Podcast: Giant’s Matt Simon sees new Choice Pass program as springboard

The Giant Company aims to build a more engaged and loyal base of omnichannel shoppers with the recent launch of its Choice Pass online membership program.

Matt Simon, chief marketing officer at Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant, said Choice Pass makes it easier for Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct e-commerce customers to place online orders for pickup or delivery. For a $98 annually or $12.95 monthly, subscribers can order as often as they like and never pay a fee for each delivery or pickup transaction.

“Subscription is so important,” Simon said in an SN Off the Shelf podcast. “We had Peadpod Pass — “PodPass” — in the past. That was kind of our entry into it. But with the fast growth in e-commerce in 2020, which is one of the critical priorities for our company, subscription has been such a big thing we’re looking forward to, and how to take advantage of opportunities to drive engagement and more loyalty.”

About a third of the Giant/Martin’s customer base are digital shoppers, and over 90% of the retailer’s market areas have access to its online grocery pickup and delivery services, according to Simon. Choice Pass pays for itself via two deliveries monthly or one pickup weekly, he said, and costs less than the previous PodPass membership, which had a $119 annual fee.

“Choice Pass is really the underpinning of what subscription will be for us in the future,” he said. “Unlimited free pickup or delivery for less than $100 a year allows customers to save over $20 a year, and it’s really just another way for us to bring convenience and simplified shopping to our families and customers who are loyal to us year-round.”

Down the road, Choice Pass — working in tandem with Giant’s Choice Rewards loyalty program, which sports a similar logo — could serve up more incentives for omnichannel customers. That might include perks such as fuel points, special savings and/or exclusive deals for subscribers, according to Simon.

“It’s an exciting entry into subscription, with a lot more to come in the future,” he said.

Part of Ahold Delhaize USA, The Giant Company operates almost 190 stores under the Giant, Martin’s and Giant Heirloom Market banners in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Its Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct e-commerce operations include more than 145 online pickup hubs as well as grocery delivery in hundreds of ZIP codes.

Supermarket News · Podcast: Giant’s Matt Simon sees new Choice Pass program as springboard