Giant to Acquire Ferguson & Hassler Store

Giant Food Stores has entered into an agreement with Ferguson & Hassler to acquire its Quarryville, Pa., store, which will reopen under the Giant brand following a quick refurbishing.

Family-owned Ferguson & Hassler has operated for more than 100 years in Lancaster County, Pa. The 65,000-square-foot Quarryville location, known as Fergie’s, was its only store and had operated since 1988. The store is scheduled to close June 19 and will reopen approximately a week later as Giant following a remodel and the installation of an on-site fuel station.

The acquisition marks Giant’s second buyout of a Lancaster County independent in the past year. In September, the Ahold Delhaize unit purchased Darrenkamp’s Willow Valley store in Lancaster. Darrenkamp’s three other units closed.

In a message to customers posted to Ferguson & Hassler’s Facebook page, Chip Hassler said the company approached Giant about acquiring the store.

“The existing economics in the grocery industry no longer support the operation of a family-owned, independent supermarket such as ours,” the note said.

“We have tried numerous avenues to be successful over the years with the single exception of opening our doors on Sunday,” Hassler added. “It has become clear that only way to provide better value to our customers and better opportunities for our employees is to have a larger operator here.”

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Ferguson & Hassler employs about 175 workers. Giant said they would have the opportunity to interview with Giant.

“We were thrilled when the Hassler family contacted us about their beautiful store,” Nicholas Bertram, president, of Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant, said in a statement. “We recognize the important role this store plays in the Quarryville community, and we can’t wait to begin serving the loyal customers of Ferguson & Hassler’s and introduce them to the very best of the Giant brand, which many customers throughout Lancaster County have enjoyed for more than 20 years.”

Giant operates nine stores in Lancaster County, employing more than 1,400 associates.

The Ferguson & Hassler’s announcement follows a series of strategic investments that the company has recently made to its store fleet, including the opening of the first Giant Heirloom Market in Philadelphia, where three additional locations are planned; the grand opening of its new Giant Direct e-commerce hub in Lancaster; the opening of five new Martin’s Food Markets in April following the company’s acquisition of five Shop ‘n Save locations; a new store in Walnutport, Pa., that opened earlier this month, and a new store set to open in East Stroudsburg, Pa., later this year.