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Ahold Delhaize USA
-
Headquarters
Ahold, Provincialeweg 11, 1506 MA Zaandam, NL
Total U.S. Sales
$58.98 billion in fiscal 2023 (ended Jan. 1, 2024)
Total U.S. Stores
2,048 stores in 18 states and Washington, D.C., under five banners (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
Shopper Count
63 million weekly shoppers worldwide, both in stores and online
Key Facts
- Acquired a majority stake in New York-based online grocer FreshDirect. In November 2023, Ahold Delhaize USA announced it was selling FreshDirect to Getir, an ultrafast grocery delivery company. The divestiture was completed Dec. 6, 2023.
- Operates 1,564 U.S. pickup points (15 added in 2023).
- 69% of net sales are generated by loyalty card members.
- Giant Food Stores (i.e. Giant/Martin's and Giant Heirloom Market) officially changed its name to The Giant Co. and refreshed its logos in 2020.
- In 2024, Ahold ceased operating its Peapod Digital Labs and Retail Business Services units and merged their functions into one group under the Ahold Delhaize USA brand.
- Ranked No. 1 in the U.S. on the 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.
- Newsweek names Food Lion, Giant Food and Stop & Shop among 2023's Best Loyalty Programs.
Key Executives
Ahold Delhaize
- President and CEO: Frans Muller
- Chief Legal Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer: Jan Ernst de Groot (retiring May 31, 2024)
- Chief Sustainability Officer and member of the Executive Committee: Alex Holt (effective June 1, 2024)
- Chief Legal Officer and General Council: Linn Evans
- Chief Financial Officer: Jolanda Poots-Bijl
Ahold Delhaize USA
- CEO: J.J. Fleeman
- EVP, CFO: Greg Amoroso
- Chief Sustainability Officer: Marc Stolzman
- Chief Commercial Officer: Roger Wheeler
- Chief Legal Officer: Kim Lyda
- EVP, Supply Chain, Transportation & Manufacturing: Sanja Krajnovic
- VP, Assortment: Ben Theriault
- VP, Government and Regulatory Affairs: Teross Young
- VP, Finance & Strategy: Matt Nereim
- VP, Pharmacy Services: John McGrath
- VP, Financial Planning and Analysis: Teresa K. White
- EVP, Digital and eCommerce Officer: Keith Nicks
- SVP, Private Brands & Sourcing: Ian Prisuta
- VP, Commercial Strategy: Natalie Dupill
Stop & Shop
- President: Gordon Reid
- SVP, Finance and CFO: Mary Lynn Phillips
- SVP, Division Lead: Bob Yager
- SVP, Fresh Merchandising and Procurement: Peter Poutre
- SVP, Category Management: Jeff Dichele
- EVP, Operations: Dean Wilkinson
Giant Food
- President: Ira Kress
- SVP, Operations: Diane Hicks
- Chief Merchant: Tonya Herring
- Ecommerce Merchandising Manager III: Kate Clarke
The Giant Company (Giant, Martin's & Giant Heirloom Market)
- President: John Ruane
- CFO: Rebecca Lupfer
- SVP, Operations, Customer Experience and Perishable Distribution: Dave Lessard
- SVP, Customer Experience: Glennis Harris
- VP, Omnichannel Operations: Daren Russ
- VP, Omnichannel, Fresh Merchandising: Brian Lorenz
- VP, Marketing: John MacDonald
- VP, Fresh: David Lessard
- VP, Divisional Vice President: Tim Santoro
- VP, Center Store Omnichannel Merchandising: Joanna Crishock
- VP, Mid-Atlantic Division: Kathy Sweigert
Food Lion
- President: Meg Ham
- EVP, of Retail Operations: Greg Finchum
- SVP, Financial Planning & Analysis: Jason Wilson
- SVP, Fresh Category, Merchandising & Pricing: Karen Fernald
- SVP, Chief Marketing Officer: Deborah Sabo
- VP, Category Management: Allen Chickering
- VP, Category Management – Center Store: Mark Latva
Hannaford
- President: Michael Vail
- SVP, Merchandising: Peter Forester
- SVP, Retail Operations and Retail Services: Nicole Devoe Lewis
- VP, Center Store Merchandising and Pricing: Kim Gray
- VP, Finance: Tom Kelly
Financials
- Market Position and Strategy Overview
- Must-Know Terms
- Promotional Strategy
- Merchandising
- Collaborative Alliances
- Displays And Signage
- In-Store Media
- Store Formats/Growth
- Special Departments/Services
- Customer Segments
- Internet Marketing
- Retail Media
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Media
- E-Commerce
- Circulars
- Loyalty Programs
- Private Label
- Cause /Community Programs
- Advertising Strategy
- Solution Providers
- Sponsorships
- Marketing Expenditures
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Stop & Shop, Giant Food, The Giant Co. (Giant, Martin's and Giant Heirloom Market), Hannaford and Food Lion are all owned by Zaandam, The Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, the company formed from the 2016 merger of Belgium-based Delhaize Group and Netherlands-based Royal Ahold. Globally the retailer owns 19 local banners and operates 7,716 stores, excluding its joint venture stores in the U.S.
Ahold Delhaize USA is the third-largest grocer in the U.S., operating 2,048 stores and distribution centers across 18 states and Washington, D.C.
The company also is working to combine the strengths of its various banners through a "Leading Together" strategy, pooling data from its active loyalty cardholders (overall) to better tailor store prices and promotions to individual shoppers, and gathering more data through new loyalty and subscription programs. Meanwhile category merchandising, assortment, pricing, promotions, marketing and formats remain unique to each banner, so they can be tailored to individual markets.
The company’s objectives until 2025 that directly tie into its vision to create a leading local food-shopping experience fall under four umbrella priorities:
- Serve customers through deeper digital relationships.
- Accelerate omnichannel transformation while continuing to be the best local operator.
- Lead the transformation into a healthy and sustainable food system.
- Create one-stop shop for smarter customer journeys.
Ahold Delhaize hopes omnichannel and technology optimization and personalization will help it compete with both regional supermarket chains, including Southeastern Grocers and Publix, along with Whole Foods and other premium players. (In fact, to further focus on omnichannel, Ahold Delhaize sold its FreshDirect business to grocery delivery company Getir.) The Giant Co. competes against Walmart and has also felt pressure to keep prices down in response to the mass merchant's moves.
The retailer emphasizes price, fresh produce, local and sustainable offerings, quality private label products (particularly organic and natural brands), customer service and community engagement as ways to distinguish itself in the crowded market. Health and wellness is also a major focus, with the retailer employing store nutritionists and using a food labeling system to educate shoppers. Its goal is to be the No. 1 or No. 2 supermarket brand in every market where it operates.
Ahold Delhaize's diverse banners allow shoppers to buy where and how they want. The retailer is working to further leverage its ownership of Chicago-based Peapod Digital Labs (which was folded into Ahold Delhaize USA in 2024) by expanding its delivery area to the former Delhaize America regions along with more markets served by Ahold chains. However, Peapod in 2020 ceased all its Midwest (i.e., Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana) e-commerce operations, which accounted for about $97 million of Ahold Delhaize’s $1.1 billion in online revenue in the U.S. Ahold Delhaize USA remains focused on enabling its divisions to deliver omnichannel experiences for shoppers.
Ahold Delhaize also offers more than 1,500 click-and-collect services across U.S. banners. The number rapidly shot up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahold also plans to improve its U.S. supply chain capabilities by moving to a fully integrated, self-distribution model by 2024. The first integrated distribution center of the transformation initiative went live in 2021.
Must-Know Terms
Must-Know Terms
- Retail Business Services: Established by Ahold Delhaize in 2017 to provide central brand support to all its U.S. retail divisions. It is responsible for financial services, procurement, information technology, human resources and legal affairs. In 2024, Retail Business Services and Peapod Digital Labs merged into Ahold Delhaize USA to simplify the U.S. business and make it easier to partner with its companies.
- ADUSA Distribution and ADUSA Transportation: The supply chain operations companies of Ahold Delhaize USA. They provide distribution and transportation services and support the network's journey to a self-distribution model.
- Guiding Stars: A nutrition-labeling program at all Ahold Delhaize USA stores that also serves as the center of several major promotions.
- Food Lion Feeds: The chain runs several programs under the hunger-fighting cause platform each year, with some offering opportunities for account-specific activity.
Thought Starters
- Data is becoming increasingly important to the retailer, which has rolled out new loyalty programs focused on custom offers based on shopping history.
- The retailer is consolidating some of its promotional activity, so consider programs that can play across its diverse banners.
- E-commerce is a growing focus. Ahold Delhaize offers delivery via third-party apps plus click-and-collect services.
- Since the retailer is a leader in sustainable product offerings, consider products and promotions that push its eco-initiative forward.
Promotional Strategy
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Promotional Strategy
Ahold Delhaize USA aims to inspire shoppers to make healthier and more informed choices through its promotional strategy, while at the same time remaining focused on offering value to its shoppers at a low price. Short-term promotions typically focus on chain rewards programs (see Loyalty Programs) as well as BOGO and buy one, get one 50% off deals.
Ongoing Programs
- Bonus Buy Savings: Stop & Shop, Giant Food and the Giant Co.’s platform uses circular features, P-O-P materials and digital markings to identify discounted SKUs from national and private label brands.
- Hot Sale!: Food Lion’s “Hot Sale!” platform highlights the best weekly MVP loyalty member deals via circular features and in-store P-O-P materials.
- 5-Point Freebie: The Giant Co.'s free product deal is available to Giant (or Martin’s) Choice Rewards members every Friday in the retailer’s app or online in exchange for five rewards points.
- Free-Day: The Giant Co. dangles a limited-time digital coupon for one free item (typically a new product from a national brand) in its weekly email blast to shoppers.
- Guiding Stars: The shelf nutritional labeling system launched at Hannaford years ago but now used across all U.S. banners that highlights healthy choices across channels. In 2022, the company expanded the labeling system to all beverages, and the Giant Co. and Giant Food doubled the points earned for all Guiding Stars-rated items.
- HowGood: An attribute rating system that analyzes each ingredient against environmental and social criteria, including farming practices, treatment of animals, labor conditions and chemical use, and rates products.
- More for You: Giant Food introduced a value campaign and expanded it to bulk items in 2022. Ahold Delhaize USA plans to roll out the concept to more stores soon.
The Giant Co.
For The Giant Co.'s 2023 centennial, the company has planned several promotions and activities to celebrate. In addition to pledging to help nonprofits, it's also lauding its community partners, employees and customers. Team members will receive special discounts, and customers will get four weeks of sales, promotions and product launches.
Merchandising
Merchandising Strategy
Ahold Delhaize USA believes that what’s healthy and sustainable should be accessible to all and is working toward this through its “Grounded in Goodness” strategy that focuses on healthier people and a healthier planet. Launched in 2021, the banners are making healthy and sustainable choices more accessible through product assortment, and are reformulating a healthier and more sustainable average shopping basket with less sugar, salt and fats and offering own-brand products that are kinder to both people and planet. The assortments include more vegetables, more sustainably produced meat and products that are produced in a healthy and sustainable way.
The retailer aims to make “better-for-you” products account for more than 55% of its private-label food sales by 2025. In line with that goal is the company’s alliance it formed in 2020 with the Partnership for a Healthier America. Through the collaboration, the retailer plans to disclose publicly the percentage of food sales from healthier products. Specifically, Ahold Delhaize USA will report the percentage of total-store food sales generated from private- and national-brand products earning star ratings in its Guiding Stars program, designed to help customers understand how much nutrition comes from a food product. In 2021, 53.6% of Ahold Delhaize’s total global private-label food sales were from healthy products.
Ahold Delhaize’s banners are also committed to transparent GMO labeling. All store-brand products have a clear on-pack Bioengineered Food disclosure.
In 2021, Ahold Delhaize also announced it would improve the information it was providing about product sourcing, starting with fresh produce and meat. The company said it will expand efforts in sustainably sourced seafood, coffee and tea as well as to be 100% sustainably certified in cocoa, palm oil, pulp and paper products and packaging, along with achieving advancement in animal welfare and human rights. Additionally, all banners merchandise a large selection of local products.
Ahold Delhaize also partnered in 2021 with HowGood, which bills itself as the world’s largest product sustainability database to provide shoppers with a user-friendly environmental and social impact rating system. On a scale of 1 to 3, products receive leaf icons to denote their level of sustainability based on such criteria as farming practices, treatment of animals, labor conditions and chemical use. The Giant Co., Giant Food and Stop & Shop began to offer the HowGood rating system to online customers first.
