Last updated on January 5th, 2022 at 06:11 pm
Whether in-store or delivery, goal is to offer same satisfying experience
While e-commerce has been increasing at The GIANT Co. since 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the business exponentially. Evolving to a true omnichannel grocer is a priority as the company looks to the future.
“We’re designing operations for the way families live now,” said Daren Russ, director of e-commerce operations. “It’s no secret that for most folks, grocery shopping is not on the top of the list of things they want to do on any given day.
“The ability for customers to order through an app at their convenience and simply pick up at the store or have delivered has been a foundational shift in how customers experience grocery stores. It comes down to convenience taken to the next level.”
For The GIANT Co., providing shoppers with a seamless omnichannel experience is the fundamental objective.
“Regardless of how the customer is interacting with us, whether in-store, with pickup or delivery, they should be getting the same experience,” Russ said.
He added that he’s proud of his team’s ability to step up service during the pandemic.
“We were there for our customers. We kept our e-commerce and pick-up sites running throughout the pandemic, and customers appreciated it,” he said.
That ability to show up for customers ultimately drove e-commerce growth significantly.
The GIANT Co. will continue to show up for customers in new and improved ways with faster fulfillment. A new partnership with Instacart allows customers to receive deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes.
The company’s new, ultramodern 124,000-square-foot GIANT Direct E-commerce Fulfillment Center in Philadelphia, which opened Nov. 8, provides more capacity, faster order fulfillment and room to serve more customers in Philadelphia – and for the first time GIANT Co.’s 98-year-history – in southern New Jersey.
“The new facility leverages automation technology and robots for more efficient product selection,” Russ said. “We’re constantly looking at ways to innovate and evolve within that space.”
The delivery of hot foods is an area the company plans to evolve going forward.
