Giant Unveils Natural Section Prototype

Want to experience the future of natural/organic merchandising, as envisioned by Ahold USA? Then stroll down through Nature’s Promise section at the new Giant of Landover store in Perry Hall, Md. 

The 56,000-square-foot store sports several new features, including the segregated wellness aisle that runs adjacent to the produce department. What differentiates the section from past efforts? Both appearance and selection, according to Jamie Miller, Giant spokesman.

“In addition to new signage within the aisle, we’ve also incorporated refrigerated cases and frozen doors for natural, organic, and gluten-free products,” he told us in an email.

The aisle format is a “new feature,” according to officials,  one of the many that will serve as a prototype for all new Giant locations. Besides, new flooring and a brand new décor package, customers will now be able to find just about every wellness item in this consolidated section, including gluten-free offerings.

Most Ahold stores have moved to dedicated natural departments, but this updated look will allow the retailer to merchandise more products. The inclusion of frozen and refrigerated doors removes one of the biggest barriers to creating more comprehensive store-in-store sets.

The Nature’s Promise name is Ahold’s own, introduced in 2004 with 200 grocery and dairy items, of which 60% were organic. Today there are more than 500 products in just about every food category.

The new Giant store is located at 8905 Belair Road in Perry Hall, Md., just north of Baltimore.