringo! not connected to Giant). But Giant never added a Pharmacy to this store.
Forget to add the store featured here opened in the mid-90's...maybe around 1996 or so as Genuardi's. (On the site of an "Eric" movie theater). There used to be another grocery store at one time I believe, in the center. (The space that is now OfficeMax and a Channel Hardware before that).
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a Food Fair/Pantry Pride before Channel.
DeleteAll of the Martin's stores that Ahold has in Richmond, VA area have the same look and they have been open since 2010 they bought the Family Owned Ukrop's Chain
ReplyDeleteGreat post :) The giant in philly in grant ave uses a similar decor package, and that opened in july '11.
ReplyDeleteOne of the Giants locally also has that newer decor package (opened April 2011). Only thing different is the large department lettering looks more like the Acme featured right above this article and since it was built from the ground-up, they made heavy use of skylights.
ReplyDeleteOh, and that store has no pharmacy either.
Giant can afford to wound ACME, assess their prospects in the area, and build a new store later.
ReplyDeleteBefore the Genuardi's building there was an Eric Cinema 4 on this lot. They tore down the Eric theater to build the supermarket.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/33095.html
Also on this lot was The Mad Grocer, a discount food store owned and operated by Genuardi's. They tore the Mad Grocer down with the Eric theatre. The store was located next to the current karate place, and is now part of the Giant parking lot. I worked in produce there for 6 years.
ReplyDeleteThe Mad Grocer first opened there as a Jewel T store that Save-a-lot didn't acquired when American Stores acquired The Jewel Companies
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, it was a Jewel T before Mad Grocer. And before that, it was a Kresge's, which re-located up Street Road and became K-Mart. Still open to this day.
DeleteEarlier I was in the Giant of Exton, PA (not to be confused with Lionville, whose mailing address is Exton) and they had just begun to remodel it. It looks kinda like this store.
ReplyDeleteThey remodeled the Giant in Bensalem, PA.
DeleteBefore the remodel. Bensalem Giant had a Cream and Green paint scheme paired with the cartoon decor. The Giant checkout markers in there were Green instead of the standard red.