The GIANT Company

Congratulations to Nick Koch, head of wellbeing, for being named a 2024 #GenNext Award winner by Progressive Grocer! The annual award recognizes emerging leaders in the food and consumables industry. Nick joined The GIANT Company team in 2008 as a pharmacy intern and became a pharmacist in 2012 before being named regional pharmacy manager in 2016. Overseeing the operations of 32 pharmacies, with a strong focus on recruiting and pharmacist development, he delivered record-setting growth results. In 2022, Nick led the stand-up of the company's wellbeing team and quickly defined areas of focus and strategic priorities focused on inspiring healthy choices, improving access to wellbeing, and making healthy choices more rewarding. From a best-in-class virtual wellbeing education program hosted by the company's dietitians to collaborating with community partners to bring food as medicine solutions to communities in need, Nick enthusiastically seeks out and supports opportunities to create healthier communities for the company's more than 35,000 team members and its millions of customers. What makes Nick's success most impressive is not what he has accomplished but how he accomplishes it. Nick's dedication to collaboration, teamwork, and relationship building ensures that his team and peers win together and will for years to come. Read more about Nick's impact below and join us in thanking him for all he does to help create healthier communities! https://lnkd.in/ecY597Ax

As we continue to celebrate and recognize our pharmacy team members during #AmericanPharmacistsMonth, we’d like to introduce you Kim Hassinger Pharm D, BCACP, pharmacy manager at our Bartonsville, Pa. GIANT! Kim joined The GIANT Company in 2010 as a staff pharmacist in the Richmond, Va. area, then became a pharmacy manager at the Havertown, Pa. store before heading to her current store as pharmacy manager. She loves what she does and couldn’t give just one favorite part of her job. Kim enjoys educating patients about their health, teaching classes, giving immunizations, and mentoring future and new pharmacists and technicians. Kim chooses to work at GIANT because she likes that the grocery store setting allows her more time to work with patients. She says, “It also allows us to collaborate with dietitians to bring a more holistic approach to patient and community health.” She believes a community pharmacy isn’t just filling prescriptions; it’s about caring for patients. A specific memory that sticks out to Kim is when she had a patient who wanted to get his diabetes under control and asked her for help. During 5-to-10-minute conversations when he stopped in to pick up prescriptions, she would provide him with options, and from there, he would select a habit he was ready to change. When he received his bloodwork results that showed decreased A1C, Kim’s patient would make it a point to share his excitement with her. Interactions like these continue to fill her cup! Kim believes that American Pharmacists Month is meaningful and uplifting. She says, “It allows pharmacy teams – pharmacists and technicians – to be recognized for everything we do every day of the year. It gives a voice to different pharmacy settings and the accomplishments we’ve made as a profession – and also shows us where we can go in the future.” Thank you, Kim, and all of our pharmacy team members, for the care you provide to our customers and one another every single day!

Everyone deserves a full plate. From October 18-27, you can participate in our #FillAPlate food drive by donating non-perishable items to your local GIANT, MARTIN’S, or GIANT Heirloom Market to make sure families have food on the table. All donations are given to local food banks and pantries ahead of the busy holiday season. Most wanted items include canned fruits and vegetables, canned tuna and chicken, cereal, granola bars, and macaroni and cheese. Donation bins can be found at the front of each store near customer service.

It’s not shocking that the top #Halloween activity is handing out candy, according to the National Retail Federation. Last year, our customers went batty for our fang-tastic candy options! • Candy sold: 1 million bags at 875,000 lbs! • No. 1 seller: Reese’s Snack Size Pumpkins • Top 3 candy shapes: 🎃💀👻 In the mood to treat the neighborhood kids with something new? We now have Kit Kat Ghost Toast, Reese’s Werewolf Tracks, and M&M’s Pumpkin Pie in our stores!

Farmers do so much more than grow and harvest food. They are engrained in their communities – feeding families at their markets, in our grocery stores, and through charitable food programs. Without farmers, we couldn’t do what we do. In this video, in celebration of #NationalFarmersDay, our team members give back by picking surplus corn at Oak Grove Farms, a local farm and market just miles from our Support Office in Central Pennsylvania. Then Project SHARE makes sure this gleaned produce gets into the hands of local families who need it most. To honor our friends in agriculture on National Farmers Day, we’re donating $1,000 to 15 nonprofit, agriculture organizations to help cultivate and grow their missions and programs. Additionally, The GIANT Company team members lent a hand to hardworking farmers at volunteer events throughout the week. Recipient organizations include: America's Grow-a-Row • FarmerJawn & Friends Foundation Fund • Garden of Health Food Bank • Indiana County Conservation District • LEAF Project Inc • Living Hope Farm • Martha's Choice Marketplace & Community Farm • Maryland Food Bank • Novick Urban Farm • Project GROWS • Project SHARE • The Seed Farm • Share Food Program • Trellis for Tomorrow • York Fresh Food Farms Thank you, farmers, for everything you do as good stewards of the land to nourish families with healthy, fresh foods! 

We wish our team members and customers that observe #YomKippur a day of personal, purposeful reflection.

Last weekend, we hosted a Wellbeing Workshop featuring The GIANT Company dietitians live and in-person at our Camp Hill, Pa., GIANT store. It was a fun, educational morning full of engaging breakout sessions featuring interactive tours, nutrition and pharmacy educational sessions, a cooking demo, and an opportunity to connect with our entire dietitian team. “We’re excited that this new Wellbeing Workshop garnered such strong interest and engagement!” said Nick Koch, head of wellbeing at The GIANT Company. “It’s clear that our customers are looking for guidance and support when it comes to healthy, nourishing foods and choices. Our teams of dietitians and pharmacists are here to educate and empower families, helping to create healthier communities.” This event wouldn’t have been possible without our suppliers and partners – thank you to BrightFarms, Lactalis American Group, LightLife , Nature Made, Painterland Sisters, Silk, and V8 for your support! If you missed it, you can sign up for our virtual dietitian classes to earn 50 Choice Points! Check out upcoming classes here: https://lnkd.in/dyahvF6

They’re here to support your health and wellbeing. They’re here to answer your questions about immunizations and medications. Simply, they’re here to help you. We’re talking about our pharmacy teams, who do so much to care for our customers. Our pharmacists and pharmacy team members shine a bright light on The GIANT Company’s commitment to creating healthier communities, so we’re shining a light on them during #AmericanPharmacistsMonth. Hear from Andrew Mullin, PharmD, pharmacy manager at our Springfield, Pa. GIANT, about his journey as a pharmacist and why he loves what he does. (Spoiler alert – it’s because he loves helping people!) To Andrew and our 1,171 pharmacy team members, thank you for your commitment to our customers and to making a difference. Happy American Pharmacists Month!

Today we joined our partner Sterman Masser, Inc. to host the 2nd annual Potatopalooza! Just as it sounds, there were literally TONS of potatoes. 🥔 Volunteers from The GIANT Company and Masser Potatoes harvested and packed 16,000 pounds of potatoes totaling 64,000 servings, and they’re being donated to area nonprofit organizations to help local families facing food insecurity. Hunger relief organizations receiving the potatoes include: Society of St. Andrew The Hazelton Community Center Lighthouse Ministries Hazleton Integration Project Thanks to all participants who joined us today for a good cause!

Today we honored and celebrated our 2024 #MakeADifferenceChallenge winners! The GIANT Company presented 24 nonprofit organizations with a total of $250,000 to support their initiatives that promote healthier people and communities. During the award ceremony, these organizations shared inspirational messages about their missions and how the donation will help them make a difference. Because of your votes, Snipes Farm and Education Center (SFEC), Morrisville, Pa. earned the Community Award and an additional $5,000. Kidz Power Pacs – Community Combined Ministries, Martinsburg, W. Va. earned the GIANT Choice Award and an additional $5,000, which was determined by the most team member votes. Congratulations to all of our winners! We’re thrilled to support your programs and initiatives. Bloomsburg Food Cupboard, Bloomsburg, Pa. Bright Futures – Frederick/Winchester, Winchester, Va. Camelot For Children, Allentown, Pa. CHOR Youth & Family Services- Building Kids Lives since 1884, Reading, Pa. City Year Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. Cocoa Packs, Hershey, Pa. First Class Children’s Foundation, DuBois, Pa. Greater Elizabethtown Area Recreation & Community Services (GEARS), Elizabethtown, Pa. The Infinite Mission, Media, Pa. HANNA's Pantry, Inc., Harrisburg, Pa. Home of the Sparrow - Pennsylvania, Exton, Pa. Hope Center at Hagerstown Rescue Mission, Hagerstown, Md. KENNETT AREA COMMUNITY SERVICE, Kennett Square, Pa. Keystone Opportunity Center, Souderton, Pa. Kidz Power Pacs – Community Combined Ministries, Martinsburg, W. Va. Moms Offering Moms Support, Easton, Pa. The Nehemiah Project, Altoona, Pa. Pennridge FISH Organization, Perkasie, Pa. The People’s Kitchen, Philadelphia, Pa. Power Packs Project, Lancaster, Pa. Project SHARE of Carlisle, Carlisle, Pa. Rachel & Troy Foundation, Plymouth Meeting, Pa. Snipes Farm and Education Center (SFEC), Morrisville, Pa. Warminster Food Bank, Warminster, Pa.