CARLISLE, Pa. – The GIANT Co. on Tuesday introduced a new brand platform, For Today’s Table, based on the idea of bringing families together at mealtime.

“For Today’s Table is grounded in our strong belief that gathering around the table for a meal with your family to make meaningful connections is now more important than ever,” GIANT Co. president Nicholas Bertram said. “For almost 100 years, we have been entrusted to help families connect over food, at their table, no matter where or what the “table” may be. It sets the stage for our go-forward strategy, crystalizing our commitment to customers, team members and the community, inspiring us to double down on future growth and investment.”

Ahold Delhaize’s GIANT unit says the For Today’s Table brand message will be communicated to customers via a new TV spot that will launch on September 3. The commercial focuses on the power of the family unit and how families need to connect and the real way they do it. The ad uses footage of five real families that were filmed over the course of several weeks.

“This latest campaign brings For Today’s Table to life in an authentic way, showing what families go through and the real solutions The GIANT Company can offer,” said chief marketing officer Matt Simon.

Besides the TV spot, GIANT plans to communicate core elements of the For Today’s Table campaign through mass media, digital and social channels, as well as via modernized store décor, refreshed team member workwear, and an update of all delivery and transport vehicles with family-focused graphics.

The retailer said it will expand product assortment in key categories to better meet the needs and wants of its customers, and will also begin to test new in-store innovations like smoothie bars and kombucha taps.  Made-to-order salads, wraps, soups and grain bowls, offered through a new partnership with Saladworks, are set to debut at GIANT’s flagship store in Camp Hill, Pa. this fall.

GIANT is also appealing to families seeking meal inspiration and savings in a number of ways, the company said. They include:

• Introducing “All Set,” an easy way for customers to identify meal solutions including prepared, heat and eat, and more.
• Expanding its Meal Deals program and Meal Kit assortments, offering additional protein choices, new flavor profiles and meal ideas.
• Increasing shelf space for key categories including plant-based, global flavors, specialty foods like artisanal cheeses and meats, and health and beauty.
• Investing in private brands through the launch of hundreds of new items over the next year, in response to growing demand for high-quality, affordable items. This month, the company introduced its new cook-in-bag line and is also currently rolling out a new item in its Nature’s Promise Kids line, Crustless Sandwiches. Available in grape and strawberry jelly, the sandwiches meet a need of customers by being dairy, peanut and tree nut free.

The “For Today’s Table” brand platform is designed to build on the introduction of a new company name, logo and purpose that was launched earlier this year. The company said it is also moving ahead on a variety of initiatives meant to strengthen its position with its customers, communities and employees.

GIANT remains focused on enhancing the online grocery experience, for example. It is piloting geolocation technology that sends notifications to team members when customers have arrived at the store to pick up their grocery order, eliminating the need for customers to call the store upon arrival.

The company’s focus on strategic omni-channel growth, meanwhile, means that it is moving ahead with previously announced growth projects and store makeovers involving its physical stores.

In its home market of Harrisburg, Pa., the company announced today that it will celebrate the opening of its new Swatara Township GIANT on Friday, October 23.

The company remains on track to complete the 35 store remodels that are either now underway or will begin in the coming months across the brand. Varying by store, these remodels include the addition of more Beer & Wine Eateries, new convenient amenities, refreshed departments, and updated modernized décor both inside and outside the stores.

GIANT said it will reveal plans for additional stores across Pennsylvania later this year, expanding its presence in key markets while also investing in its e-commerce business. The GIANT Company will expand its online grocery delivery and pick-up services by bringing GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct to 10 additional stores in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, bringing the service to a total of 158 stores across the company by the end of the year.

The company said it is also committed to investing in its 35,000 “team members” by offering best-in-class benefits and policies designed to enhance their health and well-being while supporting flexibility and career advancement.

This fall, the company will introduce a new state-of-the-art learning lab — named GIANT University — to support professional growth opportunities across the company. The retailer has also introduced Stress Free Now, Cleveland Clinic’s clinically proven, six-week online course to help manage stress and increase positive emotions and energy. Available to team members at no charge, it teaches relaxation techniques to manage one’s reaction to stress.

The addition of the GIANT University and Stress Free Now complements the competitive benefits and wages offered to team members, including paid time off, paid paternal leave, Health Advocate, 401(k) savings program, Team Member Choice Rewards, free flu shots, tobacco cessation program, employee assistance program (EAP), education reimbursement, health care and disability coverage.

“The most important connections we have are those with our team members. They are the core of the GIANT Company and at the heart of the customer experience,” Bertram said. “Our focus is on helping them discover their own unique path to success by growing through new opportunities and making a difference.”

As part of the brand relaunch, the company will introduce new workwear for store team members as well as name badges inspired by the For Today’s Table branding. The new work look, versioned for the company’s GIANT and MARTIN’S brands, will consist of red t-shirts that highlight the brand’s passion for bringing fresh food to the table and the new name badges will also recognize team members who speak other languages or have served in the military. All stores are also in the process of refreshing their breakrooms to promote camaraderie among the store teams.

GIANT said it is also focused on supporting the communities its stores serve by concentrating its philanthropic efforts on three areas: Changing Children’s Lives, Eliminating Hunger and Healing The Planet. The company said it will continue to direct millions annually in support of nonprofits dedicated to these causes.

“If families are strong, our communities are strong, and if our communities are strong, our world is strong. We believe that it all starts with those meaningful connections around today’s table, and that starts with us. Today, tomorrow and always, The GIANT Company continues to be inspired to grow inclusively, improving the lives of our neighbors and team members,” Bertram said.