Retailer Spotlight: Giant Eagle

For more than 90 years, Giant Eagle has been providing groceries that include fresh produce, bakery, deli and household items. The company now has more than 200 locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland. They have a variety of store formats, including Giant Eagle, Giant Eagle Express, Market District, and Market District Express, as well as in-store pharmacy services. 

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Giant Eagle is one of the largest food retailers and private companies in North America. The company remains privately held and does not release public earnings. However, Forbes estimates that Giant Eagle generates $11 billion in annual revenue. 

The company has four in-store brands: Giant Eagle for value products, Nature’s Basket for organic products, Market District for artisanal and innovative products, and Top Care for health and wellness solutions. Giant Eagle employs more than 36,000 Team Members throughout stores, retail support centers and offices.

History

The history of Giant Eagle is one rooted in family. In 1918, three families (Goldstein, Porter and Chait) built a small grocery company called Eagle Grocery. The business quickly expanded to 125 stores. In 1928, the families sold Eagle Grocery to the Kroger Company. 

Three years later, the original three families joined with two other families to form Giant Eagle. The first Giant Eagle supermarket was opened in 1936. The company withstood the Great Depression and World War II and grew within Pittsburgh-area neighborhoods. 

From the start, the company has kept consumers’ budgets in mind. In the 1950s, they introduced a Profit Sharing Blue Stamps program in which shoppers received stamps for purchases and could save up to buy big-ticket items. In the 1960s, they replaced the stamps with lower prices, setting a new standard in the grocery industry and inspiring an article in The Wall Street Journal. They made other modern changes during this time period, such as establishing the first in-store bakeries for baked goods made from scratch. They also introduced 24-hour stores and Sunday shopping. Later, they launched Absolute Minimum Pricing, attracting national attention for driving food prices down in the Pittsburgh region.

The company’s first major expansion beyond Pennsylvania was in 1981 when they acquired the Tamarkin company, which enabled the entry into Youngstown, OH. 

Today, Giant Eagle is known for its one-stop-shop format with pharmacies and cafes as well as its myPerks loyalty program, which lets consumers enjoy “perks” for both grocery and fuel purchases. Shoppers can earn perks for every dollar spent. 

Giant Eagle launched Leap Media Group in 2023 to leverage their customer loyalty program. They can connect with their more than 14 million customer loyalty subscribers through in-store advertising, social media, influencer content and more. They’ve since partnered with Chicory, a leading contextual advertising platform.

“We created Leap to help CPG brands better engage with and improve their customers’ shopping experience, and our partnership with Chicory is helping us do so at an even greater capacity and scale,” said Joell Robinson, Giant Eagle Senior Director, Leap Media & Sales. “We’re thrilled to be integrating Chicory’s unique approach to commerce advertising with Leap, so we can help our brand partners provide highly engaging, relevant ads to their customers, and facilitate a streamlined shopping experience, all in a privacy-conscious way.”

In 2025, Giant Eagle acquired prescription files and leases for dozens of Rite Aid locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio due to Rite Aid’s bankruptcy liquidation. This has helped fuel the company’s standalone pharmacy expansion.

Leadership

Bill Artman is the Chief Executive Officer and President at Giant Eagle with almost 40 years of retail experience. Artman has been focused on introducing next-generation technology solutions that will enable a differentiated consumer experience in stores and online. Artman is an excellent example of the pride Giant Eagle takes in championing from within. In 1985, he worked as a Giant Eagle Customer Service Clerk in western Pennsylvania. He has since held numerous positions and most recently served as President of Supermarkets, overseeing supply chain operations, retail innovation, real estate and construction, retail operations, merchandising, and more. 

Graham Watkins is the Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Supply Chain Officer. At Giant Eagle, he has launched curbside pickup and delivery, digital advertising and the acceptance of PayPal as a payment method—an industry first.

Other notable leaders include Greg Baker, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Dave Burnworth, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer and Janis Leigh, Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer.

News

Last July, Giant Eagle sold its convenience store, GetGo, for $1.6B to Couche-Tard. “It is both a catalyst for investment into the communities we have served for more than 90 years and an assurance that one of the most valuable savings opportunities we provide to customers—our myPerks loyalty program—will remain with earning and redemption options at both Giant Eagle and GetGo,” Artman said.

The sale was also part of the company’s “Because It Matters” business strategy that was launched in 2025. The company is investing more than $100 million dollars toward the initiative, which focuses on three main areas: better everyday value, better quality and service, as well as a better customer shopping experience. Specifically, they plan to lower prices on products, modernize supermarkets, and expand their pharmacy services with acquisitions from Rite Aid. Giant Eagle hired more than 100 former Rite Aid employees, which will help support Giant Eagle’s standalone pharmacy expansion.

“2025 has been an incredibly important year in Giant Eagle’s history and the milestones we have achieved have presented us with an opportunity to reinvigorate how we show up for our guests,” said Artman. “We are committed to being the hometown grocer across every community we serve, and we believe our ‘Because It Matters’ strategy and the associated investments we are making will be a catalyst to achieving that goal.” 

Community-focused campaigns, such as the company’s register donations in spring 2026, demonstrate Giant Eagle’s commitment to hunger relief. “Over the past five years, the combined efforts of our register donation campaigns, product donations and financial contributions resulted in 120 million meals provided to those in need across the communities we serve,” said Artman. “This is only possible through the amazing dedication and generosity of Giant Eagle’s 30,000 Team Members and four million customers, who we know will show up again to support our spring register donation campaign.”

The company has been expanding its pharmacies. A standalone Mt. Washington Pharmacy opened last fall, and this past February saw the opening of another pharmacy. 

“In addition to offering customers valuable health care services, our new Giant Eagle pharmacy location will also have unique departments to provide convenient access to essential grocery items,” said Mike Chappell, SVP of Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

With nearly a century rooted in family, community and customer service, Giant Eagle continues to build on its legacy while investing in a future focused on delivering a superior shopping experience.