LAS VEGAS -- The Video Software Dealers Association, Encino, Calif., honored Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, with a Retailer of the Year Award in the Grocer/Mass Merchant category during its Home Entertainment 2005 convention late last month.
"VSDA has recognized what Giant Eagle has done over the years in terms of our participation in the association, what we've done with rental over the years and what we are currently doing with sell-through in our stores," said Chuck Porter, director of the chain's Iggle Entertainment and Video operation.
"We're moving more strongly toward sell-through while maintaining rental," he noted. "The industry is changing a lot right now and there's a large opportunity for the supermarket industry to take advantage of the sell-through that is out there. We are putting sell-through into the body of our store, not only in a separate department, so the customers are able to come in and basically buy any type of DVD that they want from us."
Giant Eagle has rental departments of 1,500 to 4,500 square feet in 105 stores, and sell-through in all of its 220 stores -- 140 are corporately owned. Porter is on VSDA's board of directors and a member of its recently formed Grocers' Council.
"Giant Eagle is a terrific company, and I'm impressed with how they have stayed with a mix of rental and sell-through product," said Bo Andersen, VSDA's president.
"I've known Chuck Porter and Giant Eagle's operation for close to 20 years, and have admired their aggressive, long-term approach to the video rental business and their foresight in transitioning to a combination of rental and aggressive sell-through," said Mark Fisher, vice president, membership and strategic initiatives, VSDA. "They've always been leaders amongst grocers in the video business."