In line with its sustainability efforts, in 2022 Ahold Delhaize USA said its progress now includes sustainably sourced seafood across each of the U.S. brands’ full assortments of seafood products. In total, more than 3,000 products have been assessed. Ahold Delhaize USA holds the top spot on the Food and Staples Retailing Sector U.S. index of the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.
Peapod Digital Labs (now Ahold Delhaize USA), in 2022, began working with online platform ECRM RangeMe to expand its lineup of diverse suppliers, and would host quarterly virtual events for potential new suppliers, one of which in 2022 was focused on private-label vendors. (See Private Label.)
Ahold Delhaize also is working on optimizing its product selection and space allocation to match local needs. The retailer is using San Francisco-based RangeMe online platform to find small, often female- or minority-owned businesses that can supply SKUs that give stores more of a neighborhood market feel.
Food Lion
By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices, the banner is committed to offering affordable, fresh products.
New and renovated Food Lion stores have a larger selection of local products, craft beer, and natural, gluten-free, plant-based and organic items. They also offer more grab-and-go food options, including pre-sliced deli meats and cheeses, sushi, hot foods bar, and vegetables and fruits cut in store. The banner also stocks locally sourced offerings including craft beers, cheeses and produce.
The Giant Co.
With the continued growth of plant-based food products, The Giant Co.’s new Heirloom Market in Philadelphia houses a large department for these products with a brightly lit “Plant Based” sign. The designated section has an array of frozen items like ice cream, meatless meat, pizzas and enchiladas and is surrounded on both sides by packaged goods, including coconut chips and crunchy chickpeas. As Giant opens new stores and refreshes existing ones, providing more space for plant-based items has become a priority.
The Giant Co. is testing Social Shelf, A3 Mediaco's shelf-tag technology, in its beer and wine departments. Social Shelf lets shoppers scan a shelf tag QR code that take them to a website with short videos that offer more information on the product.
Hannaford
The banner is committed to local farmers and producers and offers a large selection of fresh, local and healthy products. Hannaford has recently been remodeling stores, and changes included an enlarged assortment of fresh, quality grab-and-go meal options and local, organic and gluten-free items plus convenience-focused updates, such as expanded pharmacies and the addition of more self-checkout stations.
Stop & Shop
Newly remodeled Stop & Shop stores include expanded fresh food assortments, more meal options and updated department signage.
In 2022, Stop & Shop is making a $140 million capital investment in its New York stores with a focus on adding thousands of new items from around the globe to ensure assortment at each store reflects the diversity of the neighborhood it serves. For example:
- Stop & Shop’s Bay Plaza store in the Bronx features a new “Global Market” with products from 14 regions tailored to shoppers in the neighborhood and for those looking for unique products for globally inspired cooking. The Global Market will include an array of West Indian and Caribbean products, including items specific to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, plus Halal meat, dairy and grocery items.
- As part of the Maspeth, Queens, remodel, Stop & Shop will expand its Chinese and South American offerings.
- Sheepshead Bay customers will enjoy more Eastern European and Kosher foods.
- Additionally, stores will offer hundreds of items locally made in the New York metro area, including West African fonio chips from New York-based Yolélé and Mike’s Amazing vegetable oils and mayonnaise.
The remodeled New York stores will also showcase value with deal bins and the addition of the Flashfood program, which offers fresh foods at up to 50% off. In 2022, the banner added Flashfood to its first store in Boston. (See Cause Marketing.)
Collaborative Alliances
Collaborative Alliances
The Giant Co. works to improve its local credentials by partnering with major brands to activate their sponsorships of regional sports teams. For instance, the chain worked with Keurig Dr Pepper's Snapple in 2018 on a sweepstakes awarding a trip to see the Baltimore Orioles play in Texas.
Food Lion encourages activating sports sponsorships of national teams. In 2020, just before the pandemic hit the U.S., PepsiCo/Frito-Lay’s Mountain Dew introduced a mobile game exclusively at Food Lion stores while activating its sponsorship of the National Basketball Association’s 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend. Most of Food Lion's shopper marketing programs are closely tied to the corporate calendar. The chains strongly prefer scale events to those driven by a single manufacturer.
All Ahold Delhaize USA banners also seek collaborations with local suppliers in key growth categories, such as craft beer. Food Lion, for example, works with New Sarum Brewing, which is located in the chain's hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina, to produce limited-release beer or exclusive beer offerings from time to time, including an IPA called “Red, White and Blueberry” that rolled out summer 2020.
The company's Retail Business Services maintains an online hub for suppliers on retailbusinessservices.com/vendors where it offers supplier diversity guidelines and contact information, among other information.
Displays And Signage
Displays & Signage
Ahold Delhaize USA stores accept a wide variety of displays from national brands, though each banner has its own preferences and unique elements.
Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop regularly uses stanchion signs and standees to tout its own campaigns and services along with private label products. Floorstands and quarter-pallets are common in aisles and the lobby and front of store is home to seasonal spectaculars. Seasonal campaigns also are supported with in-line headers. Some floorstands are used to cross-merchandise national brands within a category such as OTC products.
Savings Stations
Stop & Shop is testing Savings Stations — in-store kiosks at several Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York stores — that are aimed at customers who can't readily access digital coupons. The kiosks let them activate and load digital coupons to their Go Rewards loyalty card after they enter their phone number or scan their loyalty card. Customers can also print offers, recipes and activity sheets to entertain children during shopping trips as well as activate offers with a scannable QR code if they don't want printouts. Customers can also sign up for the Go Rewards program and receive offers on the spot.
EntryPoint Communications is supplying the kiosks for Stop & Shop as well as Food Lion.
Giant/Martin's
Seasonal spectaculars spill out of the lobby and also take up space near the front of the store and around the perimeter. National floorstands are often found at the ends of aisles.
Giant Food
Giant Food partners with New York-based HowGood on a labeling system that identifies sustainable food products at shelf with "Good," "Great" or "Best" ratings based on ingredient sourcing and labor practices. Employees are trained to answer questions about the program. The effort has been supported with in-store events and signage at the front of stores and at the shelf.
National floorstands receive plenty of space both in aisles and perimeter departments. The perimeter also houses spectaculars, pallet trains and refrigerated racks stocking prepared foods. Brand-supplied coolers are placed alongside the retailer's permanent refrigerated units. Seasonal sections have plenty of space in aisles for numerous freestanding displays. Major brands, including Mondelez International's Nabisco earn permanent endcaps with signage that changes seasonally to tout incentives. A-boards positioned outside stores tout private label products.
Hannaford
Hannaford emphasizes local produce by participating in the New York State Grown & Certified program at its stores in the state. Dedicated displays in those stores merchandise a rotating selection of vegetables and herbs from farms that meet the program's food-handling and environmental stewardship standards.
Hannaford also emphasizes its focus on health with racks grouping together pharmacist and dietician recommended products from both private labels and national brands. The dietician displays also incorporate take-one dispensers with recipes.
Rack signs near the front of stores and price labels and wobblers in the aisles are commonly used to tout the chain's activity such as new product launches, sweepstakes and purchase incentives. Stanchion signs, some equipped with take-one dispensers, promote prepared foods around the perimeter. National floorstands are common in aisles and around the perimeter.
Food Lion
Perimeter departments employ a particularly diverse range of displays, including racks, floorstands, dump bins and pallet displays. Some perimeter displays use crates and wood frames to give the store a rustic feel. Floorstands, racks and quarter-pallets are common at the ends of aisles. Crook-like poles topped with signs emphasizing price accompany many freestanding displays.
Standees, in-line headers and price labels are used to tout account-specific or retailer-driven promotions. Seasonal campaigns are promoted with gondolas outfitted with headers and violators. CPGs, including PepsiCo/Frito-Lay and Monster Beverage Corp., enjoy permanent endcaps or beverage coolers. Other permanent endcaps are devoted to categories, such as "meat snacks." Floorstands outfitted with wheels are used to cross-merchandise seasonal needs, such as cold medicine, with messaging touting both private labels and national brands.
All of the retailer's stores labels products with one to three stars based on the nutritional value they provide for their calories. The "Guiding Stars" program first launched in 2006 at Hannaford, where it has been the focus of several seasonal efforts, and launched at Food Lion in 2007. It rolled out to the rest of Ahold Delhaize's banners in 2018 as part of the integration following the merger between Delhaize America and Ahold USA.
See the Retail Receptivity Chart below for a rundown of Ahold Delhaize USA's tactical P-O-P preferences.
Merchandisers |
|
Endcap Displays |
Often Used |
Shelf Trays/PDQs |
Often Used |
Pallets |
Often Used |
Floorstands/Shippers |
Often Used |
Dump Bins |
Often Used |
Power Wings/Sidekicks |
Sometimes Used |
Category Management Systems |
Often Used |
Spectaculars/Lobby Displays |
Often Used |
Racks |
Often Used |
Secondary Refrigerated Displays |
Sometimes Used |
Signage/Media |
|
A-Boards |
Sometimes Used |
Balloons |
Often Used |
Base Wrap |
Sometimes Used |
Ceiling Signs |
Often Used |
Checkout Ads |
Often Used |
Checkout Dividers |
Rarely Used |
Circular Rack Ads |
Often Used |
Cooler Clings |
Sometimes Used |
Counter Cards |
Sometimes Used |
Demonstration/Sampling Kits |
Rarely Used |
Digital Signage Ads |
Sometimes Used |
Endcap Signage Kits |
Often Used |
Floor Clings |
Rarely Used |
Header Cards |
Sometimes Used |
At-shelf Product Demo/Sample |
Sometimes Used |
In-line/Category Headers |
Often Used |
In-Store Radio |
Often Used |
Inflatables |
Sometimes Used |
Outdoor Signage |
Often Used |
Neckhangers |
Rarely Used |
New Item Showcases |
Sometimes Used |
Pole Toppers |
Sometimes Used |
Printed Handouts |
Sometimes Used |
Placeholders, On-Shelf |
Rarely Used |
Price-Label Messaging |
Often Used |
Security Pedestal Ads |
Sometimes Used |
Shelf Blockers |
Sometimes Used |
Shelf Strips |
Sometimes Used |
Shelf Talkers |
Often Used |
Shelf Danglers/Wobblers |
Sometimes Used |
Shopping Cart Ads |
Often Used |
Side Panels |
Sometimes Used |
Standees |
Often Used |
Take-One Dispensers |
Often Used |
Tearpads |
Often Used |
Stanchion Signs |
Often Used |
Wall Banners |
Sometimes Used |
Window/Door Signs |
Sometimes Used |
Violators |
Often Used |
In-Store Media
In-Store Media
Retailer-wide
- In-store radio: Operated by InStore Audio Network, Princeton, New Jersey, paid ads interspersed with music programming and the chain's own promotional messages.
- SmartSource vehicles: Shelf talkers and violators via New York-based News America Marketing’s syndicated program.
Ahold Delhaize USA
- FrontLine Marketing Pharmacy Display: Health and wellness products are merchandised for a four-week period on a branded display unit operated by Frontline Marketing, Norwalk, Connecticut, that appears in front of the pharmacy department and is accompanied by a digital video advertising each brand. Posters in the pharmacy display are also installed and rotated every four weeks.
- Product sampling/demonstrations: Designed for specific retail settings, product samplings/demonstration for national brands is available through The Sunflower Group, Lenexa, Kansas.
Food Lion
- Checkout coupons: via syndicated provider Catalina, St. Petersburg, Florida.
- FrontLine Marketing Checkout Display: In-line branded displays at checkout for health and beauty care, OTC, general merchandise and food products are stocked and maintained during a four-week period by FrontLine Marketing.
Store Formats/Growth
Store Formats/Growth
Ahold Delhaize USA primarily operates in the U.S. on the East Coast, under eight local banners. In 2023, Ahold operated 2,048 stores, down from 2,051 stores it operated in 2022. The company is known for such recent high-profile acquisitions as 62 former Bi-Lo and Harveys stores from Southeastern Grocers in 2020, all of which closed in 2021. The company’s expansion prospects in regard to new markets include acquiring stores it can put in its format and building stores in new markets. For example, in 2021 Giant Co. opened an urban flagship store in Philadelphia. (See below.)
The main Ahold Delhaize USA banners have become increasingly focused on fresh and prepared foods, working on rolling out a Deli Grab and Go meal solutions program. The retailer is looking at renovating the center store by analyzing space allocation and shopper needs to customize product selections, with an emphasis on local, natural and organic, and healthier SKUs.
