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Giant Food to highlight minority-owned suppliers on shelves

New product tag program to launch chainwide next year

Russell Redman

December 22, 2020

2 Min Read
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More than 3,100 food and nonfood products will feature the updated shelf labels across Giant’s 164 Mid-Atlantic stores.Giant Food

Giant Food is rolling out updated shelf labels that enable shoppers to identify products from minority-owned businesses. 

Plans call for all Giant supermarkets to post the new shelf labels starting in January, the Landover, Md.-based regional grocer said yesterday. The labels will inform customers about items from companies that are women-, Black-, Asian-Indian-, Hispanic-, LGBT-, Asian-Pacific- or veteran-owned. 

More than 3,100 food and nonfood products will feature the updated shelf labels across Giant’s 164 stores in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The retailer said the items come from 281 minority-owned businesses in its network of vendor partners.

Giant Food minority supplier shelf labels.jpg

The labels spotlight items from vendors that are women-, Black-, Asian-Indian-, Hispanic-, LGBT-, Asian-Pacific- or veteran-owned, Giant said.

Giant, part of Ahold Delhaize USA, said the new shelf-label program is part of its supplier diversity efforts, which focus on developing strong relationships with businesses offering quality products, top-notch customer service and competitive prices.

“Giant Food is proud to better highlight our diverse suppliers,” Giant President Ira Kress said in a statement. “We’re committed to making it easier for customers to identify product attributes that are important to them by fostering a diverse and inclusive network of suppliers that reflects the unique backgrounds and experiences of our Giant family, our customers and our communities.”

Related:Hy-Vee to turn spotlight on local vendors

For customers looking to purchase their groceries online and enjoy the convenience of Giant Pickup or Giant Delivers, 

Customers also will find the minority-owned business product labels for items on the Giantfood.com website and Giant Food mobile app in 2021. The grocer offers online grocery service via 142 Giant Pickup locations and Giant Delivery, available in all of its market areas. In addition, next year Giant plans to begin highlighting the diversity of its vendor partners through storytelling and product spotlights on a new supplier page at GiantFood.com.

Giant added that it offers shoppers other on-shelf and online tools to identify products with characteristics they value. In 2017, the retailer rolled out the HowGood rating system, which flags products based on factors ranging from ingredient sourcing to labor practices. And in 2018, Giant launched Guiding Stars, a food navigation program that decodes the ingredient and nutritional information on product labels into one clear rating.

Read more about:

Ahold Delhaize USA

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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