In this week’s Meet a Team Member Monday, say hello to Ganimete Gani Gashi, store manager at the GIANT in Coplay, Pennsylvania. Gani began her journey with The GIANT Company back in high school as a cashier in 2000. Over the years, she’s built an incredible career, working in departments across the store and taking on special projects, all of which have led to her current role. Gani aspires to be a role model for future generations, a value she learned from her mother, who taught her the importance of strong family bonds and meaningful relationships. With a personal mission to help others whenever and however she can, as a people leader, Gani is always striving to grow and support those around her to do the same. Her pinch-me moment? “Becoming a store manager is my proudest accomplishment. It represents not only my personal growth but also the trust the company placed in me to lead and inspire others. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities, mentorship, and support I’ve received at The GIANT Company. It truly feels like home, and I’m excited to continue making a difference for our team members, customers, and communities.” Gani, thank you for inspiring us all with your heart and leadership!❤️🛒🖤 hashtag#LifeAtGIANT hashtag#MeetATeamMemberMonday hashtag#CareerGrowth hashtag#RetailGrocery
Say hello to our 2025 Interns!!
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!
As we continue to celebrate and recognize our pharmacy team members during hashtag#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!
Everyone deserves a full plate. From October 18-27, you can participate in our hashtag#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.
Good morning and happy Meet a Team Member Monday! Today we’re highlighting Courtney Lancaster Hopcraft, MPP, our manager of community relations and charitable giving. She oversees The GIANT Company’s charitable contributions and works with team members and partners to support the company’s community relations strategy. Courtney shares that one of the best parts of her day is connecting with our nonprofit partners, including charitable food organizations. “I love seeing and learning about the great work that we are collectively doing in our communities to serve our neighbors and fight food insecurity,” she says. “I also love getting the opportunity to meet so many of our awesome team members who do so much good in their communities every day!” In the last 10 years, Courtney has held multiple positions, both in stores and our support office. She joined The GIANT Company in 2014 as assistant store manager of fresh and later worked as front-end specialist, store manager, and manager of team member recruitment before her current role. She enjoys learning about different areas of the business and doesn’t back down from a challenge. Her advice to team members who want to succeed: be brave. “You must be brave enough to take on new challenges throughout your career journey,” Courtney shares. “You might not immediately be the best at a new skill, but with time and focus, you will gain invaluable knowledge and expertise.” Thanks, Courtney, for everything you do!
This week, we smelled the roses…and learned more about them, too! 🌹 We hosted our 4th Annual Floral Seminar, bringing together floral team members from across The GIANT Company for a day of professional growth. Throughout the day, we shared best practices, learned current industry trends, and received a hands-on education in creative design. We recognized our talented team with awards and held a nail-biting centerpiece design competition! Educational opportunities like this allow innovation – and our team members – to bloom, benefiting our customers and their families. This incredible day wouldn’t have been possible without Kevin Prill, the entire floral team, and our supplier partners – thank you!
It feels like just yesterday we were posting about the start of our 2024 Summer Internship Program. And now, we’re here: having celebrated our interns for a job well done! Last week, we were inspired by our summer interns’ innovation, collaboration, and leadership skills, which were evident during their final team project presentations. We recognized these hardworking individuals with a graduation luncheon, where The GIANT Company leaders commended them for embracing opportunities to make a difference for our team members, partners, and customers. Thank you to recruitment specialist and intern alum, Kegan Pontius, the whole talent and culture team, and all team members who served as supervisors for our interns – without you, this program wouldn’t be successful. We wish our 2024 summer interns the best and can’t wait to see what your futures hold!
Please join us in congratulating Rebecca Lupfer, who has been named senior vice president and chief merchant! “With nearly 20 years of retail grocery experience spanning nearly all areas of the business, Rebecca brings a tremendous amount of expertise to the table as well as an incredible passion for building strong teams that deliver results,” said John Ruane, president, The GIANT Company. “With her strong knowledge of our business, team, and customers, I know The GIANT Company will continue to be the grocery store of choice for customers and team members alike.”
Supplier diversity drives innovation, supports economic growth and job creation in communities that are often overlooked, and helps businesses like ours meet the unique needs of the customers we serve. If you’re a certified, diverse-owned CPG business looking to work with The GIANT Company, we’d love to hear more. Apply to our Supplier Diversity Matchmaking Program, offered in partnership with ECRM and RangeMe, today: https://lnkd.in/dwC7mdGH