Giant Food
The retailer operates 165 stores in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, with 162 pickup points. Those numbers have remained the same from 2022 to 2023. Included within the 165 stores are 152 full-service pharmacies, 92 full-service PNC Banks and 26 Starbucks locations.
The banner’s focus is on remodeling or replacing stores as a way to expand and grow market share, with a history of remodeling eight to 12 stores a year. In 2021, the brand renovated a 42,834-square-foot store in Fort Washington, Maryland, and opened a brand new nearly 60,000-square-foot store in Manassas, Virginia, that replaced a nearby location.
The stores employ the grocer’s new and improved format with expanded departments, amenities and omnichannel capabilities. Some of the new offerings include:
- Large produce and organic section, including locally grown and sourced fresh fruits and vegetables;
- Expanded prepared food department;
- Gourmet cheese section;
- Freshly made sushi;
- Full-service floral, deli, seafood and meat departments;
- Beer and Wine shop;
- Starbucks and PNC Bank;
- Giant Pickup.
The Giant Co.
The Carlisle, Pennsylvania.-based banner, operates 193 stores with 134 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations and 189 pickup and delivery hubs under the Giant, Martin’s and Giant Heirloom Market banners in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Store counts stayed the same from 2022 to 2023, with the banner adding two pickup points in 2023.
In 2021, the retailer opened four new stores in the Philadelphia area under the Giant and Giant Heirloom Market brands along with a 124,000-square-foot Giant Direct online fulfillment center in southwestern Philadelphia as the company works on expanding delivery into southern New Jersey. In 2022, the banner opened two new 50,700-square-foot and 49,800-square foot sized Giant stores in Philadelphia. Philadelphia and the surrounding community continue to play a central role in the company’s growth strategy.
Some of the new features of the Philadelphia Giant stores include:
- Beer and wine eatery,
- Expanded fresh department assortments, including sushi made in-store and a dedicated plant-based section,
- Expanded health and beauty section,
- Starbucks, and
- Giant Direct online ordering for pickup or delivery.
The new Giant Heirloom Market store, like existing brand locations, highlights local food vendors, including Claudio Specialty Foods and Isgro Pastries. The store also features:
- Local produce,
- Grab-and-go meals,
- Plant-based selections,
- Gluten-free section,
- Sushi,
- Gourmet cheese section,
- Kombucha on tap and a tap wall, and
- Giant Direct online ordering for pickup or delivery.
Stop & Shop
In 2023, Stop & Shop Supermarket operated 395 stores with 378 pickup points throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey — five less stores from the year before, and three more pickup points than 2022. Ahold began converting Stop & Shop to a new format in 2018 in a bid to turnaround the banner's declining sales and improve its in-store experience. Some of the highlights of the updated smaller-format store design include:
- A focus on fresh, with more organic, locally-sourced and healthy options;
- More grab-and-go options;
- An in-store smoker, which allows customers to choose from a selection of slow-cooked meats like brisket and baby back ribs;
- A kombucha fountain;
- Mobile pay via Shop & Scan’s mobile app (SCAN IT!); and
- Curbside pickup.
The company’s intention is to continue to remodel about 50 to 60 Stop & Shop locations a year, and in 2021 remodeled 55 stores. The retailer says remodeled stores continue to exceed sales expectations. The banner in 2022 announced plans to invest $140 million in its New York City stores to make the shopping experience better for its customers. There, it operates 25 stores in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and offers home delivery in all five boroughs. The banner also closed six stores that year.
Also in 2022, the banner remodeled a Boston store to include a new community wellness space, offering free nutrition programming with an in-store dietitian and a 25-foot display of fresh, "good-for-you" products.
The banner also is focused on refining assortment builds in terms of modernization, depth and breadth, along with offering the more important current categories and how to avoid out-of-stocks. Its remodeled New York stores plan to add thousands of new items from around the globe to ensure the assortment at each store reflects the diversity of the neighborhood. (See Merchandising Strategy.)
Food Lion
Food Lion, headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, operates 1,108 stores with 664 pickup points in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Store counts held steady from 2022 to 2023, but Food Lion added nine pickup points in 2023. In 2021, Food Lion with a $127 million investment remodeled 87 stores across the Southeast to provide customers with an expanded variety of new products and services along with a more convenient shopping experience. In the third quarter of 2023, Ahold had completed another 47 store remodels.
Among the changes:
- Expanded variety and assortment across all departments relevant to customers in each store, including more locally sourced items.
- More natural, gluten-free, plant-based and organic items, including a larger selection of Food Lion’s brand, Nature’s Promise, beef, pork, poultry, dairy, breakfast and children’s foods, and other items.
- An expanded variety of local craft beer and limited-reserve wines.
- A greater selection of easy and affordable meals for families and a wider variety of grab-and-go items and pre-sliced deli meats and cheeses.
- An abundant selection of fresh produce and meat.
- A more efficient checkout process, including traditional checkstands, self-checkout stands and grocery pick-up service.
- New signage and groupings of like products to make it easier to locate items faster.
Food Lion has been gradually renovating its stores to emphasize convenience, customer service, fresh meat and produce, and competitive prices, installing new registers with bigger display screens to make checkout more efficient, implementing new layouts that make it easier for shoppers to get in and out quickly, adding new signage to make it easier to find products, and expanding the assortment to include more local, natural, gluten-free and organic products.
Updated stores have more dinner options in the deli, walk-in coolers in the produce department, craft beer sections and lower prices on fresh food staples. The goal of the "Easy, Fresh & Affordable" initiative is to increase basket sizes and store visits.
In 2023, Food Lion continued revamping stores, including investing $77 million to remodel 47 North Carolina locations, focusing on providing a more convenient shopping experience with more ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook or ready-to-heat options; expanded e-commerce options; new energy-efficient features; and added self-checkout stations.
Hannaford
The Scarborough, Maine-based banner operates 187 stores with 171 pickup points in five Northeast states in 2023, adding two stores and one pickup point that year. In recent years, Hannaford has been remodeling stores, and in 2022 and 2023 continued to update several locations to include an enlarged assortment of fresh, quality grab-and-go meal options and local, organic and gluten-free items plus convenience-focused updates such as expanded pharmacies and the addition of more self-checkout stations. Shoppers at the remodeled stores also will find new Hannaford To Go online grocery pickup and delivery sites.
The banner has a great focus on fresh and healthy products, often emphasizing the Guiding Stars nutrition labeling system and the services of nutritionists that work for the chain.
Special Departments/Services
Special Departments/Services
Ahold Delhaize USA operates more than 200 fuel stations, most of which are located at Giant Food and Stop & Shop stores in the New England market.
All Ahold Delhaize USA stores provide free Wi-Fi via Verizon Enterprise Solutions, which helps encourage shoppers to use its mobile applications and Scan It! mobile checkout.
Some locations have Starbucks cafes. Giant/Martin's operates a Beer & Wine Eatery within select stores that offer eat-in and takeout foods, a cheese shop and a wide selection of the namesake beverages.
Ahold Delhaize USA has more than 500 pharmacies, which periodically offer free health screenings, testing blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol and determining if shoppers need vaccinations. The events are sponsored by OTC brands. Shoppers can also conduct health screening at in-store higi kiosks. Stores employ nutritionists or dieticians to provide advice on diabetes prevention, diet and weight loss and host educational events.
PNC bank branches operate within some stores.
Stop & Shop
The banner operates 234 retail pharmacy locations across the Northeast, but shut 19 in 2021 due to declining prescription reimbursements by private and government third-party payors.
The banner also operates more than 100 gas stations in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The Giant Co.
The banner operates 132 pharmacies and 107 fuel stations.
Hannaford
More than 150 stores operate pharmacies and some locations offer drive-through service.
In 2022, Hannaford offers 163 plugs at 31 stores across the Northeast, but the banner continues to expand its electric vehicle charging stations in its parking areas.
Food Lion
The banner operates more than 30 Food Lion pharmacy locations in five states.
Giant Food
The chain operates 152 pharmacies, 92 PNC Banks and 26 Starbucks locations.
In 2023, an Ellicott City, Maryland location began testing a foodservice-at-retail partnership with Nalley Fresh, a Baltimore-based fast-casual chain that specializes in salads, bowls and wraps.
bfresh
The Little Kitchen department at its bfresh store offers grab-and-go meals and fresh products for simple cooking at home.
Customer Segments
Customer Segments
By analyzing data via customer-centric retailing programs and its loyalty programs, Ahold Delhaize USA has identified a handful of distinct consumer needs:
- Completely seamless and omnichannel shopping experience from ordering on phone to moving through the store;
- Value whether ordering online or walking in a store;
- Products that have a strong local connection; and
- Fresh and healthy propositions.
Internet Marketing
Internet Marketing Strategy
Ahold has worked hard to adapt and serve today's omnichannel consumer through its various online, mobile and e-commerce efforts. A key part of the retailer’s multi-layered approach to digital involves its chains’ websites.
Stop & Shop, Giant and Martin's
The websites for the Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant and Martin's banners have identical content that is generally tailored to loyalty cardholders, allowing users access to:
- Exclusive digital coupons.
- Digital circulars where shoppers can click on products to add them to a shopping list and load relevant coupons to their loyalty card.
- Pharmacy refills (via CyberScript).
- Gas reward points accumulated.
- Access to recipes and articles from Savory magazine along with accompanying videos.
In 2022, Stop & Shop launched “The Helpful Chef” omnichannel program to deliver convenient and affordable meal solutions to customers. The hub features simple recipes, along with the ingredients needed to purchase to complete it.
Carousel ads on chain homepages promote store services and deals in the weekly circular while a trio of display ads encourage use of delivery and digital coupons and plug private label SKUs.
Digital Coupons: Digital coupons, which are customized based on loyalty data, are available within a dedicated page within chain websites.
Email: Weekly newsletters deliver seasonal recipes and personalized product offers to loyalty cardholders, the latter including download-to-card coupons.
Paid advertising: The retailer promotes its private-label brands, produce standards and sales through video ads on consumer websites. Some spots call out major national brands.
Food Lion
FoodLion.com's homepage touts seasonal and special promotions as well as digital coupons, private label products and specific deals from the weekly circular.
Elsewhere on the site:
- The digital circular allows shoppers to click on items to add them to a shopping list. Special digital features link to web pages for major promotions.
- A "Promotions" section provides information about current sweepstakes or contests.
- A "Recipes" tab provides instructions on how to prepare simple dishes. Most are brand agnostic or incorporate private-label items. Ingredients can be directly added to a consumer's shopping list. Recipes can be sorted by occasion, ingredients, cooking method, consumer rating, prep time and special dietary needs.
- A " Departments" tab is subdivided into categories, such as "Baby," "Produce" and "Health & Beauty." Pages link to relevant coupons, featured blogs and recipes along with a FAQ section.
Paid advertising: Food Lion occasionally places paid video or display ads on the websites of local news organizations and various consumer websites to tout major promotions.
The "MVP Savings Hub" hosts hundreds of dollars worth of coupons for private-label products and national brands that can be printed at home or downloaded directly onto loyalty cards. Both options are operated by Coupons.com.
E-mail: Food Lion sends loyalty cardholders a "Your Weekly MVP Specials" emails on Tuesdays. The email links to the digital circular a day before it appears in print and spotlights digital coupons and current promotions.
Hannaford
The homepage of Hannaford.com has a leaderboard ad and four to five smaller display ads presenting current deals and promotions along with some ongoing programs.
The site also contains:
- Hundreds of printable coupons for national brand products at any given time via Coupons.com.
- A “Get Inspired” section with a database of recipes with ingredients that are either brand-agnostic or suggest using private-label products in addition to pages on Time Savers, Hannaford’s community outreach, and Hannaford’s Fresh magazine.
- A digital circular that allows shoppers to click on products to add them to a shopping list.
- A page powered by the National Health Information Network that lets shoppers refill and track pharmacy prescriptions.
- A "Healthy Your Way" section that offers information on the retailer's "Guiding Stars" program and relevant in-store events and allows consumers to ask a dietician questions and along with healthful meal ideas.
Paid advertising: Hannaford occasionally places digital ads on the websites of local news organizations and food- or health-focused consumer sites to promote current deals.
