Supermarket Perimeter - May 2024 - 10

Giant Eagle's recipe
for instore success
Value
Value and family-sized packages of baked
goods and smaller and individual desserts
are increasingly popular with customers
at Giant Eagle stores, said Jannah
Jablonowski, public relations manager
Specialty offerings that are available on a
seasonal basis are another leading bakery
trend for the retailer.
Convenience
On the deli side, high-quality, convenient
meal, snack, and entertaining solutions
continue to be a priority for Giant Eagle,
Jablonowski said.
The retailer also expects proteinfocused
snacking options and prepared
entertainment platters, including
specialty cheese, charcuterie, and grazing
boards, to continue to be popular.
Cross-marketing
In both ISB and instore deli, Giant Eagle
relies heavily on cross-merchandising to
support various promotions, events, and
holidays, Jablonowski said.
" There's also an opportunity to leverage
pop culture moments, local sporting
events, and national food holidays to
bring awareness and interest to bakery
and deli, " she added.
For example, the Giant Eagle bakery
recently created a solar eclipse-themed
assortment in response to the huge local
interest in the astronomical event.
Deli meat
Total deli meat
Grab & go
Pre-sliced
Service
10 - MAY 2024
February 2024
$ sales
$665M
$194M
$115M
$356M
Source: Circana, Total US, MULO+, Integrated Fresh % growth versus year ago
supermarketperimeter.com
French fries and a milkshake, it costs 10 bucks and you say 'Wow.' Consumers are
shocked by pricing. "
The numbers of consumers looking for hybrid and other meal solutions from their
local grocery fresh departments are some of the highest FMI has seen, Stein said.
While most consumers agree that deli-prepared foods rival restaurant food in quality
and taste, many don't even think about retail foodservice as an option when it's time to
decide what's for dinner, said Anne-Marie Roerink, principal of 210 Analytics.
" That means the first win has to be awareness to win the trip, " she said. " From there,
it's about freshness, quality, etc. "
When shoppers are in the store, the price of deli prepared is less important than
when they're buying individual items to cook themselves, she added.
" In deli, we see the focus being more on that restaurant food comparison.
Convenience combined with cost results in 'deli math,' which allows for a little more
room on price. "
Deli-prepared meat and poultry, in particular, has had a very good year as a
convenient center-of-plate option to mix and match with home-prepared items,
Roerink said.
Grocery can still learn a lot from foodservice, though, by optimizing delivery and
pick-up business.
That includes the full continuum from grab-and-go to heat-and-eat to ready-to-eat,
with a variety of portion sizes as well, Roerink said.
" Portion size variety, especially in grab-and-go, has emerged as a winner, as it helps
consumers navigate different price points, prevent food waste, and in the case of
something indulgent, also address health. "
Deli meat had a tough 2023 and pound declines continued in February 2024.
Grab-and-go sales were flat, while pounds at the service counter decreased by 4.7%.
$ vs. YA
-4.6%
-2.7%
-2.7%
-6.3%
Lbs vs. YA
-3.0% Total deli meat
+0.5% Grab & go
-3.0% Pre-sliced
-4.7% Service
Latest 52 weeks ending 2/25/2024
$ sales
$9.1B
$2.6B
$1.6M
$4.9B
$ vs. YA
-1.2%
+1.7%
+0.3%
-3.2%
Lbs vs. YA
-3.6%
-1.4%
+0.8%
-6.0%
Giant Eagle
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - May 2024
