Kroger and Giant Eagle announced Wednesday morning that Kroger will buy Giant Eagle, with the deal set to close sometime in 2027. Whether or not Giant Eagle is your main squeeze, chances are that if you live in the Pittsburgh region, the chain plays a role in your grocery life.
Giant Eagle has been locally owned for close to 100 years, and for generations, it was the leader in the region’s grocery industry. Now that they’re selling to Kroger, you may have questions, and we have answers to some of them.
Will Giant Eagle keep their name?
Yes. Kroger plans to retain the Giant Eagle name and banner. It’s the way they have handled other acquisitions of regional grocery chains: Those stores retain their names, but they become part of the Kroger “Family of Companies.”
All the subspecies of Giant Eagle should remain the same, with the same names, as well: Giant Eagle Supermarket, Giant Eagle Pharmacy and Market District.
Will the Giant Eagle headquarters move?
No. According to Giant Eagle, the headquarters will stay at its current location in Cranberry Township, operating under the same leadership.
The purchase price for Giant Eagle is $1.65 billion. Kroger’s board of directors unanimously approved the transaction.
Will there be layoffs?
Kroger’s vice president of communications Erin Rolfes said in an email that they don’t expect “frontline roles” to be eliminated as part of the sale. However, Rolfes did not respond to an email from WESA specifically asking about corporate layoffs.
And according to Jeffrey Inman, longtime retail researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business, that typically happens with major mergers.
“As with most acquisitions (like Heinz when merged with Kraft), there will likely be mass layoffs of corporate staff,” Inman said in an email.
Man, Rite Aid and now this. What will happen to Giant Eagle pharmacies?
Your prescriptions aren’t going anywhere, according to Giant Eagle CEO Bill Artman. The grocer’s pharmacies will continue to operate as usual under the deal.
“Giant Eagle Pharmacy customers can expect no change or interruption in Giant Eagle Pharmacy services,” Artman said in a statement.
What’s gonna happen to my loyalty points? I have been loyal!
It appears they will be unaffected. Giant Eagle public relations manager Jannah Drexler said Kroger plans to maintain the myPerks loyalty program, “while exploring opportunities to expand its reach.”