E-mail: A weekly email sent on Saturdays links to a preview of the next day's circular and provides a "favorite recipe of the week" incorporating a discounted product. Depending on the week, it may also showcase current promotions, link to the latest issue of Fresh magazine (see "Circulars & Publications") and plug ongoing programs like printable coupons or online ordering. A monthly "Healthy Living" email provides advice from store dieticians and a downloadable coupon
Retail Media
Retail Media
AD Retail Media is the grocer's retailer media network. Ahold Delhaize USA’s digital, e-commerce and commercial engine, Peapod Digital Labs (now operating under the Ahold Delhaize USA name), recently began transitioning the retail media business to a fully in-house, end-to-end agency. The move aims to position the network to glean insights from across various banners to help CPG partners better engage with the retailer's East Coast customer base.
Peapod Digital Labs plans to evolve AD Retail Media through strategic partnerships and expanded capabilities, including:
- Launching a unified on-site and off-site platform to deliver a single point of activation and measurement;
- Leveraging proprietary data to create more targeted ads and improve ROAS;
- Enabling one dashboard for measured campaign results spanning transactions made on-site and across the web; and
- Enhancing self-serve control.
As AD Retail Media transitions fully in-house, Ahold Delhaize USA plans to more than triple its current team over the next year, to more than 70 individuals. Publicis Groupe’s CitrusAd, Epsilon and Publicis Sapient will support the stand-up and scaling of the new team.
Trends Report
For the past five years, brand marketers asked to rate various retail media platforms for the Path to Purchase Institute’s annual Trends Report have generally given the platforms good scores. In the 2024 Trends Report, Ahold Delhaize's AD Retail Media fared best for its traffic-driving capabilities, with 53% calling it “good” or better. Measurement capabilities and data sharing, however, had 71% finding the options to be “fair/poor.” (See chart below.)
![ahold 2024 retail media trends](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/public/2024-01/ahold.png)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Marketing Strategy
Ahold Delhaize USA’s six mobile applications are good examples of the company’s dedication to digital innovation.
Giant/Martin's, Stop & Shop and Giant Food
The retailer’s Giant/Martin's, Stop & Shop and Giant Food chains apps and the mobile-optimized version of their websites are identical platforms. Their primary mobile functions let users:
- Locate the nearest store or gas station.
- View the weekly circular and add products from it directly to your shopping list.
- Build a shopping list.
- Browse aisles.
- View products recommended for the shopper.
- Find and save recipes.
- Create a meal plan.
- View year-to-date savings and reward points.
- Read and save recipes.
- Load coupons to their loyalty card.
- Choose in-store, pickup or delivery shopping.
Stop & Shop, Giant/Martin's and Giant Food also have tablet apps for their Savory magazine (see “Circulars”) that allow users to read issues and watch accompanying recipe videos. In 2019, Giant/Martin's launched a Pharmacy app Giant Food Rx, which allows patients to request refills, transfer prescriptions and view their prescription history.
Food Lion
Food Lion’s app is integrated with its MVP loyalty program. The app:
- Gives shoppers access to more than $250 worth of coupons each month.
- Can be used in place of a loyalty card at checkout
- Has a built-in barcode scanner that can be used to create shopping lists, which can also be populated by loading coupons and recipes, or clicking on deals within a mobile version of the chain's weekly circular.
- Contains a store navigator, which shows which aisle a product can be found in at their preferred location.
Food Lion is attempting to appeal to heavy mobile users by partnering with Denver-based Ibotta to make the company's eponymous mobile application easier for loyalty cardholders to use. Ibotta rewards shoppers at a host of retail stores with cash when they buy eligible items in stores and then take a picture of their receipt for verification. Shoppers who use their MVP loyalty cards will have their purchases verified automatically, eliminating the need for a photo. Unlike at other stores, the app can only be used at Food Lion by loyalty cardholders.
Hannaford
Hannaford’s app is similar to the mobile-optimized version of its website. They both include:
- Reserve time for pick up or delivery;
- Shop by Department;
- Specials and coupons in which hundreds of coupons, some of which are personalized based on the shopper's purchasing history;
- A section promoting 2% rewardson private label products;
- Tracking of My Hannaford Rewards earned by making purchases, which can be redeemed quarterly for money off a receipt; and
- Provides a store locator.
SocialShelf
In 2022, the Giant Co. is testing QR codes from A3 Media’s SocialShelf that shoppers can scan to access product information in the alcohol aisle of 15 King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-area stores. The test places SocialShelf's owl icon and QR code next to the prices on the shelf tags of more than 150 brands. The banner hopes SocialShelf furthers its efforts to innovate while helping customers navigate the alcohol aisle in stores, particularly for upscale wine and high-end craft beer.
Social Media
![text](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2022-07/aholdsocialmedia.png)
Social Media Strategy
For Ahold Delhaize USA’s banners, social media activity is limited and audience levels vary. The lack of social media activity can explain why every banner lost followers in almost each media in the past two years. The retailer's chains also have distinct social media strategies with almost no overlap in activity.
Food Lion: The retailer is most active on this platform and posts several times a week content that also occasionally appears on its other social media platforms. Posts include dinner and seasonal recipe ideas, sometimes promoting its private label brands or manufacturer products along with promoting Food Lion Feeds, Guiding Stars and sustainability efforts.
The Giant Co.: Posts nearly daily pictures about store brands and manufacturers products, recipes and in-store events. The retailer is most active on this platform.
Giant Food: On its most active social media platform, the retailer posts videos and pictures of meal ideas, grilling, seasonal products, promotions, community causes and sustainability efforts
Hannaford: Occasionally posts a video promoting Guiding Stars, eating healthier, buying local, social causes, sustainability, balanced meal ideas from a dietician along with promotional videos for its apps.
Stop & Shop: Posts several times a month promoting dinner and party ideas, seasonal and holiday items and cooking tips.
X, formerly known as Twitter
Food Lion: Used to post a few times a month about store or manufacturer promotions, but hasn't posted since April 2023.
The Giant Co.: Tweets periodically about seasonal products, store services, charitable causes and environmental efforts.
Giant Food: Occasionally tweets about free-day promotions and charitable causes.
Hannaford: Left the platform in 2023. Instead the banner is focusing more on its Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest profiles, where they have stronger customer engagement.
Stop & Shop: Tweets several times a month with posts similar to its Facebook account. It predominately promotes dinner and party ideas, seasonal and holiday items, and cooking tips.
YouTube
Food Lion: Videos are posted sporadically and include cooking demonstrations, information about Guiding Stars, Food Lion Feeds, ways to save, and sustainability efforts.
The Giant Co.: Posted once in 2022 for Mother’s Day promotion, but otherwise posted more than a year ago about employees community service.
Giant Food: Videos are posted occasionally that detail the story behind products.
Hannaford: Occasionally posts a video promoting Guiding Stars, eating healthier, buying local, social causes, sustainability, balanced meal ideas from a dietician along with promotional videos for its apps.
Stop & Shop: The banner hasn’t posted a video in more than a year. Previously posted sporadic videos in channels, such as “Wellness Wednesdays,” “Beyond the Aisles” and “Fresh Stories.”
Food Lion: Posts weekly ad flyer.
The Giant Co.: Promotes Giant Direct pickup or delivery, recipes and other seasonal promotions.
Giant Food: Promotes seasonal merchandise, product categories and recipes.
Hannaford: Posts recipes, tips and seasonal ideas.
Stop & Shop: Offers crafty and seasonal recipes.
Food Lion: Pictures of Food Lion Feeds, recipes and seasonal products and closely mimics photos posted on Facebook.
The Giant Co.: Mirrors Facebook account and posts pictures about products, recipes and in-store events.
Giant Food: Pictures of recipes and seasonal products.
Hannaford: Grams about products and recipes.
Stop & Shop: Mimics Pinterest posts of crafty and seasonal recipes.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce Strategy
Ahold Delhaize USA has more than 1,500 stores with click-and-collect and the brands made online shopping available to customers in nearly 98% of their geographies by the end of 2022, and nearly 70% with same-day delivery options.
Ahold acquired Chicago-based Peapod in 2000, and launched Peapod Digital Labs in 2018 to unite the e-commerce capabilities of its brands and accelerate growth of its digital and personalization capabilities. Before ceasing its Midwest delivery service operations in 2020, Peapod was at one point the third largest online food retailer in the U.S. and accounted for about $97 million of Ahold Delhaize USA’s $1.1 billion in online revenue.
In 2020, Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. brands phased out peapod.com and the Peapod mobile app to launch new integrated e-commerce platforms that allow shoppers to instead order directly from their retailer's websites. (In 2024, Peapod became Ahold Delhaize USA. The platform continues to offer many of the same capabilities Peapod.com and PDL offered.) Product selection spans 10,000 to 16,000 SKUs including private labels. While Hannaford's e-commerce experience differs slightly from Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food and the Giant Co. (which have their own e-commerce channels):
- SKUs can be filtered according to different nutrition preferences, such as organic or gluten-free. Shoppers can also sort by price or the amount of sugar, fat or sodium. The selection varies seasonally and regionally to include local favorites.
- Products that are frequently purchased together are grouped together by occasion, such as "Taco Tuesday"or “Salad Fixings."
- Loyalty cardholders can link their in-store and online purchase history and earn points for savings on gas and grocery and receive personalized offers.
In 2022, Peapod Digital Labs also made investments in fulfillment operations, both in-store and in central fulfillment warehouses, to automate picking and optimize delivery routes to get orders to customers faster with less manual effort.
In 2021, all of the banners began offering an "endless aisle" solution, powered by cloud-based e-commerce company Mirakl, with an additional 80,000-100,000 general merchandise and food items.
Click-and-Collect/Delivery
By the end of 2023, Ahold operated 1,564 pick-up points in the U.S.
Giant Food: Giant Food’s Giant Pickup is available in all the banner’s remodeled and new store openings, which in 2022 included 162 of 165 stores. Giant Pickup allows customers to shop the entire store's assortment with a pickup time within four hours. In 2022, Giant Food dropped its click-and-collect fee to make pickup free for all online orders along with any minimum order requirements.
Giant Food launched Giant Delivers in 2019 as a rebrand of its former online grocery delivery brand, Peapod by Giant and introduced Giant Pickup the same year. For Giant Delivers customers, delivery fees are removed on midweek orders between Tuesday-Thursday. For orders Friday-Monday, the delivery fee is $3.95. The minimum order requirement is $30, and Giant Delivers is available in all its markets. In 2022, Giant Food began deploying electric vehicles in its Giant Delivers fleet.
In 2021, Giant Food launched local produce boxes, available throughout the summer without a subscription, filled with locally sourced, in-season produce sold exclusively through Giant Delivers, and brought the program back in 2022 and 2023. The produce boxes retail for $22.99 and contain eight items from local farms in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.
Giant Food also accepts SNAP payment for both Giant Pickup and Giant Delivers orders.
The Giant Co.: The banner operates more than 185 pickup sites and provides delivery service to hundreds of ZIP codes in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey. In 2022, for its Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct e-grocery services, the banner eliminated the order minimum and the fee for click-and-collect service.
In 2021, the Giant Co. introduced Choice Pass to its online Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct customers. (See Choice Pass Subscription Services below.)
In 2021, Giant bolstered its e-commerce infrastructure with a Giant Direct E-commerce Fulfillment Center 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 more than 22,000 products and can fill up to 15,000 home delivery orders weekly.
Giant launched the Giant Direct service in 2019 when it debuted its first e-commerce hub in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Food Lion: Food Lion provides online grocery pickup and delivery under the Food Lion To Go brand. Orders can be placed through the Food Lion To Go website and app, both built and powered by Instacart Enterprise, or via the Instacart online marketplace.
The banner operates nearly 600 Food Lion To Go pickup points in 10 states, adding more than 35 new spots in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia in December 2023. Currently Food Lion to Go pickup or home delivery is available to more than 90% of its 10-state operating area. Through the click-and-collect service, customers can buy groceries online at Shop.foodlion.com or via the Food Lion To Go mobile app and have them available for pickup at a local store in as soon as an hour. Customers ages 21 and older in North Carolina also can buy beer and wine via To Go, which runs seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. To Go service costs $1.99 for orders of $35 or more and $3.99 for orders less than $35. Food Lion said the service is free for customers’ first order. Pickup requires a minimum purchase of $10.
For delivery orders greater than $35, the fee is $3.99 or $5.99 to have the order delivered within an hour. For orders less than $35, the fee is $7.99 or $9.99 to have the order delivered within an hour. Delivery requires a minimum purchase of $10. Additionally, Food Lion charges a delivery service fee, which is 5% of the order, and when a store is experiencing high demand for a delivery time, the fee for delivery may be higher. The banner notes fees are subject to change, and are clearly displayed before shoppers purchase for delivery. Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The banner also accepts SNAP payment for both Food Lion to Go and Giant Delivers orders.
