The Giant Company drops online grocery pickup fee

The Giant Company is giving customers more incentive to use online grocery pickup.

For its Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct e-grocery services, Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant said Thursday that it has eliminated the order minimum and the fee for click-and-collect service. Previously, the grocer had required at least a $35 order and charged a $2.95 fee for order pickup.

“With today’s customers having more choices than ever before, it’s critical that we continue taking steps to differentiate our online shopping experience,” Matt Simon, vice president of brand experience at The Giant Company, said in a statement. “Not only do these enhancements accelerate our omnichannel strategy, but they also provide our Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct customers with greater convenience and value, uniquely positioning The Giant Company as the online grocer of choice.”

Giant said its latest online enhancements differentiate its omnichannel experience in the marketplace.

The pickup service change marks the latest enhancement to Giant’s online offering. In late January, the retailer launched Ship2Me, a direct-to-consumer digital marketplace offering an expanded product assortment beyond traditional groceries. An “endless aisles” service, Ship2Me gives Giant and Martin’s customers a wider range of goods available to order online, including such categories as health and beauty care, home and office, pet supplies, kitchen essentials, and snacks and candy. Products ordered via Ship2Me by Giant and Ship2Me by Martin’s ship directly to customers from the seller.

Related:Giant/Martin’s kicks off ‘endless aisle’ service

Also, in September, Giant tapped online partner Instacart to add 30-minute Instant Delivery for convenience products, fresh groceries and household essentials from Giant and Martin’s supermarkets. Available from early morning to late at night, the rapid delivery service offers about 20,000 items — from prepared foods, snacks and beverages to “last-minute” items like paper goods, household cleaners and baby care products — and carries a $10 order minimum and $2.99 delivery fee.  

Giant, too, has bolstered its e-commerce infrastructure. In November, the company went live with the Swisslog-automated Giant Direct E-commerce Fulfillment Center (EFC) in Philadelphia. The 124,000-square-foot facility serves customers in the Center City and South Philadelphia neighborhoods and can provide service to southern New Jersey communities, where Giant currently has no physical stores. The Philadelphia EFC stocks over 22,000 products and can fill up to 15,000 home delivery orders weekly.

Related:The Giant Company launches Instant Delivery

The Giant Company launched the Giant Direct brand in February 2019 when it debuted its first e-commerce hub in Lancaster, Pa. 

Part of Ahold Delhaize USA, The Giant Company operates about 190 grocery stores, 132 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations and more than 175 online grocery pickup sites, and provides grocery delivery service to hundreds of ZIP codes, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey.