The Observation Deck

I had a short chat with someone at Giant Eagle on Monday.

The Lakewood store grosses about $40 million per year. Seems like way to much to give up so I think the store is safe. He also said that there is $4 million set aside in the budget for remodeling the store. He had no word on when the remodeling will take place. He said the money has been set aside but that the project has not received final approval.

FYI: We were overcharged $42 on our bill. Sale items were rung up at the regular price even after the Giant Eagle card was scanned. Buyer beware!

Giant Eagle is IMHO a horrible grocery store and business. I really try to "shop lakewood" but find myself at Heinen's more and more ... For many reasons: choice and price tops among them. Yes, price. Shop there for a months and see for yourself.

Giant Eagle is not local (it is Pittsburg, mega corporate based); Heinen's is NEOhio based and still a family operation.

I'm not opposed to Giant Eagle, but I sometimes question their practices because they seem to flirt with that line between honest mistake and intent to deceive.

case in point, always be aware, when they put a bunch of products on the end cap (cereal is a big one) with a sign advertising a sale, make sure the brand, AND SIZE of the item matches what is on the sale poster.

I've actually seen an entire stand full of product next to a sign advertising a different ACTUAL product that is on sale.

I've been shopping at Aldi's for many things except bread, which we get at Breadsmith. We go to the Eagle when we need a name brand or a little more variety than Aldi's has, but it's not our go to anymore.

Why would the Bunts Giant Eagle not be "safe"?
Safe from what?

It's in the perfect, centralized location in the middle of a city of 50,000 people.
It's not as if Giant Eagle would abandon a giant market like Lakewood.

If any GE location is in danger of closing, it would be the Warren Village store.
It is a "small" store by today's standards (although still much bigger than the Zagaria's Bi-Rite where I worked during high school).

There is something cooking in the area.

The four apartments next to Gian Eagle have all been approached about selling.

Ralph Miller who still owns lot on Manor Park and Detroit has heard something might be coming.

The apartment behind Ralph's has also hinted at a possible sale offer.

Does it have anything to do with Giant Eagle?


.

Pointless post but:

Giant Eagle single green pepper: $2.29
Aldis a two pack of green peppers: $1.29

I used to enjoy getting groceries at Giant Eagle well enough.
Their loyalty program known as the "advantage card" causes me to feel supremely hostile.
I just want one price on the item, and no card to get it.
I am against all such loyalty card programs, and all rebate programs.
Giant Eagle's prices are much higher than most of the other stores I have seen regardless.
Their self-checkout lines always leave me stuck behind someone having trouble using the self-checkout line.
CVS has a similar card program. So I began walking across the bridge to go to Wal-Greens. Then Wal-Greens started doing the same thing. Oddly enough, their prices on nearly every item also went up.
I do not know who is in charge of such loyalty card programs, but I suspect they are also responsible for why the shoe laces are always twice as long as they need to be when I buy a new pair of shoes.
In conclusion, all such loyalty card retail programs should be scrapped. the information collected from them is ultimately useless and meaningless, and all marketing analysis of it is meaningless.

[quote="Jim O'Bryan"]There is something cooking in the area.

Ralph Miller who still owns lot on Manor Park and Detroit has heard something might be coming.

.[/quote]

I can verify this. Just dropped my car off at his service station and he said someone is interested in buying that lot.

If Giant Eagle is looking for more land around that area then it's possible that they might convert the Lakewood store into a Market District store.

That would be a plus for the City. There is some evidence that a Market District store would do well there.

I don't think it makes any sense for Giant Eagle to try for the low end by putting in one of its Good Cents stores. Investing $4 million or more just to remodel the current store doesn't make much sense either.

You are probably right about the Market District. With Marc's, Aldi, and GFS nearby, the race to the bottom as far as prices has been lost. But you would think the higher end market is a possibility, with all the support Heinen's gets across the river.

Paul Schrimpf wrote: But you would think the higher end market is a possibility, with all the support Heinen's gets across the river.

A few years ago a Lakewood resident told me she always shops West, never East. If you could sum up the goal of Lakewood development in one sentence it would be:

Get them to think East not West.

Peter Grossetti wrote:Giant Eagle is IMHO a horrible grocery store and business. I really try to "shop lakewood" but find myself at Heinen's more and more ... For many reasons: choice and price tops among them. Yes, price. Shop there for a months and see for yourself.

Giant Eagle is not local (it is Pittsburg, mega corporate based); Heinen's is NEOhio based and still a family operation.

I was thinking that Giant Eagle was preparing to spend $4 million or more to remodel the store but now I'm not so sure. There is no customer service, there are long lines at the check out and the store sometimes smells like an open sewer.

Is Giant Eagle holding back on maintenance in preparation for a make over or are they trying to deliberately kill their store? Don't dismiss the idea.

I'm sure promises were made to get the City to grease the skids for the Get Go but promises were also made to get the City to grease the skids for the Drug Mart and Dollar Store.

What's a promise worth? Ask the residents of Grace.