Hannaford: Hannaford To Go lets shoppers place online orders for pickup or delivery at nearly all of its 185 locations — more than 90% of its locations now offer the services. Hannaford employees do the shopping and packaging, or customers can have orders fulfilled via Instacart. The minimum order amount for delivery is $30 with a flat fee of $10 on any order of $30 or more, and first order fees are waived. Hannford To Go pickup orders less than $125 have a $1.99 service fee; the fee is waved on pickup orders over $125. Hannford has also increased ordering time slots by 20%, making it easier for customers to lock in delivery and/or pickup times. Pickup hours vary by location. Customers can shop from recent online and in-store purchases, redeem My Hannaford Rewards digital coupons, and add items to their cart straight from the digital weekly flyer. Orders must be placed at least four hours in advance, but there are cases where fulfillment times are shorter. In some cases carts can be edited in the hours before pickup.
Hannaford launched same-day prescription delivery in 2021 to shoppers within a 10-mile radius of all pharmacy locations, Monday-Friday, for a $10 fee.
The banner is partnering with location technology platform Flybuy, which supports the Hannaford To Go pickup service. The platform is in use at nearly all of Hannaford's 187 stores. Customers are notified via text when their order is ready, and can communicate with the store to let them know they're on their way or when they've arrived at the store, so associates can finalize the order.
Stop & Shop: Stop & Shop operates 375 pickup points, adding 5 locations in 2022. All pickup orders are $2.95 with a minimum order size of $30. The banner charges $6.95 for delivery orders of $100 and up and for orders $60 to $100, the retailer charges $9.95. Pickup and delivery are free for the first 60 days. Stop & Shop also offers weekly free delivery and pickup deals (up to $6.96 with minimum purchase required). Next day delivery orders allow shoppers to choose a delivery time between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
The banner has partnered with Instacart for same-day online grocery delivery since 2017, and offers same-day, contactless delivery available through more than 75% of its stores. Stop & Shop also has worked with Instacart to enable customers using SNAP benefits to pay with an EBT card when placing online orders for delivery or pickup.
Instacart
All banners provide 30-minute delivery of convenience-oriented products via Instacart’s Convenience Hub. The new virtual convenience storefronts, including Giant Food Convenience, Food Lion Now and Hannaford Now, join Shop and Stop Express, Giant Instant Delivery and Martin’s Instant Delivery in providing rapid delivery of more than 40,000 convenience items and household essentials, with the service available from more than 1,400 stores on the East Coast.
The food retailer and Instacart first partnered in 2016 and also offer delivery in as soon as an hour and 30-minute convenience delivery nationwide from more than 1,400 stores. The companies expanded their partnership in 2020 to include alcohol delivery and pickup, now available from about 250 stores in eight states, including Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Martin’s, Giant Food and Food Lion.
All banners also began enabling SNAP EBT payments for Instacart orders in 2021.
In 2022, all banners joined Instacart’s Ready Meals Hub for shoppers to choose from hundreds of dishes and groceries delivered from the store in as fast as 30 minutes.
DoorDash
In February 2024, Ahold Delhaize partnered with commerce platform DoorDash, making on-demand grocery delivery available to customers at Food Lion, Hannaford, Giant Food, The Giant Company and Stop & Shop. Ahold Delhaize's loyalty programs are being integrated into DoorDash, and all participating banners will be accessible on DoorDash's DashPass program, which offers free delivery to its members along with reduced service fees and member-only benefits.
Lockers
Stop & Shop began piloting a walk-up grocery pickup option via lockers at a Boston store in 2021, and plans to roll out the offering to more locations to enable stores that have more shoppers that arrive on foot or bike versus in a vehicle. The temperature-controlled lockers are located in the store’s main entrance and automatically unlock by entering a designated code, with the pre-bagged groceries inside. Food Lion since 2019 has offered a less-advanced locker pick-up offering at select stores via Food Lion to Go.
FreshDirect
In November 2023, Ahold Delhaize entered into an agreement to sell its FreshDirect business to grocery delivery company Getir. Ahold made the decision to sell so it could put more focus on its omnichannel businesses. Ahold said this would not mean any changes for FreshDirect customers, and no changes would be made to DeliveryPass.
Ship2Me
In 2021, Giant Food launched Ship2Me, a digital marketplace, offering consumers products that widen the retailer’s assortment beyond traditional grocery. Ship2Me offerings include more than 40,000 items in categories, such as health and beauty, home decor, seasonal items, kitchen and dining, outdoor, pet and pantry items. Giant Food is the first brand under the Ahold Delhaize USA family to launch Ship2Me, which in 2022 also includes Ship2Me by Martin’s and Ship2Me by Giant. Found on GiantFood.com, GiantFoodStores.com and MartinsFoods.com, the digital marketplace also gives shoppers the convenience of adding items to their cart alongside any pickup or delivery products for easy and convenient checkout. Currently, no order minimums are required for customers purchasing only Ship2Me items, and ground shipping is free on any order.
In addition, Ahold Delhaize plans to expand the number of products and vendors available through the digital marketplace. Giant Flexible Rewards and Giant Co.’s Choice Rewards members can earn loyalty points on Ship2Me items purchases, which can be redeemed for grocery savings or gas savings.
Ship2Me is available to customers throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.
Choice Pass Subscription Service
In 2021, the Giant Co. introduced Choice Pass to its online Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct customers, replacing its former subscription service PodPass. Choice Pass provides unlimited free delivery and pickup for $98 a year, saving subscribers $21 annually. According to the retailer, the service will pay for itself with just two deliveries monthly or one pickup a week. Choice Pass continues to offer a monthly option of $12.95 for unlimited free pickup and delivery. Shoppers also receive a code for $10 off one online order of $200 or more each month. In addition, Choice Pass boasts a new logo inspired by that of the Giant Choice Rewards program (See Loyalty Programs).
Supply Chain Services
The supply chain company of Ahold Delhaize USA converted its first facility of 2022 into a self-managed network. The Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-facility supports more than 200 The Giant Co. and Stop & Shop stores and e-commerce centers. In 2023, Ahold converted its largest (so far) 1.2 million-square-foot automation-filled distribution center in York, Pennsylvania, into a self-managed network, bringing the total number of network facilities to 22. Such measures are part of Ahold's three-year journey to establish an integrated, self-distribution network to support its omnichannel growth. The transformation was scheduled to be completed in 2023.
Circulars
Circulars and Publications
Stop & Shop, Giant Food and the Giant Co. distribute circulars that run Friday-Thursday. "Bonus Buy Savings" on national and private-label items are touted throughout the circular and brands stand out through bulk-purchase incentives, sponsorship activations and cause-related activity. Though similar for the most part, Stop & Shop and Giant Food's circular differ slightly from the Giant Co.'s circulars in appearance and product.
Food Lion's circular runs Wednesday-Tuesday and typically spans 13 pages, though it also occasionally employs circular wraps. The front and back covers are typically dominated by fresh and prepared foods, with the rest spotlighting center store products. Brands enjoy plenty of space to plug bulk-purchase and cross-merchandising incentives. A weekly feature spotlights deals available through the in-store MVP Savings Center. The chain's own promotions also receive plenty of space.
Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food and the Giant Co.'s digital versions offer a few more pages devoted to full-page ads that often promote chain delivery services and loyalty cards as well as new items and brand campaign overlays.
Hannaford's typically 16-page, simple circulars run from Sunday-Saturday and devote significant space to perimeter offerings, with much more limited brand activity. Features often promote the chain's Guiding Stars nutrition labeling program and cause activity.
Other publications/podcasts include:
- Savory: Fast, Fresh and Easy: Publishing six times per year, the 76-page magazine by Stop & Shop includes recipes, advice from nutritionists, meal planning tips and coupons. Ads spotlight a mix of private label and national brand products along with services, Fuel Rewards program and mobile application.
- Fresh: Published every other month, Hannaford's 50-page magazine includes recipes, supplier spotlights and Q&As with chefs. Ads plug national brand products along with chain-driven promotions.
- Healthy Living: A biweekly podcast series hosted by Giant’s own nutritionists, who address and discuss shoppers’ top health and wellness questions. It spans two series: clinical and consumer, each of which discusses today's food news and trends, but at different stages.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty Programs
The Giant Co.
The Giant Co. launched a new loyalty program dubbed Giant Choice Rewards (or Martin’s Choice Rewards) chainwide in 2019, following successful associate then shopper pilots. The new program brings benefits from the Giant BonusCard, Gas Extra Rewards and Bonus Buy Savings programs under one brand, while adding new offerings and an improved digital experience, which allows access through Giant/Martin’s mobile apps. Shoppers can earn one point for every $1 spent, redeem points for fuel discounts and earn free gas under Giant Choice Rewards. Shoppers can also earn extra points from weekly circular promotions. Members of The Giant Co.’s Choice Rewards can earn loyalty points on Ship2Me item purchases to be redeemed for fuel savings, dollars off purchases, free items and other rewards.
Giant Food
Giant Flexible Rewards allow shoppers to earn points on every purchase with weekly personalized offers. For every 100 points redeemed earns shoppers $1 in savings along with 10 cents per gallon at Giant and participating Shell gas stations for every 100 points they earn. One point is earned after every dollar they spend. Special rewards, such as free products, are offered weekly. Shoppers can track savings on the chain websites through their digital accounts. In 2023, Giant Food expanded the program to offer rewards on qualifying purchases in the pharmacy department.
Stop & Shop
Launched in 2020, Stop & Shop’s GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points every time they shop, which can be redeemed for gas or groceries. Shoppers earn 1 point per dollar spent on groceries with some exclusions. Every 100 points can be redeemed for a discount of 10 cents per gallon (maximum of $1.50 off per gallon for up to 20 gallons).
Hannaford
My Hannaford Rewards, the chain's first loyalty program, launched in 2018. Cardholders receive 2% off the purchase of all private label products along with personalized coupons based on their shopping history. Members also earn rewards by making purchases which can be redeemed quarterly for a discount on their receipt.
Food Lion
Food Lion launched a new Shop & Earn MVP Customer Rewards Program in 2018. The program gives shoppers personalized savings on products and categories they frequently purchase. Rewards can be tracked through the chain's website or mobile app and are automatically redeemed on their next trip. New offers are made at the start of each month and can be redeemed through the end of the month. The program supplements but does not replace the existing MVP program, which gives users access to sales and coupons.
Fresh Direct
The online grocer aims to launch its first loyalty program in 2023.
Private Label
Private Label
Following the creation of Ahold Delhaize USA, the company spent 18 months studying each banner's private label portfolio to decide which to keep and which to replace. That process remains ongoing, though the retailer is moving toward a uniform strategy. Brands that have gone away or are being phased out include Nature’s Place, Healthy Accents, Home 360, Home 360 Pet, Home 360 Baby and Artisan Vintners Wine.
In 2021, Ahold Delhaize will introduce 1,500-2,000 more private label items in the U.S. growing from an existing base of 15,000 items there. The company also plans to make its private label portfolio “cleaner and more natural” by 2025 by removing all synthetic colors, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, MSG and high fructose corn syrup, according to the company’s central services provider, Retail Business Services (now operating as Ahold Delhaize USA, after it and the Peapod Digital Labs units were folded into Ahold Delhaize USA as of March 31, 2024).
In 2022, Peapod Digital Labs enlisted a cloud-based platform from Trace One to provide an easy-access destination for its private-brand product and packaging specifications. The online platform will be used to manage product formulation, labeling statements and claims, quality and testing parameters, and packaging substrate data to promote regulatory compliance, satisfy company standards and meet consumer expectations. Beginning in June 2022, all private-brand product suppliers are required to use the new system.
Peapod Digital Labs, in 2022, also conducted an incubator program to increase diversity within Ahold Delhaize’s private-label suppliers.
The current list of brands available at all Ahold Delhaize USA chains comprises:
- Nature's Promise: A natural and organic line of more than 1,500 SKUs spanning products. Introduced in 2004, the brand expanded in 2017 to include baby, HBC, pet and household products.
- Taste of Inspirations: A premium line of more than 350 packaged food SKUs including frozen appetizers, marinades and pasta.
- Etos: Line of 130 premium beauty, bath and hair care SKUs available.
- CareOne: National brand-equivalent health and beauty products, such as cold and cough medicine, mouthwash and nutritional supplements.
- Smart Living: National brand-equivalent general merchandise and seasonal items.
- Always My Baby: National brand-equivalent care products comprising diapers, training pants and wipes. The brand was revamped in October 2017 to add new patterns and make diapers softer and more absorbent.
- Companion: National brand-equivalent pet food, treats and leashes.
- Limited Time Originals: Collections of approximately 30 to 60 SKUs available for just six weeks at a time. Previous themes have included "twisted chocolate" and "toasted coconut."
- Guaranteed Value: Value packaged foods and household items including certain produce and canned products along with plastic cups, baggies and utensils.
Only available at select banners:
- Artie: An affordable selection of several wines priced at $8.99 a bottle that is sold in Hannaford stores.
- Cha-Ching: Value packaged foods and household items including paper and laundry products, cookies, bread, chips and apple juice. Available at Food Lion.
Food Lion/Hannaford/Stop & Shop/Giant Food/Giant-Co.: National-brand equivalents for produce, meat, dairy, bakery items and paper products.
Cause /Community Programs
Cause/Community Programs
For the past two years, Ahold Delhaize has released a human rights report outlining the company’s progress toward its human rights goals, spanning priority issue of health and safety, compensation, freedom of association, women’s rights, forced labor, discrimination and harassment.
Among other accomplishments, the 2022 report highlighted Ahold Delhaize’s methodologies to help its banners evaluate the human rights impact in their operations and summarized the results of brands’ supply chain risk assessments. Ahold Delhaize USA, for example, engaged Business for Social Responsibility to conduct its own human rights assessment.
Ahold Delhaize also is committed to reducing its impact on climate change, and ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 globally on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. The company has new climate targets for 2040 to reach net-zero carbon emission across its operations and by 2050 to become a net-zero business across its supply chain, products and services.
Already, 21% of its energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources, and its Hannaford banner plans to be its first U.S. brand to use 100% renewable electricity, setting a goal for 2024. (See Hannaford below.) Some of its brands in Europe switched to 100% renewable energy in 2021.
In 2021, the company realized an 18% reduction in tons of food waste per food sales compared to its 2016 baseline. As part of this initiative, since 2021 Food Lion, The Giant Co., Giant Food, and Stop & Shop all have partnered with Flashfood, an app-based program aimed at reducing in-store food waste. The initiative allows shoppers to purchase food nearing its sell-by date, such as meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products, at up to 50 percent off on the Flashfood app, and then pick them up at participating stores.
In 2022, Ahold Delhaize USA, ExxonMobil and packaging manufacturer Sealed Air teamed up on an advanced recycling initiative billed as the first of its kind in the U.S. The project recycles flexible plastics from the food supply chain and remakes them into certified-circular food-grade packaging in order to keep plastics out of landfills.
In 2021, Ahold Delhaize USA released health and sustainability goals as part of a detailed purpose-driven strategy to enable customers to make healthier choices, create greater product transparency, eliminate waste and take bold climate action, all in support of developing a more sustainable food supply chain. These goals include:
- Reducing overall use of problematic single-use plastics by 2025, including making private-label products 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable and increasing recycled content by 25% by 2025. In 2021, 36% of Ahold Delhaize’s private label primary plastic product packaging is recyclable, reusable and/or compostable. In 2023, Ahold Delhaize eliminated 148 million single-use plastic bags from the waste stream.
- Making “better-for-you” products account for more than 55% of private-label food sales by 2025 with healthy sales measured through independent nutritional guidance standards, including Guiding Stars. In 2021, 53.6% of Ahold Delhaize’s total private-label food sales were from healthy products.
- Furthering transparency by 2025 by providing information about product sourcing, starting with fresh produce and meat. Additionally, the retailer will expand efforts in sustainably sourced seafood, coffee and tea to be 100% sustainably certified in cocoa, palm oil, pulp and paper products and packaging as well as achieve advancements in animal welfare and human rights.
Net-Zero Carbon Emissions
In 2021, Ahold Delhaize committed to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its own operation by 2040 (scope 1 and 2) and become net-zero businesses across its entire supply chain, products and services by 2050 (scope 3). These goals are in addition to its previous commitment to reduce scope 1 and 2 emission by 50% between 2018 and 2030. In 2021, the retailer achieved a 31% reduction in absolute CO2-equivalent emissions compared to its 2018 baseline.
To achieve the scope 1 and 2 commitments for its operations by 2040, Ahold Delhaize companies also will continue to improve operations by:
- Replacing or retrofitting refrigerator systems with lower greenhouse-gas alternatives and minimizing leakage;
- Accelerating the switch to renewable power;
- Building and remodeling stores in the most energy-efficient way, including installing LED lighting, adding doors to refrigerators and improving insulation;
- Switching to low-carbon heating initiatives, including heat pumps and district heating;
- Converting both our light and heavy transportation fleet to zero-carbon alternatives, including battery electric vehicles, and leveraging route optimization technology and an improved fill mechanism to reduce overall energy use; and
- Applying an internal carbon price model into investment proposals.
To achieve the scope 3 commitments across the supply chain by 2050, Ahold Delhaize will focus largely on partnering with farmers in this transition, by incentivizing sustainable change through longer-term contracts with concrete environmental requirements, and co-investments on their farms.
Hannaford
Hannaford has always been serious about sustainability, and over time it’s become an integral business function. For example, Hannaford announced a goal to power its operations completely by renewable energy by 2024. To cut energy consumption and improve the way it currently uses energy, the banner has implemented energy-efficiency projects, such as LED lights, night shades on refrigerated displays, doors on cases and modern refrigeration systems as well as rooftop solar panels on 10 of its stores. Hannaford’s 49,000-square-foot store in Augusta, Maine, also was the first supermarket in the world built to achieve LEED Platinum, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest standards. The retailer also donates $15,000 from reusable bag sales to charity every month.
Hannaford currently operates at 30% renewable energy by partnering with more than 30 community solar projects in Maine, Massachusetts and New York state.
In 2021, the banner became the first large-scale supermarket chain in the Northeast to achieve zero food waste to landfills. This was achieved by:
- Ordering and Handling: Avoiding food waste through accurate ordering and food handling processes that keep products fresh.
- Donate and Divert: To fight food insecurity, as a Feeding America partner, Hannaford donates as much safe and nutritious food as possible to community pantries, soup kitchens and food banks.
When food isn’t suitable for human consumption, the banner donates it to local livestock farmers. For the rest, they work with Agri-Cycle, a recycling company that collects food waste from across the Northeast and uses farm-based anaerobic digesters to turn it into renewable energy. In this way, Hannaford generates enough energy to power 2,500 homes annually.
Hannaford donates the equivalent of 26 million meals in rescue food every year. The retailer runs both a summer and holiday flight of the "Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger" program, which supports local and regional food pantries. The efforts typically encourage monetary and private-label product donations. However, due to the challenging nature of 2020 and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Hannaford shifted its focus on the holiday flight away from its traditional Helps Fight Hunger boxes and toward cash donations to help every dollar stretch even further. In stores, donation towers encouraged shoppers to purchase a $5 or $10 donation card.
In 2023, Hannaford launched its Snack Pals Plates program. Customers can buy Snack Pals Plates situated in special displays in the produce section, at a cost of two for $5. Each purchase results in a donation toward local hunger relief organizations in that store's community. The program is an extension of the Hannaford Snack Pals program, which features food characters that teach children about healthy eating habits. The HannafordSnackPals.com website features activities designed to encourage healthy eating habits, including interactive games, food-themed crafts and nutritious recipes.
Hannaford has also added cause components to its sweepstakes and incorporated its "Guiding Stars" nutrition-labeling system over the years.
In 2021, Hannaford also donated $400,000 to support mental health resources in its regions.
In 2022, Hannaford was recognized as a Patriot Employer by Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Maine’s Patriot Employer of the Year for providing employment opportunities to disabled U.S. veterans.
That same year, Hannaford partnered with the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association to bring a new stew, Maine Coast Monkfish Stew, highlighting sustainable, local monkfish with proceeds going toward the purchase of fresh, locally caught fish that will be donated to area food pantries.
Hannaford also supports:
- The Salvation Army: During the holiday season, Hannaford solicits donations at checkout for the nonprofit.
- Local schools through its “Hannaford Helps Schools” program. Shoppers earn money for a designated school by purchasing eligible items from roughly 30 manufacturers highlighted at the shelf and in circulars.
- The American Red Cross: Hannaford is a longtime partner of the organization, regularly hosting blood drives in store parking lots.
- Hannaford shoppers can buy Bloomin’ 4 Good bouquets and support their community at the same time. For each purchase of a Bloomin’ 4 Good floral bouquet, $1 is donated to a local charitable organization.
- Some stores host additional events benefiting local charities.
In 2022, Hannaford launched its Groceries to Grads program, a tuition reimbursement program in an effort to support associate career growth offering up to $5,250 in tuition funds annually.
In 2023, the retailer brought its sustainability message — literally — to the checkout line. All 186 of the grocer's stores are outfitted with MessageWrap's printed conveyer belt covers to raise awareness about its eco-friendly efforts.
Food Lion
Through numerous Food Lion Feeds initiatives, the retailer has helped provide more than 1 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025. In 2021, the retailer donated more than 152 million meals. In 2021, more than 52 million meals were donated through Food Lion Feeds’ food rescue program, where every Food Lion store gives excess food to a local feeding agency for neighbors in need. Additional meals are donated in partnership with customers through Food Lion’s four main annual in-store campaigns, including “Holidays Without Hunger,” “Summers Without Hunger,” Apple Bag and Orange Bag, where meal donations are connected to a customer’s purchase of a designated product or financial donation. For 2023's Holidays Without Hunger campaign, more than 4.8 million meals were provided to families in need.
As of July 2022, Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation had distributed more than $775,000 in grants to 294 nonprofit organizations, including $165,000 to Feeding America, which represented an 83% increase in the number of grants issued in the previous grant cycle in the fall of 2021.
The Food Lion Feeds campaign supports local Feeding America-affiliated food banks through several events:
- Holidays Without Hunger: During its largest “Holidays Without Hunger” campaign to date, shoppers purchased nearly 1.1 million specially marked, prepackaged “Holidays Without Hunger” food boxes for $5 or made cash donations at the register, which totaled 6.6 million meals in 2021.
- Apple Bag: Shoppers can purchase specially marked bags of apples or make cash donations at the register of online via Food Lion To Go. Since the campaign began in 2014, more than 13 million meals have been donated.
- Orange Bag: During the banner’s annual Orange Bag campaign, shoppers purchased specially marked Food Lion Feeds orange bags or made a cash donation during checkout. Each bag sold helped provide five meals. In 2022, the program donated 1.6 million meals.
- Score to Give More: For every free throw made during the basketball season at participating colleges and universities — by the 2023-24 season, the initiative's fifth year, 54 schools were involved — Food Lion Feeds donates 100 meals to local Feeding America food bank members, up to 30,000 meals per school. In the program's third year, the combination of regular season and tournament foul shots resulted in more than 1.2 million meals donated to local food banks.
- Hunger Action Month: Food Lion donates to nearly 30 Feeding American partner food banks throughout its 10-state footprint during the month of September.
- Summers Without Hunger: An annual program dubbed “Summers Without Hunger” in allowed shoppers to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar for the proceeds to be donated to Feeding America food banks. In the past, this program tied meal donations to reusable bag purchases, leveraged CPG partners for food donations, and encouraged shoppers to make a $5 donation to Feeding America both in stores and online.
- Food Lion Feeds Feedys Awards: Annually Food Lion honors food banks, volunteer, community leaders and associates with the Food Lion Feeds Feedys Awards to recognize those who provide meals, resources, education and hope to those experiencing food insecurity in the communities the banner serves.
- Sack to Give Back: For 2023, the fifth year of this initiative, Food Lion Feeds teamed with more than 30 colleges and universities to help provide meals to those in need.
Food Lion Feeds also continues its partnership with Meals on Wheels America by providing $250,000 to help seniors experiencing hunger. Since 2022, the program has invested $750,000 to the cause.
As a way to attract more employees, in 2022 Food Lion enhanced its education assistance program to offer tuition reimbursement for all part-and full-time associates, an increase in tuition reimbursement for full-time associates, and discounted degree programs at 15 education providers.
In the past, Food Lion also has united CPGs for bulk-purchase incentives supporting the cause and run regional fundraisers, such as benefit runs. It also has run scholarship contests as part of its sponsorship of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Additionally, Food Lion is a sustainability leader, having received 21 consecutive Energy Star Partner of the Year Awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The banner says it is the only company in the U.S. with this distinction. During the past 21 years, the grocer reduced energy consumption by more than 853.7 million kilowatt hours and reduced its carbon emissions by more than 605,003 metric tons. More than 900 of Food Lion’s 1,100 stores have received the Energy Star certification at least once, which represents 83% of all Food Lion locations and 36% of all Energy Star certified supermarkets across the country.
In 2023, Food Lion launched a "food pharmacy" pilot with Novant Health's New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. The two-year program aims to help qualifying customers with chronic health conditions to make smarter food choices. Participants also receive boxes of healthy food items as well as guidance from dietitians and other health professionals. The pilot is leveraged by Ahold Delhaize USA's Guiding Stars food labeling program.
Stop & Shop
The banner runs several initiatives focused on hunger:
- In 2022, Stop & Shop and the Boston Red Sox partnered on a multi-year campaign to Strike Out School Hunger, with a pledge to donate 10 million meals to students who are facing food insecurity. For each strikeout by a Red Sox pitcher during regular season home games, Stop & Shop will donate 10,000 meals to support the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. Launched in 2019, the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program currently supports more than 100 in-school pantries across five states.
- In 2022, Stop & Shop and Boston-based nonprofit About Fresh have partnered to expand access to fresh and healthy foods for people in need across New England. Through About Fresh’s “Fresh Connect” program, participants can use prepaid debit cards “prescribed” by healthcare providers to purchase healthy produce. Stop & Shop is the first major retailer to make produce as a prescription program available.
- The banner pledged $1 million in 2022 to fight food insecurity across New York. As a decades’ long partner of Food Bank for New York, Stop & Shop will once again be sponsoring the food bank’s Mobile Pantry, an eight-week-long distribution of fresh produce and pantry staples.
- Through Stop & Shop’s Meat the Needs program, the banner has donated more than 2 million pounds of meat to regional food banks.
- Since 1990, the retailer’s annual Food for Friends register campaign has raised more than $1 million each year for 13 regional food bank partners.
- Stop & Shop’s Holiday Boxes are handpicked care packages with essential food items that can be donated directly to local food pantries or anyone in need. Available beginning each November in stores, the banner has donated more than 100,000 boxes to those in need.
- It also runs several holiday cause programs that activate its sponsorship of the National Football League's New York Giants.
In the spring, the banner runs its annual “Help Cure Childhood Cancer” campaign to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund in Massachusetts and MSK Kids, the Pediatric Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Since the campaign’s inception decades ago, Stop & Shop and its customers have contributed more than $100 million to these two hospitals, allowing them to make significant advancements in pediatric cancer research and care. In 2022, shoppers donated at checkout by rounding up their total to the nearest dollar or donating an additional $1, $3 or $5.
Some of the banners other cause initiatives include:
- Stop & Shop provided tens of thousands of meals to medical first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Operates a Green Energy Facility at its distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts, turning inedible food into clean energy.
- Stop & Shop and its customers have donated over $5 million to USO to support troops.
- The banner supports community nonprofits with Cash for Causes. Nonprofits can purchase Cash for Causes gift cards at a 5% discount ($500 minimum purchase required), and then sell them at face value to raise money for the nonprofit.
- Stop & Shop is the largest unionized grocer in New England, and also provides tuition reimbursement for full-time associates pursuing further education in business or food industry areas of study.
- Stop & Go shoppers can purchase Bloomin’ 4 Good bouquets and support their community at the same time. For each purchase of a Bloomin’ 4 Good floral bouquet, $1 will be donated to a local charitable organization.
The Giant Co.
The banner focuses on cause programming that helps build strong families and communities.
For its 100th anniversary in 2023, The Giant Co. launched a Make a Difference Challenge, which supports the community by supporting nonprofits who work to make a better future for the population and the planet via donations of funds and products as well as volunteer initiatives.
Other campaigns include:
- Healing the Planet: The Giant Co. reinstated its Healing the Planet grant program for which shoppers are enabled to round up their checkout purchases. In 2022, $300,000 was awarded to projects aimed at improving the health and quality of waterways in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Through the campaign, the banner in 2022 also donated $1.1 million to the Rodale Institute, a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing the organic movement through research, farmer training and consumer education. As part of the banner’s Healing the Planet initiative, the brand is committed to:
- plastic bag recycling and plastic reduction efforts;
- zero-waste initiatives;
- a solar field and bee pollinator habitat;
- energy-efficient fixtures in stores; and
- sustainably sourced seafood, coffee and tea.
- Plant Bee Foundation: For the months of April and May, shoppers can round up their purchase at any Giant, Martin’s or Giant Heirloom Market store and donate the funds to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful; Plant Bee Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on driving awareness for pollinators in local communities; and Rodale Institute, the voice of the regenerative organic movement.
- Additionally, The Giant Co. established a 7-acre, pollinator-friendly solar field at its Carlisle, Pennsylvania-headquarters that generates clean energy and supports bee habitats in 2020. In 2022, the retailer added two new beehives following the theft of 60,000 bees from the same area earlier in the same year. The grocer eventually plans to house 450,000 honeybees in nine beehives by 2023.
- Children's Miracle Network: The division holds fundraisers for hospitals, including the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, during the summer and holiday season for which it has raised more than $50 million during the past 23 years.
- Bag Hunger: The Giant Co.’s annual campaign has delivered more than $15 million to local food banks and pantries during the past 20 years.
- Feeding School Kids: Shoppers are invited to round up their purchases, buy a reusable bag, or convert their Choice rewards points into a donation to benefit their local public school districts' food programs. In the first three years of the program, which began in 2021, the grocer has raised more than $6 million toward hunger relief efforts at school and at home.
Giant Food
Giant Food runs an annual “Lend a Hand for Hunger” campaign to benefit five area Feeding America food banks. During the fall of 2021, shoppers could roundup their change to the nearest dollar or donate $1, $3 or $5 during checkout. The retailer also donated 6,000 Nature’s Promise turkeys to food banks, and since 2011, Giant has donated 46,000 turkeys to its local Feeding America food banks.
Through Giant’s Meat the Needs program, the banner has donated more than 2 million pounds of meat to regional food banks. In 2021, Giant Food donated over 4.6 million pounds of food to its five Feeding America food bank partners.
Giant Food also runs these ongoing cause/retailing programs:
- After purchasing a Giant Community reusable shopping bag with a giving tag, shoppers can direct a $1 donation per bag to a local nonprofit. If the shopper does not direct the donation within seven days, it will automatically be donated to a local nonprofit chosen by the store where it was sold. Giant Community shopping bags retail for $2.50 and are available at various registers and at the reusable bag rack in each store.
Since 2016, Giant Food has served as the title sponsor of the annual National Capital Barbecue Battle, Washington, D.C., benefitting the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore and Capital Area Food Bank. In 2022, Giant Food partnered with GreenPrint, Chicago, to make the event 100% carbon neutral for the first time through investments in certified carbon reduction projects along with Concord, Massachusetts-based Divert, a company focused on the decarbonization of food waste; Loop, the circular reuse platform; and Volta, an electric-vehicle charging station company.
Since 2005, the chain has marked the designation of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with an annual fundraiser for pediatric cancer from late August through early October, selling $5 coupon books to raise money for the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and The Children’s Cancer Foundation.
Giant also is a partner in community health, employing a team of certified nutritionists to provide free health and wellness guidance to customers. Each year they provide thousands of customer consultations, classes and store tours under their philosophy of “All foods fit. It’s how you arrange them on your plate that matters.”
In 2022, Giant Food deployed two new fully electric Giant Delivers vehicles as part of its fleet of 128 based in Hanover, Maryland, making daily deliveries to customers. The vehicles were made possible through a grant awarded to Giant by the Clean Fuels Incentive Program. During the next several year, Giant plans to transition more of its Giant Delivers fleet to all-electric.
The banner also added Terracycle’s circular reuse platform, Loop, for shoppers in its Washington, D.C.-metro area.
Advertising Strategy
Advertising Strategy
Ahold Delhaize USA’s digital, e-commerce and commercial engine, Peapod Digital Labs, is expanding its AD Retail Media network with a complete in-house, end-to-end agency.
Hannaford uses advertising sparingly, mostly focusing on TV and radio spots promoting sales and its rewards program.
Food Lion touts its major promotions with TV and radio spots, run-of-press newspaper ads, and display ads on websites such as Shopping.com and Yahoo.com. The chain is also quick to accept co-op advertising opportunities with both major CPGs and local brands.
Giant Food primarily uses radio spots and focuses on value messaging, spotlighting deals available through its loyalty program and mobile application. It also occasionally uses digital and print ads to activate sports sponsorships or promote its fresh and prepared foods.
Giant Food named Heart & Soul Marketing as its creative agency of record. Heart & Soul was tasked with developing a campaign designed to modernize the grocer's image while keeping a focus on its roots within the community. The first ad, a 60-second spot, debuted in January 2024 with the theme, "This is Home." It underscores the grocer's 88-year history in the Washington, D.C. area and celebrates culture, value and a sense of belonging. The promotion includes radio, social media, out-of-home and in-store channels.
Stop & Shop and Giant/Martin's lean more heavily on TV, mixing in radio spots and digital ads that often call out savings on major brands.
Solution Providers
Solution Providers
- Advertising, Food Lion: GSD&M, Austin, Texas
- Advertising, Giant Food: RP3 Agency, Bethesda, Maryland
- Advertising, Hannaford: Allen & Gerritsen, Boston
- Data analytics: IRI, Chicago
- Digital circular, Ahold USA: Flipp, Toronto
- Inventory management: Retail Solutions (RSi), an IRI company, Mountain View, California
- Perishables sales: RDD Associates, Totowa, New Jersey
- Price/promotion optimization: Revionics, Austin, Texas
- Private label sourcing: AMS Sourcing, Amsterdam
- Real-Time Store Operations: Reflexis Systems Inc. (a part of Zebra Technologies), Dedham, Massachusetts
- Digital audio out-of-home advertising: InStore Audio Network, Princeton, New Jersey
- Cloud-based platform for Peapod Digital Labs: Trace One, Boston
- Product discovery: RangeMe, San Francisco
- Digital coupons: Quotient, Mountain View, California
- Forecasting and replenishment system: Relex Solutions, Helsinki, Finland
- Antibacterial dispensing wellness kiosks: Terraboost Media, Miami Beach, Florida
- Sustainable Solutions, Giant Food: GreenPrint, Chicago
- Circular reuse platform: Loop, Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada
- Electric-vehicle charging: Volta, San Francisco
- Resource Recovery, Giant Food: Divert, Concord, Massachusetts
- Shelf-Tag Technology, The Giant Co.: A3 Mediaco LLC, Eagleville, Pennsylvania
- Location Technology, Hannaford Supermarkets: Flybuy, Washington, D.C.
- Strategic Creative Agency of Record, Giant Food: Heart & Soul Marketing LLC, Phoenix
- Advertising Agency of Record, The Giant Company: Allen & Gerritsen (A&G), Boston
Sponsorships
Sponsorships
Ahold Delhaize's Stop & Shop and Giant Food chains hold numerous athletic sponsorships, which they activate with cause campaigns and in-store player appearances.
Stop & Shop
- The National Football League's New England Patriots and New York Giants’s Official Supermarket
- Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox’s Official Grocery Store
Giant Food
- The National Hockey League's Washington Capitals
- The Women's National Basketball Association's Washington Mystics’ exclusive grocery partner
- The NBA's Washington Wizards
Giant/Martin's
- Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies
Giant Food has also gotten into the e-sports trend by sponsoring the Wizard District Gaming NBA 2K League team.
Food Lion activates its sponsorship of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association during college basketball season with a food drive and contests awarding scholarships.
Since the partnership's inception in 1994, Food Lion has
- donated more than $7.5 million in scholarships to CIAA schools;
- provided more than $200,000 in grants to improve and stock pantries and nutrition lounges on CIAA campuses; and
- provided jobs for CIAA and alumni, and hired more than 40 CIAA students into their Retail Management Trainee program.
Also in 2024, Food Lion increased scholarship funds, restocked pantries and provided gift cards to students and student-athletes at CIAA schools.
The chain also sponsors the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Marketing Expenditures
Marketing Expenditures
Ahold Delhaize does not release advertising expenses.
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Ahold Delhaize Promotional Calendar
A roundup of seasonal promotions.
January
All Banners
- New Year: Spotlights private label Nature's Promise and other better-for-you products including produce, pet and personal care items through circular activity, digital coupons and bulk-purchase incentives. In-store dietitian services and private label products are part of the activity.
- Super Bowl: Football-themed digital and coupon activity as well as in-store displays, especially from NFL sponsors.
- Valentine’s Day: Seasonal confectionery and gift items enjoy plenty of secondary display space. Circulars spotlight relevant deals. Social media updates offer cookie recipe ideas and floral tips.
