A Super-Supermarket Opens Its Doors in Willow Grove

by KYW's Mike DeNardo

Supermarkets are competing for shoppers by getting bigger and bigger. A particularly huge store is opening on Wednesday in Willow Grove, Pa.

This is a giant Giant.  It's 97,000 square feet of not just groceries, but a cooking school (right), community meeting rooms, and a wireless Internet café.

Giant president Carl Schlicker says his aim was to create a unique shopping destination -- since this store will be competing with a huge Wegmans just up the road and an even larger Wal-Mart Super Center opening nearby in May:
    
"All of our competitors bring something that we admire. And how do we kind of position ourselves to compete in that environment?"
    
One way is to have nutritionist Mary Ann Moylan on site.
   
"I will be right here when the people shop, and hopefully offer suggestions if they would like any type of nutrition informaiton."
     
Schlicker says 60 percent of his stores compete with Wal-Marts and 30 percnet with Wegmans, so he's familiar with the challenge of carving out a Giant niche.

(Photo: KYW's Mike DeNardo)