Sponsored By

Giant Food Stores to buy Musser’s Markets

Ahold Delhaize USA chain adds to Pennsylvania expansion

Russell Redman

August 19, 2019

4 Min Read
Mussers Market_Lebanon PA store interior.jpg
Musser's Markets

Giant Food Stores plans to acquire Musser’s Markets, an independent grocer in Pennsylvania.

Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant said Monday that it expects to close the transaction by end of October.

Under the deal, Giant will acquire Musser’s three supermarkets in Quarryville (35 Friendly Drive), Columbia (3985 Columbia Ave.) and Lebanon (1750 Quentin Road), Pa. Plans call for the Musser’s stores to close for about a week to be converted to Giant supermarkets.

“We were honored when the Musser family contacted us about purchasing their wonderful locations,” Giant President Nicholas Bertram said in a statement. “The Musser family founded their grocery store in 1925, and we recognize the deep roots and strong reputation they have in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. We look forward to continuing their legacy of caring for families and the community.”

In February, Musser’s had closed a 17,500-square-foot store at 960 Lancaster Ave. in Columbia. The location recently reopened under the AJ’s Surplus Grocery banner.

Giant acquires Mussers Market_execs copy.jpg

Greg Musser, Gray Musser, GIANT Food Stores’ Nicholas Bertram, Mike Musser, Brian Musser, Brent Musser, Matt Musser and Eric Musser.

The Musser family announced the sale of its stores to Giant in a Facebook post late yesterday evening and said Musser’s Market’s last day of business will be Oct. 17.

“We are announcing today that we have made the decision as a family, to exit the grocery industry and sell our grocery store division to Giant Food Stores. Lancaster and Lebanon counties have been our home for the past 94 years. However, due to the changes in the industry, the loss of our cooperative wholesaler (AWI) [Associated Wholesalers Inc.], customer buying habits, online pressure and competition in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, it has become clear that the only way we can continue to service our customers and give our employees better opportunities is to provide a company that can meet these new needs,” the Musser family said in a statement.

Related:Giant reopens former Fergie’s supermarket

“We want to express our sincere gratitude to all of our employees that have made us successful the past 94 years. Also, we cannot show enough appreciation to the loyal customers that we have had since 1925,” the family said. “We approached Giant Food Stores directly and felt that they would be the best fit for our locations, customers and our employees. We commend Giant Food Stores for their willingness and commitment to continue to support our customers, employees and the local community needs.”

The Musser’s purchase marks Giant’s third acquisition of a Lancaster County independent grocer within the past year. Giant announced the acquisitions of Ferguson & Hassler (one store in Quarryville) in May and Darrenkamp’s (a store in Lancaster’s Willow Valley) last September. The F&H store reopened on June 28 this year and the Darrenkamp’s store on Nov. 16 last year, with both locations going under the Giant banner.

Related:Darrenkamp’s to close its doors

Giant currently has 158 stores in Pennsylvania, which has been the focus of its expansion.

In June 2018, the Ahold Delhaize USA chain unveiled a $22 million investment for Lancaster County including four store remodels, a new fuel station and the transformation of a closed Giant store in the city of Lancaster into an e-commerce hub. That project built on a $70 million plan in Pennsylvania, announced in April 2018, for six new locations, two store upgrades and four new fuel stations over the next two years.

On April 5, Giant opened a brand-new store in Warrington, Pa., that replaced a location in Jamison, Pa. Following that were openings of a new Giant store in Walnutport on May 17 and a replacement store in State College on June 7. Last week, the retailer said it also soon plans to open a new Giant supermarket in East Stroudsburg.

Giant, too, is boosting its presence in Philadelphia. The opened its first Giant Heirloom Market, a new urban store format of less than 10,000 square feet, on Jan. 25 in downtown Philadelphia’s Graduate Hospital neighborhood. That was followed with the opening of another in the city’s University City section on Aug. 2. Next up are openings of two more Heirloom Markets: in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Northern Liberties this fall and Queen Village by the end of this year.

In the fall of 2020, Giant aims to open a 65,000-square-foot flagship store in the River Walk project, a mixed-use development along the Schuykill River in downtown Philadelphia. The location, in the ground floor of a residential tower, will be Giant’s first two-story store and its second full supermarket in the city. It has operated a Giant supermarket on Grant Avenue since 2011.

Overall, Giant now operates 181 stores under the Giant, Martin’s Food Markets and Giant Heirloom Market banners in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Its retail network also includes 132 pharmacies and 102 fuel stations.

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

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like