Giant Food (Landover)
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Supermarket) |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Founder | Nehemiah Meir "N.M." Cohen, Samuel Lehrman |
| Headquarters | Prince George's County, Maryland , United States |
Area served | Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia |
Key people | Israel "Izzy" Cohen (former leader) |
| Products | Groceries, general merchandise, fuel services, pharmacy operations |
| Parent | Ahold Delhaize |
Giant Food of Maryland, LLC is a regional supermarket operator in the United States, managing 166 outlets throughout Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. As a division of Ahold Delhaize, its corporate headquarters is situated in Prince George's County, Maryland, near Landover. To differentiate it from its Pennsylvania-based counterpart, Giant-Carlisle, the company is commonly referred to in the industry as Giant-Landover. Its offerings encompass groceries, general merchandise, fuel services, and pharmacy operations.
1930s
Established in 1936 by Nehemiah Meir "N.M." Cohen alongside financier Samuel Lehrman, Giant originated as a kosher butcher shop located in Washington, D.C. Cohen’s background as a Jerusalem-born rabbi significantly shaped the early character of the enterprise. The inaugural store was situated at the intersection of Georgia Avenue NW and Park Road NW.
During its initial phase, Giant encountered criticism for its reluctance to open stores within predominantly African-American neighborhoods amid segregation policies, which affected its penetration in those markets.
1940s
Following World War II, Giant underwent swift expansion, increasing its store count from nine in 1946 to 17 by 1950. In January 1949, co-founder Samuel Lehrman passed away while residing temporarily in Miami Beach, Florida during winter.
1950s
Between 1950 and 1952, Giant expanded by adding five new locations during a period of robust economic growth in the U.S., embracing the then-novel concept of shopping centers with a new store at Congressional Plaza Shopping Center in Rockville, Maryland. The company opened its first Baltimore outlet in 1955; by that time, nearly half (48%) of its stores were situated within shopping centers.
In 1958, the retailer introduced its Super Giant hypermarket format, launching eight such stores within twelve months. That same year saw the establishment of a new corporate headquarters and distribution facility on a 40-acre property in Landover, Maryland. The business transitioned from Giant Food Shopping Center Inc. to Giant Food Inc., achieving sales exceeding $100 million during fiscal 1958. By 1959, the chain had grown to operate 53 stores—including nine Super Giants—and went public.
The Cohens founded the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation in 1959 to support community human services and Jewish institutions such as the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C.
Throughout this decade, Giant implemented computerized systems for inventory management, customer data processing, payroll, and accounting. Innovations enhancing customer experience included automated doors, mechanized checkout lanes, and open refrigeration units for meats and frozen goods.
Additionally, the company launched a scholarship initiative aimed at fostering careers in food industry management; two early awardees later ascended to senior vice president roles within Giant.
1960s
In 1962, Giant pioneered the integration of grocery and pharmacy services under one roof by opening its first combined food store and pharmacy in Glen Burnie, Maryland, becoming one of the first U.S. supermarket chains to offer this service model.
Leadership transitioned to Israel "Izzy" Cohen in 1964, under whose guidance Giant expanded into becoming the nation’s twelfth-largest food retailer. Responding to earlier critiques regarding store placement during the Civil Rights Movement era, the company began establishing locations within predominantly African-American communities.
Between 1972 and 1985, Giant owned Pants Corral clothing outlets before divesting them to Carson Pirie Scott, which subsequently rebranded these stores as County Seat.
1990s
Cohen passed away in 1995 at the age of 83. Following his death, a holding company was established, as none of the family members possessed either the interest or expertise to manage Giant Food directly. Three years afterward, the Dutch conglomerate Ahold acquired Giant. While Ahold retained the supermarket chain largely unchanged, it soon encountered difficulties stemming from a financial scandal. Beginning in 1994, Ahold expanded into the Philadelphia, Delaware, and South Jersey regions using the Super G brand to distinguish it from its affiliated Giant chain based in Carlisle. By 2005, Super G outlets located in Southern New Jersey were rebranded as Stop & Shop; however, these stores underperformed and were subsequently sold to ShopRite franchisees in 2007. Meanwhile, Delaware locations underwent renovations and reopened as Super Stop & Shop under the Super Giant label.
2000s
By 2001, Giant operated a total of 184 stores. In 2004, Ahold merged Giant with Stop & Shop, resulting in the elimination of over 600 jobs at Giant’s headquarters in Landover and forming the subsidiary Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover. In 2006, Giant entered into a five-year agreement with Starbucks Coffee to establish Starbucks cafés inside multiple stores; this collaboration concluded in 2011 due to overlapping Starbucks outlets nearby. On August 21, 2008, Giant unveiled a refreshed logo as part of a rebranding initiative shared with Stop & Shop until both brands updated their logos again in 2018.
2010s
In September 2012, Giant divested its distribution center located in Jessup, Maryland, outsourcing its distribution operations to C&S Wholesale Grocers and relocating its logistics functions to Pennsylvania.
By 2019, Giant advanced its omnichannel retail strategy by launching Giant Pickup, which allowed customers to place grocery orders online for convenient store pickup. The following year, in 2020, Giant introduced Giant Delivers, providing direct delivery services to homes or workplaces through its own website as well as via Instacart, thereby expanding its eCommerce presence and customer accessibility.
2020s
On January 17, 2020, Giant debuted Artie, a private label wine collection featuring chardonnay, pinot grigio, cabernet sauvignon, and sauvignon blanc varieties available across 57 stores in Virginia.
In March 2020, Giant upgraded its loyalty program by launching Giant Flexible Rewards, designed to increase digital customer engagement through points redeemable for fuel discounts, groceries, and Giant brand products. This program ranked within the top 20 grocery loyalty initiatives nationwide in 2020 and sustained its standing through 2023, surpassing one million members by 2022.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Giant’s pharmacies played a vital role in regional vaccination campaigns, administering more than one million doses in 2021—including both COVID-19 vaccines and seasonal influenza shots.