February
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover, Giant/Martin’s and Hannaford
- College Basketball: Themed displays and NCAA sponsors receive plenty of secondary merchandising space.
- Easter/Passover: Circulars and displays showcase confectionery, basket-fillers and decor. Passover also gets strong circular activity and some in-store support.
- St. Patrick’s Day: Spotlights relevant products like Guinness beer and limited-edition SKUs with secondary merchandising space.
- Chinese New Year: In store endcap stocks ethnic food items to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Some chains share recipe ideas via social media.
- Valentine’s Day
Hannaford
- Black History Month: Social media updates spotlight Black-owned business partners.
Food Lion
- Football/Super Bowl: Social media updates link to game-day recipes.
- Food Lion Feeds: Activates its hunger relief cause platform and fundraiser in partnership with Feeding America that ties donations to purchases of store-brand bags of fruit. Social media updates support.
- Black History Month: Featuring Black-owned brands in circulars.
March
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant/Martin’s
- March Madness: A bulk-purchase incentive with official sponsors. Themed displays earn significant space in stores.
- Frozen Food Month: A spotlight on the category through a bulk-purchase incentive.
- St. Patrick's Day: Savory magazine articles provide festive recipes. Circulars in 2022 dangled “St. Paddy’s” deals on Irish butter, green-and-white cupcakes, balloons and bouquets.
- Purim: Circular features on Kedem juice and tea biscuits, Oberlander haman tashen and other holiday brands.
- Easter
Food Lion
- Easter: Confectionery brands receive secondary display space while circular activity and custom signage in stores promotes basket-fillers and Easter essentials. Shares festive recipes online.
- March Madness: Promotes its Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) sponsorship with digital and social media activity. In 2022, Food Lion sponsored a CIAA career fair and a Mister & Miss CIAA program, which included a hunger relief cause component. Partners with official tournament sponsors on bulk-purchase incentives and sweepstakes while also using the occasion to activate its Food Lion Feeds platform (see below) and incentivize purchases of private label brands. Spotlights tournament party recipes online, with links posted on social media.
- Food Lion Feeds
Hannaford
- Spring Cleaning: Offers coupons for cleaning supplies and unites major manufacturers for a bulk-purchase incentive. In-store displays and custom signage, plus circular and social media activity support.
- Easter/Passover: Holiday necessities receive prime placement in stores. Social media updates share recipe ideas, deals on pineapple spiral-cut ham and other Easter savings.
- Earth Day: Social media updates announcing plan to be fully powered by renewables by 2024.
- National Nutrition Month: Offers coupons for health-focused brands, runs a themed sweepstakes, and uses circular activity to plug the Guiding Stars nutrition labeling program and services offered by the chain's dietitians.
- Frozen Food Month: Unites major category players for a bulk-purchase incentive, and promotes recipes online.
- Women’s History Month: Social media updates honoring women-owned businesses.
- Hannaford Helps Schools: Kicks off initiative that doles out "school dollars" at checkout that can be redeemed to help raise money for local schools. Purchases of four SKUs from a list of 1,500+ triggers $3 school dollars that can go toward a school of the shopper's choice. Social media updates support.
- March Madness: Circular features and displays promote party needs.
- Grilling: Kicks off the season early with circular activity.
April
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant-Carlisle
- Spring: Seasonal products and themed displays enjoy plenty of space in stores, items plugged in circulars.
- Major League Baseball: Displays from team sponsors bring the theme to stores. Chains activate official MLB team sponsorships with licensed merchandise and a slew of offers and sweepstakes as well as in-store and circular support.
- Earth Month: Circular features tout chains’ sustainability efforts and incentivize purchases of green brands
- Easter/Passover
Food Lion
- Cinco de Mayo: Ingredients for Mexican dishes are merchandised on dedicated displays. AB InBev’s Corona and other relevant alcohol brands flaunt festive displays in stores.
- Summer: Beach umbrella and base wrap branded for Truly hard seltzer, “Perfectly Balanced Summer” Core-branded floorstands.
- Earth Day: Brand-agnostic social media update in 2022 linked to online recipes to celebrate the day.
- Easter: Activity continues. Brand-agnostic social media update in 2022 links to online recipe.
Hannaford
- Earth Month: Runs bulk-purchase incentives with organic and natural brands and spotlights the chain's sustainability efforts.
- Cinco de Mayo: Corona and ingredients for Mexican dishes are called out in stores and in Fresh magazine. Social media updates share “Taco Thursday.”
- Spring Cleaning
- Easter/Passover
May
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant/Martin's
- Arthritis Awareness Month: Circular features plug incentives on OTC treatments from national brands.
- National Pet Month: Circulars promote pet SKUs and the availability of pet prescriptions at in-store pharmacies.
- Mother's Day: Displays and circulars spotlight greeting cards and gift ideas. Circulars in 2022 united “Mom’s Favorite Breakfast” items including Starbucks coffee, Tropicana orange juice, Thomas’ English muffins and other brands, as well as floral arrangements and “mom-tastic gifts” like Ghirardelli, Lindt and Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Yankee candles, summer housewares and decor. Separate ad for new moms or moms-to-be spotlight free bouquet of flowers when you spend $30 on “participating baby products” like diapers and wipes.
- Spring: Circulars promote deals on s’mores fixings, ice cream.
- Major League Baseball
Food Lion
- Mother's Day: Displays spotlight greeting cards and position cooking needs as gifts. Circular activity focuses on personal care products. Social media updates link to recipes or ideas to celebrate mom.
- Teacher Appreciation Day: Offers teachers a discount in stores and positions apples, prepared foods and flowers as gifts.
- Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive: Activates its Food Lion Feeds platform to sponsor the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service's annual campaign.
- Memorial Day: Offers loyalty cardholders who also present a military ID card a 10% purchase discount. Social media updates direct shoppers to online recipe ideas for cookouts.
- Graduation: Social media updates with links to online recipes ideas for graduation parties.
- Cinco de Mayo
Hannaford
- Summer/Grilling: Fresh magazine spotlights summer-themed recipes.
- Memorial Day: Social media updates plugging savings on grilling items, desserts.
- Mother’s Day: Social media updates with video on celebrating mom, deals on food items for the celebration.
- Graduation: Social media updates with ideas for party essentials, linking to online deals.
- Cinco de Mayo
June
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant/Martin's
- Summer/Grilling: Savory delivers summer-themed recipes. In-store displays from CPG brands tie in to the season. Giant-Landover partners with PepsiCo to sponsor the annual National Capital Barbecue Battle, promoting the event with in-store displays.
- National Dairy Month: Circular features offer deals on the category. Savory delivers dairy-focused recipes.
- Pride Month: Circulars in 2022 communicated sale prices in honor of festival on products from Smart Vitamin Water, Oreo and Procter & Gamble.
- 4th of July: Patriotic displays spotlight prepared foods and packaged SKUs.
- Major League Baseball
Food Lion
- Summer/Grilling: Custom signage promotes summer cookout essentials.
- 4th of July: Patriotic displays spotlight prepared foods and packaged SKUs. Social media updates link to online holiday recipe ideas.
- Father’s Day: Social media updates link to online recipe ideas for dad, like grilled bourbon steaks.
Hannaford
- National Dairy Month: Circular features promote dairy products from private labels and national brands.
- Grill Like a Chef: Summer fundraising campaign. Social media updates also direct shoppers to recipes for summer dishes.
- Father’s Day: Social media updates link to burger tips for the “grill master” and plug savings.
- 4th of July: Patriotic displays spotlight prepared foods and packaged SKUs. Social media updates link to ideas and savings for a classic family cookout.
- Pride Month: Social media updates with photos of associates in parade and links to website DEI page.
July
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover, Giant/Martin’s, Hannaford and Food Lion
- Back to School: Activity gets an early start with themed displays from major manufacturers including Mondelez receiving secondary merchandising space at most chains.
- 4th of July: Circulars plug “four days only” sale on cookout staples and holiday treats.
- Eid Al Adha Mubarak: Circulars plug deals on baklava, honey, dates, Turkish delight for Muslim holiday.
- Summer/Grilling
- Major League Baseball
August
Stop & Shop and Giant/Martin's
- Back to School: Encourages loyalty cardholders to register in the A+ School Rewards program. School supplies and themed displays enjoy prime secondary merchandising space. Branded shelf talkers flood the aisles; in 2022, this included a Babybel “Unwrap the Magic this school year” shelf talker. Circulars advertise savings on school lunch favorites.
- Summer
Giant-Landover
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Kicks off its annual fundraiser for pediatric cancer in late August (it runs through early October), selling $5 coupon books to raise money for the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and The Children's Cancer Foundation.
Food Lion
- Back to School: Unites a dozen manufacturers for an instant-win game. Also runs a bulk-purchase incentive activating General Mills' Box Tops for Education program. P-O-P in 2022 included a school bus aisle display from Utz. Social media updates link to online back-to-school lunch ideas.
- Labor Day: Social media updates link to online holiday weekend recipes.
Hannaford
- Back to School: Positions its Guiding Stars nutrition labeling system as a way to find healthy school lunch options through a bulk-purchase incentive. Social media updates spotlight snacks.
September
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover, Giant/Martin’s and Hannaford
- Halloween: Themed displays earn significant secondary merchandising space, extending the holiday beyond confectionery and snacks to greeting cards and personal care products.
- Football/Tailgating: Party needs get plenty of merchandising space, with NFL sponsors taking the lead.
- Hispanic Heritage Month: Circulars in 2022 celebrate support of Hispanic businesses, plug brands like Siete, Herdez.
- Rosh Hashanah: Circulars in 2022 advertise deals on brands like Kedem juices, Manischewitz egg noodles, Nathan’s cold smoked salmon.
- National Family Meals Month: Ties in to the Food Marketing Institute Foundation's campaign with an omnichannel effort spotlighting its Guiding Stars labeling program, easy recipes and its nutritionist services.
- Fall: In-store displays highlight fall-flavored, -themed and -scented merchandise.
- Labor Day: Circular activity plugs deals on barbecue staples and related products.
- Back to School
Giant-Landover
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Food Lion
- Football/Tailgating: Party needs get plenty of merchandising space, with NFL sponsors taking the lead. CPG partners provide a variety of other themed incentives and sweepstakes. Social media updates link to online “game day” recipe ideas.
- Apple Season: Ties Feeding America donations to purchases of private label fruit.
- Halloween
Hannaford
- Hispanic Heritage Month: Social media updates celebrate the month with a spotlight on employees.
October
Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant/Martin’s
- Cold & Flu: Displays group remedies from numerous brands.
- Gluten-Free Month: Circular features spotlight relevant products.
- Halloween
Giant-Landover
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Food Lion
- Fall: Runs a themed continuity program.
- Hope for the Warriors: Unites numerous brands for a cause campaign benefiting the veterans group.
- Halloween
Hannaford
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Products from brands contributing to the cause enjoy secondary display space.
- Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger: Sells boxes of private label products to donate to food pantries.
November
All Banners
- Holiday: Seasonal displays earn plenty of merchandising space. Food Lion raises donations for Feeding America-affiliated food pantries and deploys social media updates linking to recipes. Hannaford unites dozens of brands for a bulk-purchase incentive, runs a holiday recipe contest on Facebook, and stores solicit donations for The Salvation Army at checkout.
- Cold & Flu: Activity continues with discounts on OTC and personal care products.
Stop & Shop
- Hunger Relief: Sells boxes of private label products to donate to food pantries. Also runs a “Food for Friends” fundraiser that solicits donations for local hunger relief efforts. Displays stock prepared foods and seasonal private label products.
- Thanksgiving: Circular activity touts turkey and other meal items for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
Giant-Landover and Giant/Martin's
- Thanksgiving: Circulars in 2022 promised a price-match guarantee on Shady Brook Farms and Butterball turkeys, and promoted hams and other holiday table staples.
Food Lion
- Veterans Day: In-store discount on select items for veterans, active duty military and their families.
Hannaford
- Veterans Day: Spotlights on employees who have served posted online and linked on social media. Promises veterans 10% discount on Nov. 11 with promo code.
- Thanksgiving: Social media updates link to online recipe ideas and deals on Thanksgiving fixings.
- Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger
December
All Banners
- Holiday: Deals on popular holiday items such as baking ingredients, desserts, snacks and prepared foods. Circulars promote the floral department as well as seasonal decor housewares and plush toys.
Hannaford
- New Year: Social media updates spotlight celebratory beverages.
- Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger