Grocery Store Junkie
Of course I had to go to the new Giant in Camp Hill on opening day, not just because it was like the West Shore getting a Macaroni Grill, but because I am a freak who loves grocery shopping. I don’t know if Giant realizes it, as no one I know received the marketing materials that folks in Camp Hill and Mechanicsburg did, but the Trindle Rd. Giant is the supermarket of choice for much of Midtown Harrisburg.
I managed to get a few photos before a woman in plastic gloves yelled at me. I told her that I had passed many other employees who had seen me and not said anything. Do you really think I’m scouting for Weis? You’re open. Anyone can walk in here and see what you’ve got.
Incidentally, they did seem to have at least one Giant employee per every five customers. Around 2 in the afternoon, it was cart-to-cart.
Mike talked about the little carts, which I dug as well — it helped to keep me organized and from over-spending (well, not really).
I have yet to try the check-yo’self-out tools, but I like to go through the checkout line the old-fashioned way.
Let’s talk amenities. There’s tons of “to go” food – wing bars, olive bars, deli takeout, coffee, bakery, cheese shoppe, gourmet chinese food. There is a section where chefs prepare items, and aisles full of culinary tools and appliances behind them.
At the deli, instead of taking a number, you can use an automated ordering program, much like Sheetz’ MTO, keep shopping and pick up your meats and cheeses at a window 10-15 minutes later.
There are samples galore – you could go in hungry, take a stroll, and leave feeling satisfied.
There is an Internet cafe with Wi-Fi. A daycare. A dry cleaners. Pharmacy. Bank.
There is a Staples aisle. A cooking school. On-staff nutritionists. Aisles full of toys and games.
This place is nuts. I might move in.
CATEGORIES: Food/Drink, Harrisburg, West Shore
I’ve been dying to check this place out since I moved from Elizabethtown to midtown Harrisburg last month.
They just finished completely remodeling the Etown Giant, which made it even more painful to deal with the old Giant in Camp Hill while this one was still under construction.
Still, I have a feeling it won’t be as great as Wegmans. Once you go Wegmans, you never go back.
I can’t wait to check this store out. It will probably be my store of choice after moving into my house too. Currently I drive to the Linglestown store but I think the Camp Hill store will be just as close.
I actually worked for Giant when I graduated college. They have a nice design department in their Carlisle headquarters. Although a bit stuffy with having to wear the ol’ shirt n’ tie attire every day, it was a good job. One of the bonuses was being able to tour these new stores before they actually opened to the public. It really is amazing being able to stroll down the aisles and see every box perfectly fronted on the shelves. Something you won’t see very often, if at all, after opening day.
I’ve never been to Wegman’s, but I have heard similar testimonies that it is the end-all be-all. We’ll see if we get that one on the Carlisle Pike.
Wow, they reprimanded you? They probably only want you taking “approved” photos. I was tempted to go crazy with my camera phone for web publishing purposes. I might do it anyway.
It was just one woman, one who wasn’t even in a suit. I told her all the men in suits saw me and didn’t stop me. I also told her I work for the Patriot, but that I wanted it for my blog. She just said, curtly, that the media was there this morning [so obviously I was a liar]. I really don’t know what her deal was.
If I had a camera phone, I would’ve used it, but alas, my digital is a bit more visible.
I think I’ll curb my curiosity until the ‘newness’ wears off.
When I lived in Harrisburg, I always went to that Giant as opposed to the one on Linglestown Road. I think it was the same distance from Second Street, but I just liked it better. (And less traffic)
Well, I checked it out last night around 10. It wasn’t very busy, but busier than most other grocery stores at that hour.
The little carts were pretty cool. They took some getting used to, since I usually just carry a basket. Unfortunately, it was too late at night to sign up for the EasyScan. Maybe next time. I really wanted to use that thing.
I just took a look at your photos of the store. One thing I noticed is that the tables at the outdoor cafe all have umbrellas, but they are all located under a roof. I find that a bit strange.
I’ve been to numerous Wegmans, and just to give you a hint, Giant and Weis score around a 70 in Consumer Reports. Wegmans is the top at around 90, and for good reason (Let’s face it, Giant nor Weis offer Truffles in the produce section!).
I’m looking forward to checking out the new Giant when I come home, but trust me, I won’t step foot in another one again when Wegmans replaces the flea market.
I lived in the Rochester and Buffalo areas for about 14 years… I still think Wegmans is great and haven’t shopped at one regularly for about 7 years now!
I think the new Giant compares favorably to the Wegmens flagship store in Pttsford, NY (or, what my friends in college called it, “Das Uberwegmans”).
Nice to know! I’ve been there twice in the last 24 hours – I’m hooked.
I was drawn back, and I got to use the EasyShop this time. That thing is fun, and it helped me keep track of my purchases, so I ended up probably saving some money.
I have to say however, for the most part, this is just plain old Giant. If you drop youself into most aisles, there’s no telling the difference. The products, the look of the aisles–even the lighting–is all the same.
The parts of the store that you’re a lot less likely to visit, other than as an occasional curiosity, are what set it apart — and it all feels kind of tacked on.
When you’re in a Wegmans, it *feels* completely different. It’s sort of like Wal-Mart vs. Target, although neither compares to Giant or Wegmans. When you’re in a Target, it’s a much nicer shopping experience, even though they’re essentially selling the same junk. I don’t have that urge to shower for three hours after leaving a Target, even though I know it’s essentially the same. They package everything together better at Target. The same thing goes for Wegmans. Sure, it’s all groceries, but this is just Giant with some nice stuff added on.
Both stores have things that make them stand out, however. The EasyShop is great, although I had to wait in line while the people in front of me in line tried to figure out how to check out with it. Giant, to me at least, seems to have consistently sub-par produce. It didn’t seem bad here, but let’s see how it stacks up after the initial buzz dies down. You’ll have a hard time finding better produce than Wegmans at any grocery store, and you’ll find stuff you probably won’t be able to get anywhere else.
What others have said is true: This is no Wegmans … just a big ass Giant. The extra space is not for added grocery selection (other than organics) but for the Staples aisle, the toys aisle, the Hallmark Cards aisles, etc.
Very few of the to go food offerings are actually new, either … other Giants already had chinese, sandwiches, etc. … the cheese shop is very nice, but how often do you need port infused stilton?
Can’t wait for a Wegmans!!!!
being a grocery store junkie myself, i was very much looking forward to the new camp hill GIANT. being a long-time wegman’s shopper, it was easy to get my hopes up. alas, it’s still just Giant. Feels exactly the same with some stuff tacked on that i would guess most shoppers will walk right on by most of the time. My biggest complaint about this new store, besides the fact that I can never find anything, is that they seemed to have gone overboard on certain aspects while ignoring others that truly would have made it a wegmans-league grocery store. Is a Staples aisle necessary when you can walk outside and three doors down to the real thing? Is the extensive movie and book section really all that more convenient than walking next door to Barnes & Noble? And most notable is the HUGE Hallmark cards section! There’s a large Hallmark store a few doors down (along with the Staples and B&N of course). As a result, the store offers the most narrow aisles I have ever seen. You can barely get two carts side-by-side down some of them…I think they could have done a better job with the “cheese shop” as well. they don’t really offer any more than the standard supermarket gourmet cheese kiosks which have become fairly commonplace. Anything else? Nah. I’ve done my rant. Looking forward to the new Wegman’s. I live in midtwon so it will be a little out of the way, but well worth it. Until then, the Highland Park Weis is looking good again
I can’t wait to get a Wegmans here!!! I grew up going to the Scranton store so when I moved away that was what I missed the most. Everyone is right, nothing can compare to a Wegmans, the Produce aisle is always amazing and you find products there that you do not find anywhere else. The bakery is heaven…I have to steer clear of it, it’s that tempting. I am counting down the days till they start building that store.
:)
Somebody else from Forest City? I’ll be damned.
If you haven’t been to a Wegmans before, take the short trip down I-83 to the Hunt Valley Wegmans, and if you can get a parking spot, enjoy the store. Personally, I like the Cheese Shop and the Tea selection.
One thing that I did like about the Giant – the new Bulk Foods section might actually be a little better than Wegmans. However, the produce dept wasn’t quite Wegmans quality, the restaurants were innovative but didn’t quite seem at Wegmans level, and the deli, bakery, meat, and seafood departments weren’t even close.
Overall, the new Giant is a good store for Central PA until Wegmans shows up, but it’s not a Wegmans.
Giant
Speaking of Sara Bozich, I see she writes in her blog about the new Gian…
Hey, awesome, fellow grocery junkies. And I thought I was the only freak who posted this kind of stuff. (I’m the Weis Project guy.) Anyway … I haven’t been to the new Giant yet, but I’m underwhelmed about what I see. It looks like “kitchen sink” design and marketing (as in “everything but the…”). No class.
No class? What do you mean?
And again, I’ve never been to a Wegman’s, but I understand it’s just a different animal altogether. Since we don’t yet have a Wegman’s, I think this is pretty hot. But again, I already liked Giant.
Do you think our area can support a gourmet-style grocery store like Wegman’s? I mean, really?
No class in terms of design. Classy selection of merchandise, definitely, but the store environment seems really loud, bold, overstated, and, well, kind of junky. That was, at least, my impression of the new Elizabethtown store, and I’m assuming that the same basic design principles are in use in Camp Hill as well.
I’m much more a fan of the kind of design Weis is now using–clean lines, simple geometrical shapes (neat curves), almost European in its clean functionality.
I’ve not seen the Elizabethtown store, but the Camp Hill Giant was to be their biggest and best, so I don’t know that Elizabethtown is at the same caliber.
Where is there a new Weis? I’ve never been a big fan.
The new Weis in Bloomsburg is probably the best example. The Weis model that was being built in the late 90s (the ones with lots of red and green) looked good for the time, but now it’s pretty quaint and cheesy looking.
Oh, and nice photos. I once was taking pics in a very ugly and worn-out Weis in Lancaster, and I was similarly told to knock it off–but the guy who told me was some sort of regional supervisor. That sucked.
I am so excited for Wegmans to come here. I am from Upstate NY and nothing compares to Wegmans.
Wegmans is nice. I’ve been to the one in Easton PA that my friend works at. But as a employee of giant’s new prototype i know we are growing faster than wegmans. with more than double the stores, known as giant, martains, and tops. giant is about convience, quality, seclection, and SAVINGS. I bold savings b/c giant really does compete with walmart in terms of steals. Giant has been successful for the past 20 years, and with a store that does 10million in sales during peak weeks i’m guessing the people like it. being its a prototype i expect changes when the next 2 super stores going up soon in the area. including one off of 81 and wertzville road (new patriot news building area) and the revamped giant across from walmart on route 11 will be a giant superstore soon. all the new features giant as created are awesome. where else can u have a associate check in your groceries, put them in a cooler, and drive thur for valiet service. what supermarket can u go to buy a gourmet coffee, and sit in front of a fireplace while using free wifi internet, all while your kids are at the free tree house child care center. giant even created a new postition know as a cis (custer information services) person. they are there to help u with all the computers available to make your shopping easier. here is a walkthrough of the 95,000 square foot store in case u havn’t been through it yet. bucks coffee shop, wifi cafe, the grille, mto fresh start salads, soups, sandwiches, hot bar, panda express, salad bar, bristo, italian and chesse shoppe, marketplace deli, seafood market, cooks corner, butcher shoppe, dairy, bakery, frozen, health and beauty, hallmark isle, staples isle, toy isle, baby isle, entertainment isle, seasonal, bulk candy, natures promise natural and orgainic isles, ethic foods, kitchen devices……….for more information or to apply for a job go to http://www.giantsuperfoodstore.com